THE LAW CAN’T PROTECT HER—– Young attorney Abby Coleridge opens her home to a troubled law student after a fire destroys the woman’s apartment. When the student disappears, leaving behind a blood-splattered note and a stash of cryptic flash-drives, Abby sets out to find her. Soon, a murderous arsonist threatens them both. Law student Victor Rutledge, a former Navy officer, knows more than he’s … than he’s telling. So much so that his offers to help Abby seem suspicious. When police reveal his scandalous past, Abby doesn’t know who to trust.
Trouble, the black cat detective, lands in Tallahassee, Florida in the nick of time. Can he sniff out the salient clues and push Abby and Victor in the right direction and into each other’s arms? Can he save them—and himself—from a fiery end?
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A wonderful addition to the cat mystery genre! Claire Matturro always knocks it out of the park, and this book is no exception. Highly recommended!
While legal battles are mostly fought in the courtroom, sometimes the danger spills out into the lives of those who wield the law for justice. In this 3rd outing of Trouble the black cat detective, the cat finds himself in Tallahassee where a criminal plot endangers his “humanoid” friend. The Trouble series is fun to read as the black cat detective finds himself in the middle of mysteries all around the globe. His thoughts–with a British turn of phrase–add an element of great fun to the story.
Trouble is a clever, crime solving black cat. This time he comes across an attempted mugging, kidnapping, arson and murder. Will he be able to guide the humans in time to solve the mystery… This story has the perfect balance of mystery, romance, and twist and turns that will keep you in suspense and guessing until the end.
I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. Plot & characters were wonderful. I liked the unpredictable ending too.
I really enjoyed Trouble in Tallahassee. The book is fun and exciting! There are tons of twists and turns and dramatic scenes that keep you engaged. I like the characters. I love Trouble! He is such an amazing cat detective. The parts told in his point of view are my favorite. This book is a wonderful, fun and interesting book to read.
If you like Lilian Jackson Brown’s and Rita Mae Brown’s cat cozies, you’ll love “Trouble in Tallahassee” by Claire Matturro. Trouble, that sleek black feline, is smarter than several lawyers put together. This wily cat does his best to push Abby and Victor in the right direction to solve the mystery. There’s blood, mysterious flash drives, romance, and mayhem galore in this fast-reading tale with a feline tail at its heart. So curl up with “Trouble” in your favorite easy chair or beach blanket.
I am loving this multi-author series featuring Trouble the Cat. Trouble fancies himself a detective, and has a penchant for all things British.
In this tale, Trouble has found himself snatched from his owner Tammy Lynn and taken to Tallahassee. There he escapes his captor and attaches himself to a lawyer and a law student. Of course he also ends up in the middle of some excitement and mystery as well.
Abby invited Layla to stay with her after a fire in her apartment necessitated renovations. Now these two aren’t close friends they are co-workers in the firm Abby has joined. Layla is a third year law student and on track to become the only associate added to this firm upon passing her bar exam. As such she has been diligently working on her final paper as well as her other duties.
Victor is also a law student and he is struggling with his latest assignment. He needs some help from Layla but she is still angry with him over something he stuck his nose into.
Lots of suspense, and it just builds when Layla is snatched while she and Abby are working in the basement of the Law Library with old cases.
Trouble of course has his nose everywhere and trying to get the humans to understand him can sometimes be difficult. Although he does somehow manage in the most clever ways.
Totally enthralling, with twists and turns abounding. I can’t wait to read more of this series.
Trouble catnapped!
Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro is a delightful mystery, with this fantastic legal type of vibe. I loved it. Trouble is stolen from Tammy Lynn’s yard and taken to Tallahassee were he finds….trouble, of course.
Abigail Coleridge ~ Abby
Our female lead is Abby. Abby is an associate attorney at a local law firm in Tallahassee. Trouble finds Abby and her friend/co-worker Layla at Abby’s home. Abby immediately wants to take care of Trouble, and locate his owners. However, before she can do that she has work to do and a house guest to contend with. Having Layla staying at her home has completely disrupted her schedule and life.
Abby is a great character, and the main things that I liked about her are: her compassionate nature, down earth attitude, and the fact that she had the will power to change her looks into what she wanted.
