Sarah Grayson and her feline ally, Elvis, get a chance to see if their sleuthing skills are up to scratch in the sixth installment of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries.It’s fall in North Harbor, Maine, where Sarah owns a charming secondhand shop and sells lovingly refurbished items of all kinds. The shop is always bustling–and not just because a quirky team of … quirky team of senior-citizen detectives works out of it and manages to get in even more trouble than Sarah’s rough-and-tumble rescue cat, Elvis.
A cold case heats up when young Mallory Pearson appears at the shop. Mallory’s father is in prison for negligence after her stepmother’s mysterious death, but Mallory believes he is innocent and asks the in-house detectives to take on the case. With Sarah and Elvis lending a paw, the detectives decide to try to give Mallory’s father a second chance of his own.
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With most series, I can pick a favorite book whether it is always the last one I read or one that stands out from the others, but with Second Chance Car mysteries, every book is a perfect as the last. I adore spending time at the Second Chance second hand, vintage, and up-cycle store where the people understand that you don’t have to share genes to be family and that the easy way isn’t always the right way.
A fun book! A young girl comes to ask Sarah and the Angels to help clear her father in the death of her stepmother. Truly enjoyable and fun figuring out the truth. Liz and Sarah also look for the truth in finding out if someone set it up to look like Michelle’s father had embezzled money from the foundation. Can’t wait to see what’s next for Sarah, Elvis the cat, and the Angels!
Sarah Grayson, owner of the Second Chance store, once again finds herself drawn into one of Charlotte’s Angels mystery cases. Charlotte’s Angels is the recently established detective agency that include her grandmother’s senior friends, Charlotte, Liz and Rose, as well as Rose’s friend, Mr. P. This time, they are hired by Mallory Pearson, asking to prove her father’s innocence, currently serving time in jail for criminal negligence in the death of his wife. But complicating this case even further is the fact that her father, Mike Pearson, sends a message to drop the case. While Rose and Liz originally argued over the advisability of this case, they soon are “all hands on deck” as they sort through the events and suspects leading up to the death, and the more they uncover, the more they are convinced that the death by fire may not have been caused by the victim as was originally ruled, but possibly had a more sinister cause. Running parallel to this investigation, Sarah and Liz are also looking into facts surrounding another criminal case involving police detective Michelle’s father, now deceased. Michelle has privately asked Liz to look into the original embezzlement conviction with the intent of clearing her father’s name. Between the two cases, one of which is kept secret even from the other Angels, Sarah is kept busy. But her faithful cat companion, Elvis, is there to keep her headed in the right direction and also keep her spirits up. This is a fun cozy mystery series, with enjoyable characters who also show that old isn’t always senile, incompetent, or throw-away. And family and friendship is stressed throughout, as they interact with each other both in happiness and sadness. I look forward to the next book in this series. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book and all opinions are strictly my own.
I always enjoy my time spent with secondhand shop owner Sarah and her motley crew of employees and friends that make up their own Private Investigating team, Charlotte’s Angels. NO ESCAPE CLAWS, the sixth installment in the Second Chance Cat Mystery Series, is delightful and did not disappoint.
This time around, a young woman who was once Charlotte’s student, Mallory, appeals to the Angels to clear her father’s name. Sarah first disagrees with taking the case since Mike took a plea deal for the charge of negligence associated with his wife’s untimely death. She eventually relents even though she is not sure that Mike is innocent. Also featured in this outing is a secondary mystery tenuously connected to Mike that nicely rounds out the tale.
I wish I could visit Sarah’s shop in Maine; I think I could spend hours looking at all of the treasures. The shop setting and small town location provide the perfect cozy backdrop for the mystery. The mystery is skillfully plotted and deftly executed with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing throughout the book. There are many characters associated with Gina, the victim, to investigate. My only minor complaint about any aspect of the story is that there are too many characters, causing unnecessary padding and, potentially, a bit of confusion. Even though I suspected whodunit about halfway through the tale, I was not completely convinced until the end. I did not have the secondary mystery figured out at all until the last possible moment. NO ESCAPE CLAWS gives readers a nice puzzle to figure out.
The recurring characters in this series are an appealing mix of young and older. I not only view the Angels as Sarah’s friends but also as second mothers and grandmothers to Sarah. How wonderful it would be for everyone to have such love, support, and wisdom! They are shrewd and intelligent, making them competent amateur sleuths. Sarah’s brother and other friends balance the older characters’ actions and perspectives and are all quite enjoyable. I would be remiss to not mention Elvis, the cat. He is a bit of a feline lie detector, a useful skill to have in a four legged assistant investigator. One cannot help but love Elvis and his love of the TV game show Jeopardy.
I recommend NO ESCAPE CLAWS to any cozy mystery fan.
I received a copy of this title from the author and/or publisher and voluntarily shared my thoughts and opinions here.