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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
From Amazon: When librarian Kathleen Paulson moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, she had no idea that two strays would nuzzle their way into her life. Owen is a tabby with a catnip addiction and Hercules is a stocky tuxedo cat who shares Kathleen's fondness for Barry Manilow. But beyond all the fur and purrs, there's something more to these felines. When murder interrupts Mayville's Music Festival, Kathleen finds herself the prime suspect. More stunning is her realization that Owen and Hercules are magical-and she's relying on their skills to solve a purr-fect murder.
Ok, Amazon's cheesy summary pretty much sums up the book. I judge a mystery in great part by how hard it is to figure out, and I had this one figured out well before the end (admittedly not the reason behind it, but I had figured out who-done-it). And while I like many of the other cat mystery series where the cats help solve the mysteries, the "walking through walls" ability (and other stuff) was really over the top in my opinion. I can't say I won't read another of these when (if) it comes out, but it won't be top of my list.
Ok, Amazon's cheesy summary pretty much sums up the book. I judge a mystery in great part by how hard it is to figure out, and I had this one figured out well before the end (admittedly not the reason behind it, but I had figured out who-done-it). And while I like many of the other cat mystery series where the cats help solve the mysteries, the "walking through walls" ability (and other stuff) was really over the top in my opinion. I can't say I won't read another of these when (if) it comes out, but it won't be top of my list.
A light, cute read! Who doesn't love librarians and magical cats?
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
***1st read***
middle school????
***2nd read***
April 3rd-4th, 2019
middle school????
***2nd read***
April 3rd-4th, 2019
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat: A Magical Cats Mystery by Sofie Kelly is a 2011 NAL publication.
Cats, libraries and books are a winning trifecta, and they tend to complement each other, especially well when these three elements apply to mystery novels. So, it’s no surprise that there is no shortage of mystery series, especially in the cozy genre, featuring cats, books, and libraries, in one combination or another.
I wasn’t sure about this series when it was recommended to me, because, although I love it when pets and animals have a role in a story, I’m not especially fond of the magical or paranormal elements, since, well, it’s just too silly for me. But, in this case, I found the entire story very charming. The mystery is solid, well plotted, with quick pacing, strong dialogue, with a little humor sprinkled in along the way.
Hercules and Owen, Kathleen Paulson’s adopted cats, are ‘special’, and they do help Kathleen find clues, in small ways, but I found myself caught up in the spirt of the book, and enjoyed the pure whimsy of it. In fact, the cats are what made the book so utterly charming.
Kathleen is a likeable character who is licking her wounds after a bad break up, and adjusting to small town life, as well as her decision to try a super short hairdo, which is driving her nuts. (I can relate!) Her new job as the town’s librarian is fraught with a plethora of issues due to a major renovation, which is not going so well.
But, when Kathleen finds the body of a famous, and difficult, musical conductor, things get a whole lot worse when she discovers she is suspect number one.
Things get dicey from there as she copes with Marcus, the detective working the case, and a string of ‘accidents’, as well as feeling as though someone doesn’t want the library renovated, for some reason.
This first book in a series, sets the stage for future installments, giving it a nice foundation to build on. So, overall, this one turned out to be an unexpected pleasure, so I’ll be adding yet another series to my enormous TBR pile.
3.5 stars
Cats, libraries and books are a winning trifecta, and they tend to complement each other, especially well when these three elements apply to mystery novels. So, it’s no surprise that there is no shortage of mystery series, especially in the cozy genre, featuring cats, books, and libraries, in one combination or another.
I wasn’t sure about this series when it was recommended to me, because, although I love it when pets and animals have a role in a story, I’m not especially fond of the magical or paranormal elements, since, well, it’s just too silly for me. But, in this case, I found the entire story very charming. The mystery is solid, well plotted, with quick pacing, strong dialogue, with a little humor sprinkled in along the way.
