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2019 Purrfect Reading Challenge
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Carol’s Challenge
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Book #1 True Confections
by Ruth HartzlerTrue Confections (An Amish Cupcake Cozy Mystery #1) Hartzler, Ruth *
A 50th Birthday dinner with her husband at a
fancy restaurant turns out to be a horrible time
for Jane Delight. He wants a divorce plus he is
giving Jane nothing as he has a pregnant
mistress.
With no where to go and no means of support,
Jane moves into an apartment above her Amish
twin sister’s cupcake shop. Jane had left her
Amish heritage behind many years ago. Jane
will be rooming with two elderly sisters who are
traveling when she moves into the apartment.
The sisters arrive the same day as a persistent
man who wants to buy the shop eats a cupcake
then falls over eventually ending up dead.
The sisters bring Mr Crumbles, a stray cat with
them. As Jane and the sisters get involved trying
to identify the killer, Mr Crumbles will play a
critical role.
Colorful, quirky, well fleshed out characters that
are involved in an adventurous plotted story.
The description of the Amish ways and phrases
mix with Englisher lifestyles make the reader a
part of the story.
A very entertaining read!!
Amish Recipes included.
I volunteered to read True Confections. Thanks to
the author for the opportunity. My opinion is my own.
A Kindle Unlimited Read.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book #2 The Missing Unicorn
by April FernsbyCassia Winters is the Justice Witch for
Brimstone. Stanley is her magical, familiar
cat who plays an important part in the story.
Cassia is sent to investigate the death of a
unicorn BUT when she and Stanley arrive
the unicorn’s body is missing!!! Is he dead,
wounded or has something evil taken him?
The investigation goes into full swing.
Zany, weird, quirky characters combine with
the Brimstone characters. Good and evil
magic fills the story.
The plot was intriguing with magical twists
and turns. There was a touch of romance.
An entertaining read!!
I volunteered to read The Missing Unicorn.
Thanks to Booksprout for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book #3 Witchiest Circus on Earth
by Leanne LeedsCharlotte Astley’s parent are both witches
but prefer to live in the human world. Charlotte
is raised as a human never learning witchy skills.
The family lives in Mickwac, Texas.
One week per summer, she is allowed to visit her
Uncle Phil at his Magical Magical Midway. This
is paranormal circus and carnival. Hundreds of
Various paranormal types make this their home.
Uncle Phil is the Ringmaster until he gets poisoned.
Now the inexperienced Charlotte takes over as
Ringmaster. Her Uncle Phil’s spirit is able to
communicate with her.
Samson, the black cat, is a familiar that now
becomes Charlotte’s. Samson is able to read
thoughts and communicate through thoughts
to Charlotte. He is a main part of the story.
An array of unusual, quirky, colorful and
interesting characters involved in a murder
mystery plus an attempt on Charlotte’s life.
An intriguing read and very informative about
mystical creatures.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book #4 The Case of the Banishing Spell
by Amorette AndersonPenelope Banks, Private Investigator and Witch
In Training lives in Hillcrest in Colorado, with
her familiar, Turkey, the magical talking calico
cat.
Penny inherit the book called The Art and Science
of Becoming a Witch from the deceased witch,
Claudia Terra. Claudia guarded magical portal
that was just beyond her house on Hillcrest Pass.
Now the small town has become exposed to all
magical being of all shapes and sizes.
Penny and her coven are supposed to take over
guarding the portal.
Meantime several werewolves have crossed over
the portal. It was interesting learning about the
historical information between the evil white Lux
wolf and the good black Tenebris werewolves
and their lawful/unlawful habits from the five
hundred old vampire.
The Historical Society hosts an annual bonfire
dance. It will be held at the Hillcrest Inn.
The innkeepers find a bloody, muddy paw print
in the room a stranger is staying. Then the
stranger is found dead body. A knife is stuck in
his back. But did the knife kill him or was he
dead when stabbed??
All the Hillcrest Coven know is that they must
learn the Banishing Spell to keep Hillcrest safe.
Original plot with several subplots involving an
creatively, colorful, myriad of characters both
human and magical.
A Recommended Read with suspense, mystery,
humor and a touch of romance.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book #5 A Scone to Die For
by H.Y. HannaGemma Rose has returned to Cotswolds’ village
of Meadowford-on-Smythe.
She has opened the Little Stables Tearoom. You
can get teacakes, hot cross buns, home-made
sticky toffee pudding but they are most famous
for their warm buttery scones topped with jam
and clotted cream served with with English
Breakfast or Earl Grey tea. The tea is served in
bone China.
