Hooked on a Feline

Magical Cats Mystery #13

By Sofie Kelly

ISBN 9780593199985

Author’s website:  sofiekelly.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

Librarian Kathleen Paulson and her inquisitive cats find themselves in a jam when a musician turns up dead, in the newest installment of this New York Times bestselling series.

It’s summer in Mayville Heights, and Kathleen Paulson and her detective boyfriend Marcus, are eager to attend the closing concert of the local music festival. The concert is a success, but then one of the band members is discovered dead shortly after it. At first it’s assumed the death is a robbery gone wrong, but Kathleen suspects foul play–and she’s certain that she, along with her trusty side-cats, Owen and Hercules, can help solve the murder.

Before his death, Kathleen had noticed the victim in the library researching his genealogy, and when she and Marcus take a closer look at the man’s family tree, they begin to think a previous death of one of his relatives now seems suspicious. The more Kathleen thinks about it, the more this murder feels like it could be an encore performance. Kathleen and her cats will need to act fast and be very careful if they want to stay off of a killer’s hit list.

Review:

It was so much fun to visit Kathleen, Owen, and Hercules in this delightful, intriguing new mystery in the Magical Cats series! Kathleen moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, four years ago. She loves being there and is a perfect fit with small-town values where family is about more than being related by blood. I enjoy how the author brings to life the historic setting as well as the people who live there with her rich descriptions. The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing throughout.

Almost everyone is at the Last Bash event being held for the first time in 25 years. It may become a regular event again, celebrating food, music, and small-town life. Mayville Heights’s very own Johnny Stone is one of the musicians. A popular vocalist in his teens and twenties, he had since become a highly successful businessman. Recently he decided to return to his first love, music, and his fans from the past were thrilled to see him take the stage. The surprise for the attendees is that his former band, the Outlaws, joined him in a performance that many deemed magical. The band members were local and well-established in their chosen careers. While at least one would like to go on the road with Johnny, it would probably be a rare event. Kathleen, her boyfriend Marcus, and their close friends loved it, agreeing it was the best night ever.

Two days later, Mike, an endodontist by day and bass player by night, was found dead in his home. It was a few days before Marcus, a detective with the local police department, received confirmation that Mike had been murdered. It was heartbreaking; almost everyone in town knew and loved Mike.

Kathleen and some of her library assistants had helped Mike research his family tree. He got the idea to do so after the matriarch of the family died a few months earlier. Mike’s cousin Jonas was interested in working on the family tree now, so Kathleen put together the items she had been collecting for Mike’s research for Jonas. The police theorize that maybe Mike came home and confronted a burglar. Kathleen thought often of the day that Mike’s great-aunt died going home after attending a presentation at the library. Yes, the lady was elderly, but was in remarkable health. Could there be a connection between the two?

I really like the mix of characters in this series, especially Kathleen’s cats. Yes, they have the same traits that most other cats do, yet they are not the average felines! Owen, a gray tabby, can disappear and reappear at will. His will. Hercules, a black tuxedo cat, can walk through things such as closed doors. Could you imagine your favorite feline disappearing even as you watched it? These darling cats are as well defined as the people around them. Kathleen has even been able to find clues through their unique communication skills!

This delightful cozy mystery invited me in on the first page and kept my attention throughout. The mystery, friendships, and history of the town and library contributed to the whole. While Marcus would prefer that Kathleen stay out of the case, Mike was a friend to her and her close friends. To her credit, whenever Kathleen learned something about the case, she told Marcus rather than acting on it herself. The author kept me engaged throughout with one surprise after another. All is resolved at the end, leaving no open issues. I highly recommend this excellent Magical Cats Mystery and the series!