The fur is going to fly . . . Wedding bells will soon be ringing in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. But instead of church bells, they may be tinkling above the door of Bowker’s Coffee Stop. Lara Caphart’s best friend Sherry and her fiancé David want to tie the knot where they met—in her family’s coffee shop. Lara is overjoyed for her friend, but as she feeds and grooms the kitties at the High Cliff … the kitties at the High Cliff Shelter for Cats in her aunt Fran’s Folk Victorian, she can’t help but wonder when her own beau, lawyer Gideon Halley, will stop hinting and make their union legal.
It doesn’t help that Gideon’s old flame, Megan Haskell, just showed up with a tearful yarn about being fired that smells fishier than a can of tuna. But Blue, the Ragdoll cat who only Lara can see, appears to be on Megan’s side. Should she ignore her green-eyed monster of jealousy in favor of her blue-eyed spirit cat? When Megan’s ex-boss is found dead, Lara has to retract her claws long enough to follow Blue’s uncanny clues and clear her rival of a murder charge . . .
Praise for Linda Reilly’s Mysteries
“I was kept guessing until the final chapter. . . . A perfect cozy mystery.”
—Susan Furlong, author of the Georgia Peach Mysteries, on Escape Claws
“Engaging characters, the psychic cat Blue, and the extraordinary healing power of cats are a winning combination for this enjoyable, heart-warming novel.”
—Kings River Life Magazine on Claws of Death
“I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzler of a mystery. Reilly cooks up a perfect recipe of murder and mayhem in this charming cozy.”
—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of the Hat Shop Mysteries, on
Fillet of Murder
“Smart, sassy, and a little bit scary. Everything a good cozy should be!”
—Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, on Fillet of Murder
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I love this series. I would so much like to have a cat rescue like Lara and Aunt Fran. That would be a dream come true. Lara was a busy woman in this book. Along with running the cat rescue she was helping her best friend plan her wedding, going to Bakewell, working on her sketches, and of course trying to help with the mystery. You get to travel on this path with her. Thank goodness she has Blue to help her along. I wish I had a Blue to help me out. Loved the story and the characters. Can’t wait to read the next book. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
The Girl With The Kitten Tattoo
Cat Lady Mysteries, Book #5
Linda Reilly
5 Stars
Synopsis:
The fur is going to fly . . .
Wedding bells will soon be ringing in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. But instead of church bells, they may be tinkling above the door of Bowker’s Coffee Stop. Lara Caphart’s best friend Sherry and her fiancé David want to tie the knot where they met—in her family’s coffee shop. Lara is overjoyed for her friend, but as she feeds and grooms the kitties at the High Cliff Shelter for Cats in her aunt Fran’s Folk Victorian, she can’t help but wonder when her own beau, lawyer Gideon Halley, will stop hinting and make their union legal.
It doesn’t help that Gideon’s old flame, Megan Haskell, just showed up with a tearful yarn about being fired that smells fishier than a can of tuna. But Blue, the Ragdoll cat who only Lara can see, appears to be on Megan’s side. Should she ignore her green-eyed monster of jealousy in favor of her blue-eyed spirit cat? When Megan’s ex-boss is found dead, Lara has to retract her claws long enough to follow Blue’s uncanny clues and clear her rival of a murder charge . . .
Praise for Linda Reilly’s Mysteries
“I was kept guessing until the final chapter. . . . A perfect cozy mystery.”
—Susan Furlong, author of the Georgia Peach Mysteries, on Escape Claws
“Engaging characters, the psychic cat Blue, and the extraordinary healing power of cats are a winning combination for this enjoyable, heart-warming novel.”
—Kings River Life Magazine on Claws of Death
“I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzler of a mystery. Reilly cooks up a perfect recipe of murder and mayhem in this charming cozy.”
—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of the Hat Shop Mysteries, on
Fillet of Murder
“Smart, sassy, and a little bit scary. Everything a good cozy should be!”
—Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, on Fillet of Murder (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. Lara and aunt Fran are such great characters, they love each other and would do anything for the other. Gideon was a bit of a pain in the rear in this book, he was not the great boyfriend that I thought he was. The secondary characters added a lot to the story. As usual, the cats stole the show and I just love the High Cliff Shelter for Cats.
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters clearly through their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning.
The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and I was very surprised by who the culprit was. I like when I am surprised.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This book and series is really top notch and I am looking forward to the next book already (I was sad when I was done reading it).
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo is the 5th book in the Cat Lady Mystery series, and for someone who is not really a cat person, I very much enjoy the series. This book was entertaining and kept me engaged from the beginning. Lara and her Aunt Fran are great characters that are easy to like. I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for Lara in each new book. In this installment, Lara becomes involved in the murder of a not so nice man a few towns over, through an ex-girlfriend of Gideon’s. She just can’t help herself; when she thinks she can help justice prevail, Lara will do what she can. I don’t find her to be particularly reckless in her sleuthing. She doesn’t take what I see as needless chances and tries to be as safe as possible. This time around, I was a bit disappointed with Gideon’s reaction to her investigations; a sure sign that these characters are portrayed in a realistic manner.