Hercules and Owen, Kathleen Paulson’s adopted cats, are ‘special’, and they do help Kathleen find clues, in small ways, but I found myself caught up in the spirt of the book, and enjoyed the pure whimsy of it. In fact, the cats are what made the book so utterly charming.
Kathleen is a likeable character who is licking her wounds after a bad break up, and adjusting to small town life, as well as her decision to try a super short hairdo, which is driving her nuts. (I can relate!) Her new job as the town’s librarian is fraught with a plethora of issues due to a major renovation, which is not going so well.
But, when Kathleen finds the body of a famous, and difficult, musical conductor, things get a whole lot worse when she discovers she is suspect number one.
Things get dicey from there as she copes with Marcus, the detective working the case, and a string of ‘accidents’, as well as feeling as though someone doesn’t want the library renovated, for some reason.
This first book in a series, sets the stage for future installments, giving it a nice foundation to build on. So, overall, this one turned out to be an unexpected pleasure, so I’ll be adding yet another series to my enormous TBR pile.
3.5 stars
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a fun cozy. I listened to it in audio format and the narrator was terrific, she really added an extra layer of enjoyment for me.
This had several things I enjoy, including magic and cats as well as the requisite small town busybody shenanigans ending in murder.
I liked that our intrepid sleuth, librarian Kathleen, is an outsider, having come to town from big city Boston to help out with the renovation of the local library into a Carnegie library. Kathleen's reaction to much of what goes on is much as I would expect to react if I was suddenly in a small town microcosm, trying to figure out who's doing what to whom and why. Because the author has included some of what goes on inside Kathleen's head, the reader gets to see her quirkiness and her sarcasm, and I enjoyed both a good deal!
The fact that the cats are "special" [and since the series is called "the magical cats" I don't think that can be called a spoiler] is a minor component of the overall story, but it does make for some angst for Kathleen and some giggle-moments for the reader. Owen and Hercules are big on personality, and they are fun felines.
The murder itself is not something I could have figured out even if I'd been trying [which I never do] and I feel like this was a pretty intricate and unusual solution, but that could just be me. Still I very much enjoyed this first installment and would definitely read other books in this series. It's a good solid cozy mystery, with everything you'd want from the genre. I would recommend it to cozy readers.
This had several things I enjoy, including magic and cats as well as the requisite small town busybody shenanigans ending in murder.
I liked that our intrepid sleuth, librarian Kathleen, is an outsider, having come to town from big city Boston to help out with the renovation of the local library into a Carnegie library. Kathleen's reaction to much of what goes on is much as I would expect to react if I was suddenly in a small town microcosm, trying to figure out who's doing what to whom and why. Because the author has included some of what goes on inside Kathleen's head, the reader gets to see her quirkiness and her sarcasm, and I enjoyed both a good deal!
The fact that the cats are "special" [and since the series is called "the magical cats" I don't think that can be called a spoiler] is a minor component of the overall story, but it does make for some angst for Kathleen and some giggle-moments for the reader. Owen and Hercules are big on personality, and they are fun felines.
The murder itself is not something I could have figured out even if I'd been trying [which I never do] and I feel like this was a pretty intricate and unusual solution, but that could just be me. Still I very much enjoyed this first installment and would definitely read other books in this series. It's a good solid cozy mystery, with everything you'd want from the genre. I would recommend it to cozy readers.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Kathleen Paulson needs to change her life NOW, her boyfriend goes away for two weeks and comes back MARRIED!!
Kathleen chucks her life in Boston and accepts a job in Mayville Heights, Minnesota, to supervise the renovation and modernization of their library. This turns out to be no small task, but the job is just the kind of distraction she needs.
Not long after her arrival in town she allows to stray cats two snuggle their way into her life. She names the tabby Owen and quickly learns he is addicted to catnip. The other is a stocky tuxedo cat she names Hercules. Hercules loves Barry Manilow music as much as Kathleen, but Owen hates Barry, no matter the song and has no trouble showing his distaste. It doesn't take Kathleen long to learn the cats are very special, maybe even magical.