Muesli is the cook’s cat. She has silky, pale dove
gray fur with a series of darker grey around her body.
Muesli has white on her chest and paws.
An American tourist enters the tearoom giving the
staff trouble from the get go. He is rude making
crude remarks. He has a lot of knowledge about the
area for a regular tourist. Why is he really in the area?
Then he ends up dead outside the tearoom in the
courtyard with a scone stuck into his throat.
Gemma decides to investigate to bring business
back to the Little Stables Tearoom.
Along with four older ladies with their white hair,
spectacles and wooly cardigans, the investigation
starts. These four know everything that happens
and everyone in the area.
An intriguing and interesting array of characters
with small town charm. Some quirky, some colorful,
some with secrets...keep the reader guessing who
the culprit could be.
Get a Traditional English scone recipe included
at the end.
In addition, a Glossary of British Terms is included
at the end of the story.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book #6 The Cat, the Professor and the Poison
by Leann SweeneyJillian Hart lives in Mercy, South Carolina.
Shoe resides in the house that she and her
deceased husband built with her three cats:
Merlot, Syrah and Chablis.
Jillian makes cat quilts that has turned into
a profitable venture.
Jillian use a phone that has a cat cam on it.
She can check on the cats wherever she
ventures out of her home.
Deputy Candace Carson is her good friend.
Jillian goes along with Candace when a call
comes in about a missing cow. They decide
to stage a stake out at the farm. They catch
a professor as the culprit. He wanted milk
to feed his cats.
When stray cats turn up at the farm, Jillian
follows one cat to a neighboring farm and
discovers about 50 cats penned up. This is
where the professor lives.
Contacting Candace, an Animal Shelter and
Animal Control about the cats at the farm is
those beginning of the mystery of The Cats,
the Professor and the Poison.
The professor is found dead in his farm house.
He was poisoned.
In the midst of this mystery, Jillian’s stepdaughter.
Kara arrives unannounced in Mercy. Kara never
accepted Jillian’s marrying her father nor has
Kara grieved her father death. But Kara makes
herself at home and gets involved with the
murder mystery.
Interesting and intriguing characters with a lot
of cats involved.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book #7 Used for Murder
by Heidi BuckThe Foothills Rehabilitation Center (FRC) runs an
used bookstore. It is located in Autumn, a small
town in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
The bookstore is staff by volunteers. It also was
sponsoring the BARF ( Benevolent Animal Rescue
Foundation) finding home for rescue cats. Three
of the cats you will meet there are Cali, the calico
and Princess, a tawny gray cat and Teddy, an
extremely overweight white and gray tabby cat
who loves to screech. When Teddy was the only
cat left unadopted, the cat rescue abruptly stopped.
The volunteers have no idea why it stopped.
Things in the bookstore start to make dramatic
changes after the suspicious death of one volunteer,
the murder of another volunteer and the murder of
man in the woody area in back of the used bookstore.
What is happening in the bookstore?
A large array of well crafted characters involved in a
complex, dangerous plot within a plot.
You will also meet Martha, the main character’s home
cat.
An enjoyable read!!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 8. Meow Means Murder: A Norwegian Forest Cat Caf� Cozy Mystery
by Jinty JamesAnnie, the silver-gray tabbyNorwegian Forest
Cat seats people in the Cat Café run by the
Crenshaw cousins, Laurenand Zoe.
The small town of Gold Leaf Valley is a flutter
with the arrival of a famous food critic from the
city of Sacramento.
When he and his protégé arrive at the cafe, the
café’s baker is not there plus all his bake goods
have sold out. They said they would return the
next morning.
When they do not show up the next day, Lauren
decides to take some pastries to the hotel. She
and Anne walk over to where the food critic is
staying. They find him dead!!!
Well fleshed out characters that are colorful,
interesting, some quirky and very entertaining.
A very well plotted adventure with descriptions
that make the reader part of the story.
I volunteered to read Meow Means Murder. Thanks
to the author for the opportunity. My opinion is my
own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 9. A Night's Tail
by Sofie KellyMayville Heights Free Public Library is
located in Minnesota. The head librarian
is Kathleen Paulson.
Kathleen lives with her two special once
feral cats who followed her home. She kept
both cats, Hercules & Owen.
Hercules has a knack finding websites on
her lap plus he can walk through wall.
Owen has the knack of becoming invisible
when he wants plus he loves taking things
away by mouth.
Kathleen’s brother and his band are visiting.
One prospective band member gets into a
fisticuff in a bar. The man who he fights with
is in town because he wants to invest in the
town. This man kicks a service dog of a veteran.
