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2.83 AVERAGE
2.83 AVERAGE
The story is cute and a breezy mystery read for summertime. The world is all cats, living as if they were people. However, the author has chosen to use some deeply offensive stereotypes to characterize two of the cats, one a minor character on and a major one, and it jolted me out of the story and made me very uncomfortable. For a book that was published in 2017 to include a Siamese cat who mispronounces all her Rs as Ls and a large black cat who is a happy Jamaican cook who is liberal with her "special" and "magic" herb (catnip) and sounds like Hattie McDaniel in Gone with the Wind is inexcusable.
I hate rating things low. Generally I stop reading them if I'm not enjoying them but I needed it for a challenge otherwise, yeah, this wasn't for me. I didn't mind that they were anthropomorphized cats out to solve a mystery. I didn't even really need to be told they must have opposable thumbs but honestly the world building here was poor. I felt like this was England in the 50s in some places, 70s in the others (TVs in homes were rare and one character has no idea what a VHS machine was and couldn't understand video tapes). For that matter, the character development was poor too, especially in the main character. Hettie is a cat somewhat down on her luck (it isn't until nearly the end of the book that we learn what she used to do) who is helping Tilly who is an old cat who was homeless but we end up learning more about Tilly than Hettie other than Hettie isn't very likeable. I have no idea why has decided to become a detective. She doesn't want to do the work and doesn't seem to like it and at one point said they got the idea from TIlly's detective fiction obsession.
It's obviously a nod to Alexander McCall Smith's work done as cats. Hettie gets her first case via her friend Marley Toke who's a cook at an upscale retirement community where bodies have been snatched from the community's graveyard. Hettie has to find the bodies (which is done surprisingly easily) and then who did the deed and why. There was like three separate 'solves' as the layers were peeled back.
The good of the story. The mystery was decent but creepy. I liked the tender moments when the ladies splurged with their new found cash.
The bad, in addition to what I've already mentioned is the wince worthy Marley Toke and the Siamese cat cameo. I don't think it was malicious racism so much as clueless but still. The Siamese cat's few lines had the Asian's can't say Ls and Rs thing and Marley is a Black cat from Jamaica who is all about the catnip (nudge, wink) and speaks pigeon English. This doesn't seem to be a self published book so was there no editor looking at this going whoa, this is such a bad stereotype? It wouldn't have been half as bad if it was just stated Marley had a Jamaican accent and maybe lay off all the toking in jokes. But the ending double downs on the casual racism when Marley is offered a place to set up her own shop but turns it down so she can be a house servant....
And the endings, both the mystery of the missing bodies and the issues between the nursing home owner and her sister, the nurse at said home, were rather bad. Especially the last scenes were Hettie Tilly and the rest literally look past a murder because the person 'deserved it' (or at least that's my take away) no one in this seemed put out by the various dead bodies lying around. This just didn't work for me.
It's obviously a nod to Alexander McCall Smith's work done as cats. Hettie gets her first case via her friend Marley Toke who's a cook at an upscale retirement community where bodies have been snatched from the community's graveyard. Hettie has to find the bodies (which is done surprisingly easily) and then who did the deed and why. There was like three separate 'solves' as the layers were peeled back.
The good of the story. The mystery was decent but creepy. I liked the tender moments when the ladies splurged with their new found cash.
The bad, in addition to what I've already mentioned is the wince worthy Marley Toke and the Siamese cat cameo. I don't think it was malicious racism so much as clueless but still. The Siamese cat's few lines had the Asian's can't say Ls and Rs thing and Marley is a Black cat from Jamaica who is all about the catnip (nudge, wink) and speaks pigeon English. This doesn't seem to be a self published book so was there no editor looking at this going whoa, this is such a bad stereotype? It wouldn't have been half as bad if it was just stated Marley had a Jamaican accent and maybe lay off all the toking in jokes. But the ending double downs on the casual racism when Marley is offered a place to set up her own shop but turns it down so she can be a house servant....