Life in quiet Mayville Heights takes a drastic turn when a guest of the Wild Rose Summer Music Festival is found dead. For some reason all the clues seem to point to Kathleen. It is then she finds out just how gifted her four legged feline friends are when they help her work to clear her name and quickly bring this caper to a close.
I LIKED IT!!!!
The first thing that really drew me into this book was the cover, the cat's piercing eyes. I have been trying this year to acknowledge the cover illustrators and designers, because book covers today are truly small works of art. There is no information on the artists for this cover but click on the picture, the cats eyes alone will have you wanting to read the story.
The characters of Mayville Heights are so easy to enjoy from the quick wit of Roma, veterinarian by day to human doctor in a pinch, or coworker Abigail's sarcasm, and Detective Gordon's dry sense of humor. Add to that, loving neighbor Rebecca along with the newly transplanted Kathleen, the antics of her "magical" cats and so many more true characters in every sense of the word. There is someone for every reader to love or even hate as I do, the maddening contractor in charge of the renovation. As a former construction worker it took pure restraint not to jump right into the pages and slap him "up aside the head"!
You can't go wrong with a cozy if you have characters like these, a really good mystery, the perfect setting of a library and magical cats. A wonderful debut for what I know will be a "purrfectly" "cat-invating" series. This author has written several young adult books and has now left a paw print in the cozy mystery world with this story and I am happy to welcome her and will anxiously awaiting her next feline escapade.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Obsidian/NAL, a Division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Kathleen chucks her life in Boston and accepts a job in Mayville Heights, Minnesota, to supervise the renovation and modernization of their library. This turns out to be no small task, but the job is just the kind of distraction she needs.
Not long after her arrival in town she allows to stray cats two snuggle their way into her life. She names the tabby Owen and quickly learns he is addicted to catnip. The other is a stocky tuxedo cat she names Hercules. Hercules loves Barry Manilow music as much as Kathleen, but Owen hates Barry, no matter the song and has no trouble showing his distaste. It doesn't take Kathleen long to learn the cats are very special, maybe even magical.
Life in quiet Mayville Heights takes a drastic turn when a guest of the Wild Rose Summer Music Festival is found dead. For some reason all the clues seem to point to Kathleen. It is then she finds out just how gifted her four legged feline friends are when they help her work to clear her name and quickly bring this caper to a close.
I LIKED IT!!!!
The first thing that really drew me into this book was the cover, the cat's piercing eyes. I have been trying this year to acknowledge the cover illustrators and designers, because book covers today are truly small works of art. There is no information on the artists for this cover but click on the picture, the cats eyes alone will have you wanting to read the story.
The characters of Mayville Heights are so easy to enjoy from the quick wit of Roma, veterinarian by day to human doctor in a pinch, or coworker Abigail's sarcasm, and Detective Gordon's dry sense of humor. Add to that, loving neighbor Rebecca along with the newly transplanted Kathleen, the antics of her "magical" cats and so many more true characters in every sense of the word. There is someone for every reader to love or even hate as I do, the maddening contractor in charge of the renovation. As a former construction worker it took pure restraint not to jump right into the pages and slap him "up aside the head"!
You can't go wrong with a cozy if you have characters like these, a really good mystery, the perfect setting of a library and magical cats. A wonderful debut for what I know will be a "purrfectly" "cat-invating" series. This author has written several young adult books and has now left a paw print in the cozy mystery world with this story and I am happy to welcome her and will anxiously awaiting her next feline escapade.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Obsidian/NAL, a Division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I want to meet Owen and Hercules, they seem like an adorable pair of kitties. Mystery was good and kept you well of balanced and the truth just a tensy bit out of reach. I will be reading the rest of this series mostly to spend time with those curious little critters of Katherine's.