The biggest dislike I had was that she jumped to conclusions about Victor continually throughout the book.
Victor Rutledge
Our male lead is Victor Rutledge, former naval police and a current law school student. He is best friends with Layla. Victor had a terrible divorce and is still trying to deal with that fallout.
What I liked about Victor is his integrity, intelligence; he is a good investigator, loyalty, and his protective nature for his friends. I also liked that he doesn’t sit around waiting for the police to find the offender; he is out there looking too. And he was terrific with Trouble.
What I disliked was that his ex-wife did a real number on him and he projects that on the women currently in his life.
Trouble
Trouble was not about to allow the moron who catnapped him to keep him. He was much smarter than that guy. Trouble does have quite the attitude at times in this book. He does seem to be communicating better with humans. Luckily, Trouble showed up at the perfect time to help Abby and Layla. Trouble so crafty, he is even able to escape a lock police car.
To my relief, I see Victor trotting down the sidewalk, heading toward the police car. Okay, this is going to be fun. With a quick leap and a press of the right switch, I turn on the siren. Victor spins around to stare at the vehicle—along with several others. I jump up on the top of the headrest, press my face against the window, and scratch the glass.
Mystery
The mystery is fabulously written; there is a touch of thrill that kept me turning the pages. I have to admit that I fell for a red herring or two. I didn’t figure it out until the sleuths spelled it out with Trouble leading the way. However, the climax was superb, and the ending was wonderfully filled with happiness.
5 Stars for Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro
My rating Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro is five stars. Trouble in Tallahassee is the perfect combination of mystery, love, lies, action, and Trouble. Ms. Matturro did a magnificent job.
I adore this series more with each book that I read. If you haven’t read this series, you should give it a shot. Seriously, this black cat detective is one smart feline. I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read the next book Trouble in Summer Valley by Susan Y Tanner.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro.
Anyways, until next time, enjoy this review brought to you by,
Karen the Baroness
Happy Reading!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Review of Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro
The interaction of people and their animal protectors is a theme seen frequently in fantasy and magical realism, but not as much in mainstream mysteries. Claire Matturro takes her cozy mystery Trouble in Tallahassee in a refreshing direction with believable human characters and a highly intelligent feline detective.
Abby Coleridge is a young attorney in Tallahassee, Florida, busy and upcoming, with plenty to fill her life. She opens her home to a law student when a fire destroys the young woman’s apartment. But no good deed goes unpunished, a fact Abby soon understands. After the student disappears, Abby sets out to unravel a complex set of clues, attracting the attention of a murderous arsonist.
But that’s not the best part of this delightful story line. A black cat aptly named Trouble lands in Tallahassee, befriends Abby, and does his best to push her and her fellow humans in the correct direction. Trouble is no ordinary house cat, and sections of the feline’s narrative weave throughout the book, adding spice, humor, and intrigue. If only humans could fathom cat speak, the people in Trouble’s life would have an easier go of things.
Claire Matturro adds romance into the picture in the form of Victor Rutledge. Victor is a man with a scandal shading his past, and Abby must navigate the blush of attraction while seeking out her lost friend.
Though I am not a person who frequently reads mysteries, I enjoyed Trouble in Tallahassee. Usually, I figure out the “whodunit” long before the end. Not so with this book. Claire Matturro managed to create a complex mashup of human foibles and intrigue, with the addition of a wily feline’s slant.
Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro continues the adventures of the black cat detective, Trouble. This time he has been “catnapped” and escapes in Tallahassee. He finds a kind woman, Abby Coleridge who “adopts” him. She has opened her home to a law student who needs a temporary home. The adventures soon begin.
The books shares three points of view, Trouble, Abby and Victor, a law student and best friend of the law student temporarily sharing Abby’s home. I love that Ms. Matturro used all three points of view because it allowed me to get to know Trouble, Abby and Victor much better that a normal single or third person narrative. I liked all the characters and the romance developed realistically as the story progressed. The pace of the story was smooth and quick and the reveal was dramatic. I do wonder if Trouble will stay in Tallahassee to help the police or finally return home to Alabama.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.