Later the man is found dead. Who is this man?
What is his background? Why did he pick this
town?
Kathleen along with her boyfriend, Marcus and
the cats are on the case to find the killer.
There is a quilt festival at the library which provides
a colorful experience for the town and reader.
A fast paced story from beginning to end with
a cast of multifaceted, vivid, complex characters.
The cats make the story more interesting.
This is book # 11 in the Magical Cats Mysteries
series. It can be read as a stand alone.
A well written story for everyone to enjoy.
I volunteered to read A Night’s Tail. Thanks
to Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the
opportunity. My opinion is my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 10. The Pawful Truth
by Miranda JamesCharlie Harris is a Librarian at Athena College.
Charlie lives with his two cats. Diesel is a fat
Mani Coon who goes everywhere with him plus
a young mischievous kitten named Ramses.
He has two boarders and is about to get a third.
One of the boarders has a poodle named Dante.
All the animals get along well and add flavor to the
story.
Charlie decides to audit a class in early medieval
history. The class is taught by young, talented lecturer,
Professor Carey Warriner. Charlie is the oldest person
in the class besides by a mature woman named
Dixie Bell Compton. Dixie and Professor Warriner
seem to have a prior history between them.
Then Dixie ends up dead!!! Who and why was she
murdered?
To complicate matters further into the story Professor
Carey Warriner ends up murdered!!
Charlie did not expect to become involved with one
murder let alone two. Will he be able to nap the murderer
safely with the help of Diesel, his astute feline??
The book provides an array of artfully created characters.
Each supporting character enhances the storyline. It was
fun getting to know each character involved with Charlie
and his cats.
The mystery was a complex, well plotted one. It provided
plenty of viable suspects and clues throughout the story.
This is book # 11 in the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries series.
It can be read as a stand alone. This was the first book I
read in the series and look forward to exploring the others.
I volunteered to read The Pawful Truth. Thanks to
Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 11: Digging Up Trouble
by Rickie BlairVerity Hawkes is now living in Leafy Hollow which
is a small town in the Ontario province. Her Aunt
Adeline has disappeared. Her Aunt’s lawyer believes
that her Aunt is dead, making Verity the heir.
Verity has also taken over her Aunt’s landscaping
business. She has learned about the various types
of gardening plants. So when she is asked to spruce
up the landscape near the crypt of a famous Leafy
Hollow historical figure, Verity notes trampled weeds
near the crypts door.
When the crypt is opened, a newly murdered man is
found. How did the man get into the crypt? Who
murdered him? Why was he murdered?
While investigating this, Verity and her crew discover
yet another murdered victim.
Verity has a once feral cat, General Chang who came
to live with her. He helps calm her fears. He will be the
hero of the book.
This is a complex plotted book. Besides mystery, suspense
the book has a touch of humor.
The characters are well written, very colorful, quirky and
an interesting group.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 12.The Double Cheese Burger Murder
byRosie A. Point
Christie Watson was a Boston Homicide Detective. She
was given a sabbatical and must stay out of trouble
while she is on it.
Christie has returned to her hometown in Sleepy Creek,
Ohio. She is staying at her best friend, Griselda Lewis
home. Her best friend runs Griselda’s Burger Bar plus
is owner of a fat cat named Curly Fries.
Christie is working at the Burger Bar which she discovers
is the gossip center for information going on around
the town.
When Griselda’s relative is arrested for murder, Christie
disregards her stay out of trouble option and jumps
right into investigating the situation.
What a complex, uniquely plotted, though provoking
murder mystery!!!
The cast consists of cleverly, drawn up, well defined,
quirky and very interesting characters.
Murder, robbery, antiques, suspense, intrigue plus
deliciously described food. Add a quirky fur baby
to the mix for a fast paced read.
This is book # 2 in the Sleepy Creek Cozy Mysteries series.
It can be read as a stand alone.
I volunteered to read The Double Cheese Burger Murder.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity. My opinion is
voluntary and is my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 13Whiskers and Warrants : A Norwegian Forest Cat Café Cozy Mystery - Book 3
by Jinty James
Welcome to the Cat Café where Annie, the
silver-gray Norwegian Forest Cat awaits to
seat the customers.
The Crenshaw cousins, Lauren and Zoe
came to Gold Leaf Valley to run the café.
Lauren inherited the café and her
grandmother’s house.
