Madrona Island – Where cats are king and mystery meets magic.It’s two weeks before Christmas on magical Madrona Island, and as they have for the past few years, Cait and Cody are busy getting the kids from Saint Pat’s ready for the Christmas Pageant and planning a huge Christmas Eve blowout at Mr. Parsons mansion. Things are busy but going well for the happy couple until a Grinch comes to town … to town and begins vandalizing Christmas decorations. What seemed on the surface to be nothing more than a nuisance, becomes serious business when Santa is killed during the explosion that causes the Santa House in the park to burn to the ground.
Cait, Cody, and the rest of the gang, set their sights on tracking down the killer with the help of Jingles, the new cat in town. As they delve into the mystery they find that when it comes to Christmas and the emotions the holiday can conjure, anything is possible.
Meanwhile, Cait and Cody are babysitting Cody’s nephew until his father returns from an overseas deployment, Maggie and Michael are in town, and Cait is forced to say goodbye to the cabin she has lived in for the past decade after the remodel on the new home she is to share with Cody is has come to completion.
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The Catnap Before Christmas earns 5/5 Grinches…Entertaining Fun!
Kathi Daley paints the perfect, if not very scary, “Grinch” image of a thin man with no face in the drawings of a young autistic boy. The murder/vandalism mystery is an intriguing page-turner with various incidents raising the disturbing question: who hates the holidays so much as to sabotage so many iconic celebrations…targeting Santas? First, Santa’s House burned down, a small explosion, and Tom Miller, having played Santa for decades, is found dead. But was he the intended target or is it a “Grinch-like” incident gone terribly wrong? Other iconic displays are vandalized, making it imperative this mystery be solved before another innocence bystander becomes a victim. But can Cait’s cat sidekick, Jingles, the herald of a mystery, often murder, sort through all the clues, more vandalism, more danger, and drawings by a young autistic boy? He just might…with Cait’s help. The ultimate ending seemed plausible early, but there were enough red herrings and misdirection to make it very entertaining. I was totally engaged with the young autistic boy and the assistance his drawings provided. My thoughts swirled between whether he would end up a witness or have a unique prophetic sense. I always enjoy the first-person narrative in my stories; I can feel it is my own “I” in the drama. It is also compelling to once again get involved in the lives of a wonderful set of reoccurring and new characters that I’ve invested my time in over the nineteen books. This series is a favorite, and I highly recommend cozy fans join in!
The Catnap Before Christmas
Whales and Tails, Book #19
Kathi Daley
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Madrona Island – Where cats are king and mystery meets magic.
It’s two weeks before Christmas on magical Madrona Island, and as they have for the past few years, Cait and Cody are busy getting the kids from Saint Pat’s ready for the Christmas Pageant and planning a huge Christmas Eve blowout at Mr. Parsons mansion. Things are busy but going well for the happy couple until a Grinch comes to town and begins vandalizing Christmas decorations. What seemed on the surface to be nothing more than a nuisance, becomes serious business when Santa is killed during the explosion that causes the Santa House in the park to burn to the ground.
Cait, Cody, and the rest of the gang, set their sights on tracking down the killer with the help of Jingles, the new cat in town. As they delve into the mystery they find that when it comes to Christmas and the emotions the holiday can conjure, anything is possible.
Meanwhile, Cait and Cody are babysitting Cody’s nephew until his father returns from an overseas deployment, Maggie and Michael are in town, and Cait is forced to say goodbye to the cabin she has lived in for the past decade after the remodel on the new home she is to share with Cody has come to completion. (Goodreads)
Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly through their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place on Madrona Island. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. It is always great to spend time with Cait and her family and friends. They are like one big happy family. I could understand Cait’s mixed feelings about all of the changes in her life, I do not like change either. I love the magical elements in this book, not just the cat, Jingles, and a very special young man. I thought this added a whole new level to the book.
I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. I am looking forward to the next release.
Another explosive winner comes together from Kathi Daley. The Hart family is very busy and lives are changing. Cait and Cody are in the final stages of moving into the larger home next to Cait’s beloved cabin. Her sister Cassie is next in line to live there. Cody and Cait are caring for a young child temporarily and figuring out how much time and attention they need, and juggling and balancing of schedules. Everyone is gearing up for Christmas with church activities and a huge community dinner as well as gift shopping.
When vandals seem to target holiday displays and, worst of all, the Santa house is destroyed, Finn and his family try to figure out if the target was Santa or the man portraying him.
A magical cat shows up, this time being central to discovering clues, along with a young boy with his own inexplicable talents. I really enjoyed meeting Jingles and Wiley and hope his mother also finds the friendship and support she needs.
Without giving it away, another HUGE change occurs, which is quite emotional for Cait and Tara.
Wonderful characters, a beautiful sense of community, and an exciting search to protect people and the Christmas spirit while solving a murder.