The mystery is well done with plenty of viable suspects with clues that point to more than one of them as the possible killer. The author did a really good job of weaving the mystery throughout the entire story and providing her readers with some nice twists and turns to keep them guessing. I did not realize the identity of the killer until the reveal and found it to be a clever resolution to the mystery.
I am looking forward to more books in this series. I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
A fun series for cat lovers! I absolutely love the shelter that Lara and her Aunt Fran have created in their home. The cats are all adorable and the read-to-a-cat program is a wonderful idea. In this latest book, Lara’s best friend, Sherry, is about to get married. Lara ends up running into an old girlfriend of her boyfriend, Gideon, and then the young woman becomes a murder suspect after her former boss is found dead. The young woman, Megan, comes to Lara for help, but Lara is reluctant to get involved. However, later she ends up going to the town where the murder occurred and keeps finding herself drawn there, much to Gideon’s dismay. The involvement of Lara in the investigation causes some issues for her and Gideon, but she can’t explain what keeps drawing her there. Blue, the cat that only Lara can see, keeps appearing and convincing Lara that she is supposed to do something. This book had some twists I didn’t see coming. I loved the wedding of Sherry and David and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lara and Gideon as well as Aunt Fran and the shelter. Highly recommend this series, especially if you are a cat lover!
Lara Caphart’s best friend, Sherry, is marrying her fiance in the family coffee shop where they met. As Lara helps with the preparations, she wonders if there will ever be wedding bells for her and her boyfriend, Gideon Halley. But when a woman from Gideon’s past named Megan shows up asking for help, things take a strange turn especially when Megan’s old boss is murdered. Lara is feeling drawn to the situation and it seems that Blue is also on Megan’s side.
I love this series and this book is a prime example of why. It’s well-written with well-rounded characters, some of whom you’ll like and others you won’t. There are lots of ups and downs plus twists and turns to be had in this book. I was drawn in from the beginning and kept hooked until the end. I’m eager for the next book to come out. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
Lara Caphart really does not want to be involved with solving a murder of a man that no one liked but for some unknown reason she feels pulled in to do so. On top of that one of the suspects used to date her boyfriend which has caused some jealousy problems. Now Lara needs to try and figure out the murderer and decide what to do about her rocky relationship with Gideon Halley.
I really like how this series brings awareness to animal rescues. Also, the characters are realistic and the mystery was tricky to solve. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
This is one of my favorite series, a great cozy escape in stressful times. Lara and her Aunt Fran run a cat rescue out of Aunt Fran’s home in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. Along with the cats available for adoption is Blue, a Ragdoll cat that can only be seen by Lara. Blue has a knack for finding clues when Lara gets involved is tracking down a killer or two, or three. They are quite a team.
In this, the fifth in the series, Lara is helping her best friend, Sherry, put together her wedding. She and David met at the local coffee shop and have decided that it is going to be their wedding venue. Lara is still waiting for her boyfriend, Gideon, to pop the question. If the cat shelter and its daily chores plus the wedding set for just three weeks away aren’t enough for Lara to juggle, Gideon’s former girlfriend shows up having been fired from her job. Lara isn’t happy but, when Megan’s ex-boss turns up dead and Blue starts sending clues Lara’s way, well what’s she to do but investigate and catch a killer.
I enjoy the well crafted puzzle with its twists and turns and red herrings and the well developed characters of Lara, Aunt Fran and the rest of the people in their circle. The cats….well I would be a happy volunteer working to find each one a furrever home. I’d be one of their adopters in a heart beat.
The Girl With the Kitten Tattoo by Linda Reilly is the fifth in the A Cat Lady Mystery series. This is one of my top favorite series! If you haven’t read any, Reilly does a great job of getting you current quickly.
Lara is currently helping her best friend with her wedding and running the cat shelter she and her aunt run. Then an old girlfriend of Lara’s boyfriend, Gideon, shows up in town needing his legal help. Before you can say “Meow”, Megan becomes a suspect in a murder. While Lara really doesn’t want to be involved in another murder investigation, her spirit cat, Blue, keeps showing up when ever Megan is around Lara. Lara feels Blue is trying to tell her Megan is innocent.
There are plenty of plot twists, great characters, family and friendship, romance, and cats!
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
In this fifth book of the series Lara’s best friend Sherry is getting ready for her upcoming nuptials to David her fiance. Lara is excited for her friend and looks forward to play her part in the wedding. With all this s wedding talk going on Lara begins to wonders if her boyfriend Gideon will ever pop the question. She knows she wanted to go slow and at one point made it clear she wasn’t ready but enough time has passed since then for him to see things have progressed. When an ex of Gideon’s named Megan shows up in town looking for him with a sob story Lara finds she’s a tad jealous. Who is this woman and why has Gideon never mentioned her? After Megan’s ex-boss dies and it turns out to be murder she is one of the first to be looked at as a suspect by the cops. She immediately runs to Lara asking her for her help in figuring out who killed him in hopes of clearing her name. Lara doesn’t really want to get involved but finds herself looking into things anyway. Lara begins to investigate but the man seemed to have quite a few enemies. She starts with those closest to him in hopes of gaining some insight into the man and at the same time trying to pinpoint a killer. Follow along as she dives into her investigation at the risk of her relationship with Gideon, will this be the end of will they work things out and find a killer along the way.