An advanced latte class for two students
but five showed up, a teenage girl, her mother,
a wannabe barista plus Lauren and Zoe, one
coarse insulting instructor, learning to create
swan and peacock lattes, an extra week
added to course, delicious decorative cake,
a dead body stabbed, warrants, the cat
discovers a clue, a change in the grumpy
customer, an online scam, knitting, crocheting,
string art and a unexpected date make this a
fun read!!
Colorful, well defined, interesting characters
involved in creative activities with danger plus
suspense. A fast paced well plotted read with
a touch of humor and romance.
This is book # 3 in the A Norwegian Forest Cat
Café Mystery series. It can be read as a stand
alone as the author mixes the past and present
smoothly with her skilled writing.
A Highly Recommended Read!!
I volunteered to read the ARC of Whiskers and
Warrants. Thanks to the author for the
opportunity. My opinion is voluntary and my
own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 14Cookies and Clairvoyance
by
Katie Lightfoot is a baker and a hedgewitch. A
hedgewitch works with herbal lot and crafts plus
Tend to have a green thumb.
Katie is a partner with her aunt and uncle in the
Honeybee Bakery. Her aunt and her use magic in
their bake goods.
She has a familiar named Mungo who is a Cairn
Terrier.
One of their customers is murdered. He has a collection
of native artifacts plus articles of rogue magic and
witchcraft.
Homicide Detective Peter Quinn requests Katie’s help.
When a mutual acquaintance of Katie’s who is her
fiancé's coworker plus the boyfriend of a member of
her spellbook club, Katie starts her own investigation.
She finds herself up against dark magic. Will she be
able to clear her friend? Will she be able to fight back
against the black magic being sent her way?
Artfully created characters, colorful, vivid, quirky add
flavor to the tale.
Besides Mungo, the Cairn Terrier, some other familiars
to the coven were:
Honeybee (the orange tabby who inspired the name of
the bakery), Anubis the Great Dane, Heckle the parrot,
Puck the ferret, Rafe the striped King Snake and
Jackson the Terrier.
A well plotted murder mystery
This is book # 8 in the Magical Bakery Mystery series.
I can be read as a stand alone. This is the first I read
and I will be reading more of this series.
I volunteered to read Cookies and Clairvoyance.
Thanks to Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the
opportunity. My opinion is voluntary and is my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book #15Death in a Budapest Butterfly
by Julia BuckleyA Budapest Butterfly china teacup is a thing of
beauty but can it be turned into a weapon of death??
Hana Keller sets up a special display for the Anna
Weatherley butterfly teacup in Maggie’s Tea House
for a function hosting a group of Hungarian women.
Somehow the teacup is removed from the display. A
Hungarian saying is written inside the cup, poison
added then the cup is served to one of the attendees
by a non employee of the Tea House. After drinking
from the cup, she dies. Who removed the cup, added
poison to the team and gave it to the woman???
This is a very informative read as the reader will learn
about Hungarian customs, folklore, common saying and
many delicious Hungarian food specialties.
Hana, her mother, her grandmother and her mother have
a paranormal gift of sight which will aid in the solving of
the murder.
Characters are vivid, very colorful, well define, quirky
and extremely interesting. There are several fur babies
that add to the story: Hana’s cats: Anthony & Cleopatra
(one black & one gray), Boris the wolfhound, Serena the
Siamese cat, Inspektor the store cat and a Major a house
cat.
The plot is complicated by mixing the past and present.
It is a fast moving story, intense with plenty of thrills and
chills, intrigue plus some humor and romance.
This is the first book in the A Hungarian Tea House Mysteries
series. A very enjoyable read!!!
Hungarian Recipes included at the end of book.
I volunteered to read Death in a Budapest Butterfly. Thanks
to Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 16Kitty Confidential
by Molly FitzA near death experience gave Angie Russo,
a paralegal at Fulton, Thompson & Associates
a new skill......the ability to talk to animals.
Octavius Maxwell Ricardo Edmund Frederick Fulton,
the cat was at the law office for a will reading of
his latest owner when Angie’s accident happened.
Angie woke up and the cat told her that his human
had been murdered. He wanted Angie to find the
murderer. So her experience as a pet whisperer
PI begins.
An intriguing, interesting, suspenseful adventure
with a cat full of himself. The cast of characters
was colorful, quirky, adventurous and well created.
The reader will be taken on an adventure as
Angie lead by the cat, nicknamed Octo-cat get
involved in the shenanigans that will uncover the
culprit.
