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jackie_of_all_books's review against another edition
3.0
The final book in the series. Or at least the last one written so far. Kari is looking forward to enjoying October in her favorite town when her ex husband Charlie shows up with flowers and informs her that they are still married. She swears that can’t be and she knows she filed papers but can’t seem to find the declared divorce paperwork. She swears Charlie came to town for her lottery money but soon discovers that he has plans of starting glamping where her rescue currently is. Kari says absolutely not but agrees to meet and discuss things with him hoping she can get him to agree to just take some money and leave. When she calls the county office they also declare not being able to find her divorce records making her second guess whether she filed or not and start to make her worried on the welfare of the shelter. Charlie tries to convince Kari that since they are still married that they should stay together and start this glamping together. Kari starts noticing a blond named Tanya in town around the same time Charlie comes to town and starts to think something is up with her. Charlie comes over to have brunch with Kari the night after octoberfest but apologizes for not feeling well and leaves before eating. That’s when she finds out he died that afternoon by poison of a mushroom. Kari is instantly the first and most promising suspect so she sets out to find yet another murderer. Charlie doesn’t like mushrooms so she knew he didn’t eat it voluntarily. That’s when Kari finds out the cute blonde had been spotted out to eat with her boyfriend Angus and she starts to worry that he can’t take the pressure of her ex husband being in town but she soon finds out he was just doing some investigating with her because he thought she was suspicious. One of the people that Charlie had made the contract with shows up and starts surveying the rescue when Kari tells him he isn’t welcome there and he gets angry that he knows she killed Charlie since Charlie had already taken millions from him and agreed that she was on board with the glamping. She pins him as a potential suspect that maybe he already knew Charlie was double crossing him and killed him because of it. While he was being questioned he got furious that Kari wasn’t already arrested and showed paperwork where he had Karis signature stating the go ahead with the glamping that she knew was a forgery. Things start to look bad for Kari when the police get an anonymous call claiming their is evidence in her chicken coop. And then they find a small bottle with the remnants from the mushroom concoction. Before they get DNA results back and can arrest Kari. She found a clue without trying. The neighborhood gossip Nancy who owns the liquor store began to talk about Tanya and how she had came in Saturday morning and bought a bottle of vodka. Which was not only strange because she proudly showed the sheriff her 10 year sober badge but she had swore to be with Angus during the time frame she was spotted at the liquor store. Angus was able to vouch not being with her at that time. And the owner of the B&B where Tanya was staying found a smashed mason jar in a brown paper bag in the bottom of Tanya’s nigjt stand and a missing small lotion bottle like what was found in Karis chicken coop. She had brought Tanya to her house to discuss all of this when the cops came to arrest Kari and she was able to point all directions at Tanya who finally confessed after knowing they found the smashes mason jar. They found that she worked at the county and Charlie had started dating her only to use her. After a few months he asked her to destroy that divorce paperwork so that he could collect half the money and invest so that him and her and her son who had a health condition could all live glamorous lives. For the well being of her son she committed a crime and destroyed the legal documents that Kari and Charlie were divorced. He told her he was going to come to town to convince Kari about the money and then he’d be back but when she went to his house she discovered him forging Karis signature and a whole stack of pictures of her and she got jealous of how pretty Kari was so she came to town to meet her herself. That’s when she noticed Charlie wanting to stay together with Kari and he told Tanya it could possibly be years until he got everything arranged she told him she wouldn’t wait that long and he needed to come back to her and figure it out in email which is when he told her that she was an idiot woman and why would he go back to her and her son when he could have pretty Kari and her millions. So she realized she had been used all along and when she threatened to tell Kari he said he would destroy her life and tell her work what she had done which would mean she would lose her good state health insurance for her son and she would have issues finding another job let alone one with such good health insurance so when she went on the nature walk she noticed the deadly mushroom from her dads tv shows and she picked it. Mixed it into the vodka and then at the October fest she had grabbed a sample off the tray and poured some poison in it and then offered it to Charlie casually saying she only took it off the tray to be polite and he had accidentally eaten a jalepeno popper off of Kari’s tray so when he downed the sample he wouldn’t have noticed anything odd at all. She was going to leave it at that but once Kari started poking around she planted the bottle in the chicken coop and made the anonymous call so that she could leave town and get back to her son. She knew Kari would be the obvious killer because she had the most motive since he wanted to take her rescue but by killing him she also gained his money since they were still legally married. Tanya was arrested and Kari decided with the million dollars she gets from Charlie’s assets she’s going to put them in a trust for Tanya’s son so that he doesn’t suffer from this even more. And therefore the money doesn’t technically benefit Kari. All in all a happy ending and a decent plot twist.
thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition
5.0
“Claws for Suspicion” the 3rd instalment in the Catskill Pet Rescue Mystery series by Deborah Blake. I really enjoy this series and tend to read in one day as I become so engrossed in the story.