And the endings, both the mystery of the missing bodies and the issues between the nursing home owner and her sister, the nurse at said home, were rather bad. Especially the last scenes were Hettie Tilly and the rest literally look past a murder because the person 'deserved it' (or at least that's my take away) no one in this seemed put out by the various dead bodies lying around. This just didn't work for me.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is the first story in the series. Feline sleuths, Hettie and Tilly, are called to Furcross, a 'home for slightly older cats' to deal with a case of missing residents. Their first assignment doesn't exactly break them in gently, as they discover there's a graverobber on the loose.
I do love the concept of an alternative universe where cats wear clothes, smoke pipes, run detective agencies, nail bars, post offices, care homes and the like but, despite having all these human traits, they are still cats with whiskers, fur and tails.
Although it's all very tongue-in-cheek and played for laughs, it gets a bit gruesome at times. I must admit that I don't really like to read of cats, however villainous they are, coming to any harm, even anthropomorphic ones, but that's probably just me being over-sensitive.
The portrayal of the Jamaican cat who 'came over on the Catrush' is not going to please the politically correct. Her dialect is rather cringeworthy and the character, although likeable, is a bit stereotypical to say the least. The same could be said about the thuggish bunch of Gypsy cats. But frankly in a book about cats wearing trouser suits, eating curry and travelling around on motorbikes, you probably shouldn't be taking things too seriously. (I don't suppose Alan Titchmarsh has sued over the less than flattering portrayal of Digger Patch, the cat who is a celebrity gardener and romantic novelist!)
As you might expect, it's not the most sophisticated plot but it's all good fun and I enjoyed the slapstick humor and the many cat puns - the reference to the FBI (Feline Bureau of Investigation) being one of my favourites. I enjoyed all the references to food too. Hetty and Tilly are always eating and the food descriptions often made me hungry.
I enjoyed it, particularly as a very light, easy read for in between serious, heavier books. No doubt, I'll read others in the series from time to time.
I do love the concept of an alternative universe where cats wear clothes, smoke pipes, run detective agencies, nail bars, post offices, care homes and the like but, despite having all these human traits, they are still cats with whiskers, fur and tails.
Although it's all very tongue-in-cheek and played for laughs, it gets a bit gruesome at times. I must admit that I don't really like to read of cats, however villainous they are, coming to any harm, even anthropomorphic ones, but that's probably just me being over-sensitive.
The portrayal of the Jamaican cat who 'came over on the Catrush' is not going to please the politically correct. Her dialect is rather cringeworthy and the character, although likeable, is a bit stereotypical to say the least. The same could be said about the thuggish bunch of Gypsy cats. But frankly in a book about cats wearing trouser suits, eating curry and travelling around on motorbikes, you probably shouldn't be taking things too seriously. (I don't suppose Alan Titchmarsh has sued over the less than flattering portrayal of Digger Patch, the cat who is a celebrity gardener and romantic novelist!)
As you might expect, it's not the most sophisticated plot but it's all good fun and I enjoyed the slapstick humor and the many cat puns - the reference to the FBI (Feline Bureau of Investigation) being one of my favourites. I enjoyed all the references to food too. Hetty and Tilly are always eating and the food descriptions often made me hungry.
I enjoyed it, particularly as a very light, easy read for in between serious, heavier books. No doubt, I'll read others in the series from time to time.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really didn’t appreciate the portrayal of some of the cats in this one but overall enjoyed it
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Two female cats set up a detective agency and are soon embroiled in a case at a local retirement home.
Cats behaving like humans, walking around wearing clothes and smoking catnip, concerned about their cardigans and cake. Such a weird concept, which, unfortunately didn't work for me.
The audiobook was, thankfully, is only a few hours long, but the portrayal of the Jamaican cat was, frankly, embarrassing and cringeworthy. An outdated, if a little bit fun, novel, that could have been better.
Cats behaving like humans, walking around wearing clothes and smoking catnip, concerned about their cardigans and cake. Such a weird concept, which, unfortunately didn't work for me.
The audiobook was, thankfully, is only a few hours long, but the portrayal of the Jamaican cat was, frankly, embarrassing and cringeworthy. An outdated, if a little bit fun, novel, that could have been better.
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
I could not enter into the surrealist world enough to enjoy this, and it was too derivative for me as well. I mean, the personalities are ok and the “mystery” gets solved with a satisfying twist at the end but…the main mystery was predictable and the mental image of cats using cutlery and drinking tea and making curry was too much.