Watch what you wish for… Some inheritances are literally death.
My life has been turned upside down by my inheritance, but my only complaint is the cat that came along with the new house.
I swear he’s judging me as I settle in and try to make new friends in my new small-town Louisiana neighborhood.
And just when I start to settle into my new job and get back to reading my classic novels, I’m … reading my classic novels, I’m pulled chapters deep into a mystery.
The Beauty Queen in the town has been offed. Someone has killed the darling.
Wouldn’t you know it? An innocent man has been framed.
I shouldn’t get involved, but somehow, my cat seems to have a way with finding clues in some of my favorite stories. Not that any of that makes sense.
Why would it?
The cat is the sleuth, I’m the amateur, and we have alligators in the backyard.
Throw in a dead body, a book club that’s filled with suspicious characters, and you have my new life.
And I thought being a librarian in Louisiana was going to be dull.
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The story begins when a young librarian, Jade, from Baltimore inherits a mansion in a small town outside New Orleans. Jade accepts the position of assistant librarian and moves to Louisiana with her cat Bonks. As you can imagine, the head librarian is a hard nose, and soon the two butt heads. Jade, to make an impression and fit in, decides to start a town book club at the library. The club members all seem to have their peculiar quirks and at the first club meeting, the agenda goes downhill fast with one of the club members being found dead after the meeting.
The story was fairly suspenseful and the tempo of the plot was well-paced. The characters, on the other hand, seemed to be dull, typical, and expected, i.e sidekick, handsome love interest, innocent murderer, etc., throughout the storyline. The story did have a twist at the end that made the book worth reading.
Loved this story.
Really enjoyable read! Looking forward to the next in the series.
The beginning of a wonderful new series with a cat named Chonks and the new owner of a historic home in Beulah, Louisiana, Jade. She is trying her best to fit in this small southern town and is the new assistant librarian.
She is hosting a book club at her big home, it even has a library room. The invited group includes Dottie, very old, very gossipy, Char. new doctor , Mercy, ex-wife of Vince, and Vince’s new wife, Tabby, Dinah, Stanley and more. Let the fun begin!
To her horror, poor Stanley is arrested for killingTabby the next day. And believing in his innocence, Jade and Char team up to solve the crime along with Chonks.
You’ll hear the latest gossip and to Jade’s amazement, there is a lot of sinning in this proper old place. Jade will hear a lot of opinions, investigate the town and the homes and the goings on among the rich.
Meet the sheriff, not very impressive, Jimmy that slept with Tabby and her mother, Dinah and her push to buy Jake’s home and Jade even quizes the local pharmacist.
A fun read, red herring, several good suspects, a cute handyman and a cat in a mission to save Jade from herself. 4.5 stars…a cozy read, well written and solid plot. Can’t wait to read her next in the series.
I enjoyed it!
This book is about a small town librarian who hosts a book club night and one of the members ends up dead. She decides to investigate with the help of her cat.
Cute Cosy. Setting and characters interesting. Love the cat. I had figured out the murderer, but not the whole reason. willing to read another in the series.
Fine page-turning mystery!
5 stars
I received a free copy of the cozy mystery novel The Great Catsby (A Nola Tail Mystery Book 1) by BK Baxter and this review was given freely.
When Jade Hastings inherits her Uncle Mike’s house and moves with her cat Sir Chonkworth the Bold to New Orleans,Louisiana, she finds more than a new part-time job as a assistant librarian.
An ironic and complex mystery filled with a diverse group of characters and centered around the library, some history, food and scandal. This complicated and diabolical plot contains an unlikely suspect; an inquisitive but at times bumbling sleuth;a crafty but misunderstood, food loving cat who prowls the streets of New Orleans at night learning the towns secrets;handyman Ethan Millbank who attracts more than jobs and the loyal best friend/sidekick Dr. Charlotte “Char”, who also loves food but is allergic to cats.
Who doesn’t love a wonderful mystery with a cat to help solve it? This a wonderful story with wonderful characters. It kept me guessing and turning the pages. It’s a first in a series so it had some introductory to it. This was a very enjoyable read. I can’t wait for the next book.
A cat and his Yankee librarian accidentally uncovering secrets in the deep south; how could I resist a premise like that? Since it’s the first in the series, there’s some space dedicated to “getting to know you” stuff about the quirky town of Beulah and the equally quirky residents. It’s a twisty, tangled web of deceptions that Sir Chonksworth the Bold and Jade stumble into, and they’re quickly off on a wild chase to save an innocent man from being railroaded into a conviction for a crime he didn’t commit. Thanks to Chonks, I was able to successfully identify the villain, but I didn’t have the first clue as to what the real motive was. This story kept me engaged and kept me guessing the whole way through. I particularly loved that the humidity is treated as an extra character. As someone who does battle with it on a regular basis, I got extreme enjoyment out of the malevolent characterization. Now, I just might have a new favorite feline to add to my list of illustrious literary sleuths, joining such notables as Midnight Louie, Sneaky Pie Brown, and Trouble.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.