When someone from her past comes to town to cause trouble, Kari Stuart and her sassy kitten Queenie will have to work hard to protect the Serenity Sanctuary.
I enjoyed visiting Lakeview and Kari’s Serenity Sanctuary again. The book was well-written with wonderful characters, such as Kari, Suz, Angus and the volunteers at Serenity Sanctuary. I especially love Queenie the black kitten! We learn more about why Kari moved home in this instalment and a bit more into Bre’s history too.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I'm really looking forward to the next book.
I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received and Advanced Readers Copy from Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When someone from her past comes to town to cause trouble, Kari Stuart and her sassy kitten Queenie will have to work hard to protect the Serenity Sanctuary.
I enjoyed visiting Lakeview and Kari’s Serenity Sanctuary again. The book was well-written with wonderful characters, such as Kari, Suz, Angus and the volunteers at Serenity Sanctuary. I especially love Queenie the black kitten! We learn more about why Kari moved home in this instalment and a bit more into Bre’s history too.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I'm really looking forward to the next book.
I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received and Advanced Readers Copy from Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Claws for Suspicion is the third book in a small-town cozy mystery series by Deborah Blake. Released 3rd May 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 288 pages (print edition) and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a fun and easy read. The plucky protagonist is a former waitress turned millionaire lottery winner who bought a dilapidated animal sanctuary and has supported and poured resources into making it a going concern supporting neglected animals in the community. She finds herself unwillingly involved in a murder investigation *again* when her ex-husband shows up years after their divorce to try to claim half her lottery winnings.
I enjoyed this installment, with Kari and her band of friends and small-town vibe. It ticks a lot of boxes: funny and down to earth protagonist, lots of animals, twists and red herrings blended into the plot, decently written dialogue that isn't clunky, and a satisfying denouement and resolution. It's a fun and enjoyable clean cozy mystery. The language is "PG" rated, a few hells and damns but nothing worse. The crimes occur off-page and there's no graphic content.
Four stars. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for Kari & co. (Especially recommended to fans of cozy mysteries featuring animals).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Claws for Suspicion is the third book in a small-town cozy mystery series by Deborah Blake. Released 3rd May 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 288 pages (print edition) and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a fun and easy read. The plucky protagonist is a former waitress turned millionaire lottery winner who bought a dilapidated animal sanctuary and has supported and poured resources into making it a going concern supporting neglected animals in the community. She finds herself unwillingly involved in a murder investigation *again* when her ex-husband shows up years after their divorce to try to claim half her lottery winnings.
I enjoyed this installment, with Kari and her band of friends and small-town vibe. It ticks a lot of boxes: funny and down to earth protagonist, lots of animals, twists and red herrings blended into the plot, decently written dialogue that isn't clunky, and a satisfying denouement and resolution. It's a fun and enjoyable clean cozy mystery. The language is "PG" rated, a few hells and damns but nothing worse. The crimes occur off-page and there's no graphic content.
Four stars. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for Kari & co. (Especially recommended to fans of cozy mysteries featuring animals).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
noodlepot's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first typical “mystery” book I’ve ever read, and it was as expected. I definitely enjoyed the cozy autumn ambiance that this book had. Nothing profound, but I would read a similar book again for a quick read.
rants_n_reads's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
5.0
Number three in the Catskills Pet Rescue series sees Kari's ex husband returning and putting her beloved Serenity Sanctuary in danger. Kari left her ex in her rearview mirror four years ago and good riddance. But now he's back and saying that she never signed the divorce papers, so they are, in fact, still married. Oh, and half that lottery win? It belongs to him. Blake has crafted a fun cozy series full of great characters and fantastically twisty mysteries.
jbrooxd's review against another edition
4.0
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
4 stars - Great! Might re-read.
This was a fun, start-to-finish read for me. I figured out most of the mystery early on, but the author still had a fun surprise for me later in the book. And I love the characters and setting in this series, so it was a delight to read. This is a series to stick with for me!
4 stars - Great! Might re-read.
This was a fun, start-to-finish read for me. I figured out most of the mystery early on, but the author still had a fun surprise for me later in the book. And I love the characters and setting in this series, so it was a delight to read. This is a series to stick with for me!
kristirose's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
In this third book of the Catskills Pet Rescue series, Kari's long lost ex-husband shows up in town. After all, what better than a lottery win to attract long lost relatives? However, things go from bad to worse when he claims their divorce was never finalized. He wants half of everything Kari owns. When he dies suddenly, Kari is the primary suspect. Can she find the killer before she is arrested?
The pace of the book felt a bit slow to me. I had a bit of trouble sticking to reading it. The mystery is very well plotted though. The characters are engaging and likeable. It just wasn't my favorite in the series so far.
The pace of the book felt a bit slow to me. I had a bit of trouble sticking to reading it. The mystery is very well plotted though. The characters are engaging and likeable. It just wasn't my favorite in the series so far.