An enjoyable read with an unusual cat taking the
lead with the new Blueberry Bay’s pet whisperer
PI.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 17Hemlock and Hedge
by Ruby LorenHazel Salem is back in Wormwood after the death of her mother who claimed she was a witch. Hazel finds a box on her doorstep. There are two black kitten inside. She wasn’t inclined to have a cat....let alone two. But they grew on her. The one cat will be influential in helping her solve a mystery left to her by her mother and save her from her enemies. Come alone with Hazel to meet up with the two black kittens, Hemlock and Hedge
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 18Hardback Homicide
by S.E. BabinCome meet Poppy, the red Persian cat who came long with the purchase of the Tattered Pages bookstore. Dakota Adair has purchased the store which is located in Dewdrop Springs, Maine. Poppy is a popular bookstore cat. Poppy is always friendly except with two people, Carrie Olds and Jeff Bastion. Come along to Dewdrop Springs and meet Dakota, her Aunt Corky, her spry grandma, her mother, her assistant, Cole (the good looking reporter, Hardy (the handsome new detective) plus some interesting, well created town people and most of all Poppy. Murder, a distinctive smell, canister bomb, a speedy car getaway all add to the excitement of this entertaining read.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 19Mandrake and a Murder
by Ruby LorenThings are heating up in Wormwood!!
Hansel Salem who inherited her mother’s
house and the family Apothecary.
She is living with with her black cat, Hemlock
who claims he is her familiar plus is full of
mischief. Another quiet black cat, Hedge
who appeared with Hemlock lives with them.
A lot is happening in Wormwood.....A man is
murdered, small animals are being slaughtered
and hung on lampposts, rocks with threats are
thrown though a window, a house is boarded
up with witchcraft signs painted on it plus
Hazel’s Apothecary and Tea House is vandalized.
While all this is occurring Hazel gets two
visitors claiming to be her Aunt’s. They have
come to live with her and help her with the
witchly powers she denies.
Hazel will also obtain a fake boyfriend plus meet
a real Detective investigating the murder and
vandalism. Another man appears on the scene,
he calls himself a detective but has no real
credentials but he does have amber eyes similar
to Hazel’s.
A well written plot with many twists and turns to
keep the reader glued to the story.
The characters are artfully drawn up, colorful,
vivid, quirky, interesting and entertaining. The
fur babies add to the flavor of the story. Hedge
meows and his eyes speak to Hazel.
An enjoyable read.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book # 20A Twist in the Tail
by Leighann DobbsWhat a fun read!!
Josie Walters buys a family friend’s Bed
and Breakfast in Oyster Cove, Maine. She
has divorced her husband and is starting
her life all over again.
The Oyster Cove Guesthouse is in need of
a lot of restorations which is being done as
Josie can afford to have the work done.
What Josie didn’t realize was that the property
came with two cats: Nero, a large black and
white tuxedo cat and a tortie named Marlowe.
These two cats are essential in finding clues
when a murder occurs in the Oyster Cove
Guesthouse. The cats provide clues to the
Sheriff and Josie to catch the culprit responsible
for the murder.
The two cats confer with the town cats consisting
of: Poe is the largest cat who is solid gray, Stubbs
has a short tail and is orange striped, Boots is a
black cat with white paws, Harry is a fluffy Maine
Coon while Juliette is a gray cat with a white
diamond on her forehead who lives in the rectory
of St Michael’s Church.
Along with the cats working on solving the murder,
Josie, Millie (the former owner) plus Josie’s mother
all get involved.
A well written plot with a creative cast of characters.
In a good adventure.
There is humor plus a hint of romance in the air.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Challenge Completed.😻😻😻😻😻😻😻
Cat Mystery Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
A Twist in the Tail (other topics)A Twist in the Tail (other topics)
Mandrake and a Murder (other topics)
Mandrake and a Murder (other topics)
Hardback Homicide (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Leighann Dobbs (other topics)Leighann Dobbs (other topics)
Ruby Loren (other topics)
S.E. Babin (other topics)
Ruby Loren (other topics)
More...
1. True Confections
2. The Missing Unicorn
3. Witchiest Circus on Earth
4. The Case of the Banishing Spell
5. A Scone to Die For
6. The Cat, the Professor and the Poison
7. Used for Murder
8. Meow Means Murder: A Norwegian Forest Cat Caf� Cozy Mystery
9. A Night's Tail
10. The Pawful Truth
11. Digging Up Trouble
12.The Double Cheese Burger Murder
13. Whiskers and Warrants : A Norwegian Forest Cat Café Cozy Mystery - Book 3
14. Cookies and Clairvoyance
15. Death in a Budapest Butterfly
16. Kitty Confidential
17. Hemlock and Hedge
18. Hardback Homicide
19. Mandrake and a Murder
20. A Twist in the Tail