Paws to Remember
Magical Cats #15
By Sofie Kelly
ISBN 9780593548721
Author’s website: sofiekelly.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
Librarian Kathleen Paulson and her enchanted felines get involved in a cold case that is putting people in very hot water in the newest installment of this New York Times bestselling series.
When a water leak repair results in a body being found behind the walls of the store run by the artists’ co-op that Kathleen’s friend, Maggie, is part of everyone is completely mystified as to whose body it is and who hid it there. But as the dust settles, her boyfriend, Detective Marcus Gordon, begins to suspect the body could belong to a young woman who disappeared more than thirty years ago.
When a friend with a connection to the young woman asks Kathleen to look into the circumstances around the disappearance, she and her cats—who have special feline talent for catching felons—find themselves digging up secrets that at least one person in Mayville Heights would much prefer stay buried. (from Goodreads)
Review:
Cold cases fascinate me, and to have one of my favorite series include a cold case is like hot fudge on a dish of ice cream. The challenges are so different, especially with the lack of technological advances of this century. Kathleen, the library director, came to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, several years ago to be a temporary director and oversee renovations planned for it. She loves the people of the town as much as they love her, making it a simple decision to stay on when renovations were complete. I enjoy every aspect of this novel and series, including the library, Kathleen, her friends and the groups they are part of, and her two very special cats, Owen and Hercules.
Kathleen’s fiancé, Marcus, is the detective at the local police department. It hasn’t been an easy road for them, as she is quite good at solving homicides if someone she cares about is affected by the murder. Marcus prefers that she didn’t get involved, but there are times when someone will beg her to look into it for them. Any information she finds is turned over to Marcus, and she and her close circle of friends compare thoughts about clues or other information.
When power went out and pipes froze in some of the downtown areas, unfortunately, some pipes burst, and could quickly cause water damage and mold if not acted upon. Early one morning, Kathleen received a call from her friend Maggie, the former president of the artists’ co-op. Despite the early hour, she asked Kathleen if she could bring one of her beloved cats to help with a pesky rodent at the co-op building. She and Owen, who has more unusual feline talents than simply rodent patrol, joined Maggie and the handyman, Harry, in the shop area of the co-op. Much of the water had already been vacuumed up, and Harry began pulling out drywall in the area that required repair. Owen quickly handled the furry intruder. Kathleen had time before work to help pull down drywall. Owen began to stare at an area of the wall. When a piece of drywall had been removed, Kathleen saw something large wrapped in heavy plastic between the studs, and Harry removed it. They opened it to find every remodeler’s nightmare, the mummified remains of a person wrapped in a heavy blanket, then in the heavy plastic sheet.
The room will be almost dry enough to replace the wall by the time the police are finished with their investigation. Harry knew the last time a major renovation had been done in the shop area was almost forty years ago. Somebody remembered a young woman had disappeared about that time but was thought to have left town. Then a woman came forward who thought that the missing teen, who would now be old enough to be a grandmother, was her birth mother.
I would love to spend time with most of the three-dimensional characters! The women are very close friendships, as do many of the couples. They are not shallow friendships; they have a depth that comes from similar values, loyalty and respect, and in many cases, even a shared love of cats. They welcome newcomers, and Kathleen appreciates being counted amongst them. They share laughter, joy, and sorrow, and some help Kathleen when she is on the trail of a killer. The men in their lives are similar with regards to close friendships, similar values, and willingness to help others. One of the endearing traits of Kathleen’s, along with her affinity for cats, is her memory for many unusual tidbits of fascinating information that would make her a popular partner when playing trivial pursuit.
Her cats are amazing! Kathleen had learned something very quickly about them when they were kittens in a feral colony she sometimes helped feed and care for, as is Marcus’s cat. They have special talents that Kathleen prefers nobody find out about, and their antics will keep the cat-loving reader entertained.
This fast-paced mystery is very well plotted and executed, with plot twists that kept this reader guessing throughout. There is comic relief interspersing serious scenes or struggles. I would not have guessed who the bad guy is, and was completely surprised – and sad – when I found who did it and why. The end was very satisfying with no outstanding issues. I highly recommend this cozy mystery!