An intriguing and well-written cozy mystery. The mystery was great and kept me guessing. The characters are interesting and, even though I wanted to clobber Gideon a time or two for giving Lara a hard time about some things, it all worked out and came to a very satisfying conclusion.
Loved all the cats…including the ghost cat.
Thank you to the publisher, Kensington/Lyrical Press, and to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
In The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo, Lara is helping her best friend Sherry plan her wedding, and one of the stops is a bridal shop in a nearby town. Conveniently, one of the shop’s employees is connected to a recent murder and Lara finds herself getting pulled into her own investigation by several people connected to the crime. This is a well-written mystery and I was blown away when the culprit revealed him/herself. Aside from the murder and the upcoming wedding, Lara is still involved in the cat shelter she runs with her aunt, her art business, and her boyfriend Gideon. All these elements make for a well-rounded story and I really enjoy this series! I think this book could easily be read as a standalone, but I always recommend starting at the beginning of a series to get the full background on the characters and their stories.
I recommend this book to any mystery lover, or anyone who has a soft spot for cats. I already can’t wait for the next book in the series!
I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
Cozy Mystery, Romance and Cat Rescue!
What a wonderful story! This is the first episode of the series that I have read and I never felt lost. The author is very good at telling a new reader only what she needs to know. I know that I can go read the prior books without having them spoiled for me. Very nice! This story is so good! First is a wonderful upcoming wedding and the romance between our heroine and her lawyer love. Then, there is a great cat shelter they run from their home which truly socializes all of the kitties. Then there is a crazy murder that our heroine is called to get involved in and solve with the help of her spirit kitty. It all works and is not goofy at all. I enjoyed the story greatly and now want to read the prior books and any future ones. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
This is a well written book that hooks you on the first page. It’s a clean cozy mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. If you love cats and mystery, you will love this book. So many kitties to cuddle with! I can’t wait to see what this author writes next. Thank you Kensington Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is a series I have enjoyed from its beginning, and this cozy doesn’t disappoint. I love the little town of Whisker Jog and the High Cliff Shelter for Cats. The characters are demonstrated well through actions and conversations, and the mystery is fast-paced and exciting. The mystery, cats, and relationships are a perfect blend for a lighter-hearted cozy mystery.
Lara lives with Aunt Fran, in whose house they established the cat shelter. The cats have the run of the home, with special areas set up for adoption days and the wonderful program for children to come in and read to cats each week. What a great program for children to improve their reading skills while engaging with the cats!
Lara has been helping her best friend Sherry prepare for her Valentine’s Day wedding, as well as helping run the shelter and working on her projects. She is a successful watercolor artist. For the last couple years, she has been dating Gideon, an attorney she has known since school days. He seems close to popping the question.
Lara has a “spirit cat”, Blue, a beautiful ragdoll cat who was a playmate as a child. Since her return to Whisker Jog, Blue has been active again in the times that she needs special help, particularly when helping solve murders over the past couple years. Fran, Gideon, and Sherry all are aware of Blue but have never seen the cat who died on the day Lara was born.
Megan, a woman Gideon briefly dated a few years ago, came to see Gideon about a case she would like him to handle. The following day, she is at the police station for questioning after her ex-boss, whose birthday party she crashed the previous night, is found dead. Gideon stayed for her questioning but is relieved that she is going to have a criminal attorney she used to work with represent her. At least until she shows up on Fran and Lara’s doorstep.
Megan learned that Lara helped solved murders in the past and wants her help now. Megan and one of the shelter cats, Panda, take an immediate liking to each other. She even has a small tattoo of a cat with remarkably similar markings like Panda’s. Lara suggests that Megan’s attorney is the best person to help her, even though Blue appears, then disappears, while Megan is there.
Against her better judgement, Lara feels a pull to go to Bakewell, where Megan and her former boss lived, to see what she can find out about a couple situations from the dead man’s past. Gideon is upset, to the point where Lara fears for their future even as he is afraid of losing her. It has almost happened in the past when she was too close to finding murderers. Fran is concerned for her niece. While Lara isn’t doing it for Megan, she feels that she must help prevent something from happening regarding people related to the murder.
This is such a delightful, well-executed mystery! While I don’t believe in spirit cats, there have definitely been cats that I have been very close to while they were alive. I had an idea whodunit shortly after meeting the seemingly very likable person. I kept looking for the motive or person behind the killer. There were surprises and some terribly frightening moments! I was happy with the resolution and ending and am looking forward to the next in series. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries with cats, shelters, and fantasy.