Cait and Tara are holding a book club meeting at Coffee Cat Books the week before Halloween. There are twelve participants reading Frankenstein as a storm rolls in. The storm intensifies and the lights go out thrusting the store into darkness. By the time the electricity is restored one of the book club members will be found dead.
Frankencat (Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery Book 13)
By kathidaley
When a book club meeting is interrupted by a storm Cait and Tara decide they should all wait it out and then call it an evening. After closing the store Cait and Tara realize that member Paula’s car is still in the parking lot and go back to check to make sure they haven’t locked her in. With the help of a cat named Frank, Cait ends up tripping over Paula’s body in the storage room and the mystery to find the killer begins. There is no way that anyone was able to get in the store at the time of the murder so it has to be a club member, but who and why? Follow along as Cait questions the members and puts together a timeline of that fated evening. With the help of best friend Tara and a cat named Frank will she be able to find the answers they are searching for? When it comes to Kathi’s mysteries things aren’t always as they seem and that is what makes them fun to read and figure out. This is a great series that is filled with connections of all kinds and that’s why I love it!
Frankencat is the thirteenth book in the Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery Book series. It is that time again, another book club meeting. This time, it’s a week before Halloween, the shop is festive, and a storm is rolling in. The perfect setting for a discussion on their book, Frankenstein. Not long after they take a break, the storm gets worse and the lights go out. When the lights come back on, one of the members of the club is missing. Who is missing? Where did they go? And what happened to them? Another excellent story by this author and one not to be missed!
I am just in awe of the author’s ability to write so many books yet continue to come up with unique mysteries every time. I couldn’t wrap my head around being able to solve this intriguing “locked door” mystery, so I just let myself go along for the ride, eagerly awaiting the author’s solution to this one! And I never would have guessed it..
As always, the book was full of friends, family, magical cats and a very sweet romantic moment for Cait! Although I love all of the author’s series, this one holds a slight edge in the favorite column for me as I live in the Pacific Northwest and enjoy reading about it – happy to say the author does a fabulous job with her vivid descriptions which enable any reader to picture the beauty of the area in their mind’s eye. .
“Frankencat” earns 5/5 Journal Entries and Suspects Galore!
A big storm! A lightening strike! The lights go out! The book club is plunged into darkness, so they decide to wait for the worse to pass. When it seems safe enough, the group decides to head home. Closing up the Coffee Cat Books, Caitlin and Tara notice Paula’s car is still in the parking lot. It wouldn’t have be usual for her to decide to get a ride from one of the other bookclub members…safety in numbers and all. But a cat races in the door sending Cait and Tara on the search to get the cat out. Instead they find Paula, in the dark, behind some storage boxes, lying in a pool of blood, stabbed. “Call Finn.” No visible signs of forced entry, one victim, twelve suspects, and one cat named…Frank. Another mystery that after everything may be ‘another’ too many.
Yeah, Kathi Daley! Another excellent adventure with a favorite series, Whales & Tails Cozy Mystery, has provided me a great afternoon of reading. This lucky thirteenth book may be a short read at 145 pages, but it is not short on excitement: Whispers of infidelity? Mental competency issues? Interesting motives, suspects with alibis, and a cat helping out? I know to newbies it might seem a bit off center to have a cat magically appear with the purpose of helping Cait solve the recent mayhem, but it works. It’s not a paranormal story no matter the unexplained feline appearance and ‘meows’ of discovery; it is just a clever literary tool to provide Cait with a unique way of discussing her discoveries and theories, and a way to explain how she winds up ‘in the right place at the right time.’ Tansy, the local witch (or that’s what people say), always provides a bit of insight, too, so Cait and the mystery cat get off on the right foot. This story has Kathi’s signature realism focusing on issues many might identify with and very engaging as we are led on a well organized journey questioning…interrogating, the ladies of the book club systematically discovering suspicious behaviors, hidden notebooks and diaries, and keeping things up in the air until near the final chapter…you inner ‘Sherlick’ is kept guessing. I love Cait, even though she is just a small business owner, she understands the limitations to her detective work and closely works with law enforcement. This again adds to the realism that Kathi brings to her work. Halloween prep, continued growth in the relationship between Tara and Sister Mary, and checking in on all the supporting characters play out in the background along with the signature delicious easy-to-follow recipes submitted by Kathi’s fans: Double Layer Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cinnamon Pancakes, Marie’s Gingersnaps, and Streusel Apple Pie. All perfect additions to your next book club gathering…sans the murder, of course!