The Island’s Santa House Explodes
The Catnap Before Christmas is the nineteenth book in Kathi Daley’s awesome Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery series. The well-written storyline flows smoothly, and the red herrings and the twists and turns kept me engaged and guessing. This is a fun and clean read, and the affable characters are well developed. There’s an emphasis on caring and compassion, not only for family and friends but for the entire community as well. I highly recommend all Ms. Daley’s books to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted cozy mystery.
Caitlin “Cait” Hart and Cody West have settled into married life, the renovations are completed at Mr. Parsons’ mansion, and they’re moving in, but Cait is having trouble letting go of the little cabin she loves. Cait’s exhausted, not only is she working at her coffee shop/bookstore, helping the children’s choir prepare for the Christmas Pageant, and planning a large Christmas Eve get-together at Mr. Parsons, but she and Cody are taking care of his infant nephew, Sammy, while his parents are deployed. She falls asleep under the Christmas tree at the church, and when she awakes, concerned members of the children’s choir and a longhaired, black-and-white cat are there. Sadly, the Santa House in the park explodes and burns to the ground, and Tom Miller, the island’s Santa, perishes. Then some of the island’s Christmas decorations are vandalized, and a boat is set on fire. The cat, who is named Jingles, was sent by Tansy, the keeper of the island’s magical cats, and had appeared as cats often did to help Cait solve the mysteries. Cait, Cody, and the Scooby Gang, as they call themselves, work hard to not only find the person or persons who are responsible for the vandalism but to also track down the killer.
It’s a few weeks before Christmas and Cait is beyond tired and still has so much to do. She has been helping Cody take care of his nephew, the baby’s parents are both over seas and look to them for help. She is starting to wonder if she’ll be a good mother or if she’ll ever want kids herself, she didn’t realize just how hard caring for a baby could be. The two are again heading up the Christmas program at the church, while there working with the kids Cait learns that someone has burnt down the Santa House with Santa inside. Why would someone want to kill the man playing Santa or does someone just hate Christmas. It begins to feel that way when several businesses are vandalized and mistletoe is left behind. Cait starts trying to put the puzzle pieces together to see how it all connects but nothing seems to match up. With Jingles the cat showing up to help she hopes that he can lead her in the right direction before something else bad happens to the town. Follow along as Cait, Jingles, and the crew gather together to search for a killer and bring some merriment back to Christmas that someone seems intent on taking away.
The Catnap Before Christmas is book nineteen in the Whales and Tails Mystery series. Once again, I was hooked from the get-go. This is another story that I could not put down. There is always something going on that keeps you in the story, and I just love books like that. I definitely recommend this one.
Cait certainly has her hands full in this new adventure mystery. A definite page turner and I became totally immersed in the story and mystery. Loved learning more about some of my favorite characters and community. Lots of twists and turns will keep you guessing the whodunit.
The Catnap Before Christmas is the 19th book in the Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery series. Kathi Daley writes yet another magnificent installment in this cozy mystery series, filled with all the elements of a cozy mystery including suspense, romance, humor, love, friends and family, and a sense of community.
This story takes place on Madrona Island, an island near Washington state, two weeks before Christmas. Caitlin Hart West, the owner of the bookstore/coffee shop Coffee Cat Books with her best friend, Tara O’Brian, is exhausted from her busy life which now includes taking care of a baby whose parents are overseas in the military. While at the church for Christmas program practice, Cait learns there was an explosion at the Santa House which killed Santa. Then overnight, a big tree in the park that served as the island’s Christmas tree is cut down, reindeer decorations are shot down, and the manger scene in front of the church is vandalized. Despite numerous distractions that occupy her time, Cait works with her deputy brother-in-law, her friends and family, and the magical cat, Jingles, to uncover the murderer.
Ms. Daley’s writing flows smoothly, and her setting and relatable characters make for an extremely enjoyable and quick read. I look forward to reading the next chapter in Cait’s and Cody’s life.
Cait, Cody, and the gang are once again delving into a murder mystery when Santa is killed after a bomb blows up the Santa House in the park. At the same time someone is vandalizing things having to do with Christmas and they need to decide if everything is related or if more than person is responsible. Cait and Cody also have the children’s play at the church and Cait has to say goodbye to her beloved cabin since the restoration is done at their new home.
I love this series and this book was no exception. Kathi keeps the series fresh from book to book. I was pulled into the story from the beginning and kept enthralled until the end. The characters are well-rounded and easy to get to know. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
The Catnap Before Christmas ( Whales and Tails Mystery #19 )
By: Kathi Daley
The Catnap Before Christmas is book nineteen in Whales and Tails Mystery Series . This is one of my favorite in this series . Wow, there is action on top of action. I was caught at the start and did not want to put it down. I was not disappointed. The story takes place two weeks before Christmas and everyone is busy. This story involves not only the family , but the whole community. Vandalizing, explosives, fires, Santa, and mysteries. The Scooby gang has their hands full with this one. What about the mystery cat, will it be able to help Cait out in this one? I love these mystery cats. This is a good clean cozy mystery and the author keeps you guessing till the end.