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Sunny & Shadow Mystery #1
The Big Kitty
Did curiosity kill the cat lady?
Sunny Coolidge left her New York City newspaper job to go back to Maine and take care of her ailing father. But there’s not much excitement—or interesting work—in Kittery Harbor. So when Ada Spruance, the town’s elderly cat lady, asks for help finding her supposedly-winning lottery ticket, Sunny agrees. But when she arrives at Ada’s, with a stray tomcat named Shadow tagging along, they discover the poor woman dead at the bottom of her stairs. Was it an accident—or did Ada’s death have to do with that missing lottery ticket, which turns out to be worth six million dollars?
Town Constable Will Price suspects the worst. And Sunny’s reporter instincts soon drive her to do some investigating of her own. Even Shadow seems to have a nose for detective work. Following the trail of the purrloined ticket, Sunny and Shadow try to shed some light on a killer’s dark motives—before their own numbers are up...
Sunny Coolidge left her New York City newspaper job to go back to Maine and take care of her ailing father. But there’s not much excitement—or interesting work—in Kittery Harbor. So when Ada Spruance, the town’s elderly cat lady, asks for help finding her supposedly-winning lottery ticket, Sunny agrees. But when she arrives at Ada’s, with a stray tomcat named Shadow tagging along, they discover the poor woman dead at the bottom of her stairs. Was it an accident—or did Ada’s death have to do with that missing lottery ticket, which turns out to be worth six million dollars?
Town Constable Will Price suspects the worst. And Sunny’s reporter instincts soon drive her to do some investigating of her own. Even Shadow seems to have a nose for detective work. Following the trail of the purrloined ticket, Sunny and Shadow try to shed some light on a killer’s dark motives—before their own numbers are up...
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
March 23, 2013
After taking a leave of absence to care for her ill father, Sunny Coolidge loses her well paying newspaper job in New York City and returns to her home town of Kittery Harbor, Maine. She moves in with her father and is stuck in a low paying job which doesn’t even cover her expenses – not to mention her unreasonable and demanding boss.
When Ada Spruance, also known as the “Cat Lady”, asks Sunny to help locate a missing winning lottery ticket, Sunny agrees to help. When Sunny pays Ada a visit, she finds the woman dead at the bottom of her stairs. Originally called an accident, Sunny realizes it has to be murder.
One of Ada’s cats takes a liking to Sunny and decides to live with her and her father. Sunny’s father isn’t happy with the new living arrangements, but tolerates it. Shadow manages to work his way into Sunny’s heart.
With the help of a local detective, Will Price, Sunny does some investigating and gets a bit too close to the truth. She realizes Shadow may have witnessed the murder and now her own life is in jeopardy.
This is a fun story and the beginning of a brand new cozy mysteries series – starring a cat! You know a cozy mystery with a cat in the lead role is going to be a favorite of mine. Parts of the book are told from the cat’s point of view (no, he doesn’t speak to the humans, but we do get an insight as to what he’s thinking). The cat’s viewpoint sounds exactly the way I would expect a cat to think. The author obviously knows cats.
The story moved along at a quick pace and the ending was a big surprise to me. I loved the characters and really enjoyed the side romance of Sunny and Will. I can’t wait to read the second book of this series which is out in May.
FTC Disclosure: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
When Ada Spruance, also known as the “Cat Lady”, asks Sunny to help locate a missing winning lottery ticket, Sunny agrees to help. When Sunny pays Ada a visit, she finds the woman dead at the bottom of her stairs. Originally called an accident, Sunny realizes it has to be murder.
One of Ada’s cats takes a liking to Sunny and decides to live with her and her father. Sunny’s father isn’t happy with the new living arrangements, but tolerates it. Shadow manages to work his way into Sunny’s heart.
With the help of a local detective, Will Price, Sunny does some investigating and gets a bit too close to the truth. She realizes Shadow may have witnessed the murder and now her own life is in jeopardy.
This is a fun story and the beginning of a brand new cozy mysteries series – starring a cat! You know a cozy mystery with a cat in the lead role is going to be a favorite of mine. Parts of the book are told from the cat’s point of view (no, he doesn’t speak to the humans, but we do get an insight as to what he’s thinking). The cat’s viewpoint sounds exactly the way I would expect a cat to think. The author obviously knows cats.
The story moved along at a quick pace and the ending was a big surprise to me. I loved the characters and really enjoyed the side romance of Sunny and Will. I can’t wait to read the second book of this series which is out in May.
FTC Disclosure: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 2, 2012
The Big Kitty is the first book in the A Sunny and Shadow Mystery series.
Sunny Coolidge has returned to Kittery Harbor, the town where she grew up, to take care of her father. Ada Spruance, the elderly cat lady of Kittery, asks Sunny if she could help her look for the winning lottery ticket that she has lost. The deadline for turning in the winning tickets coming up very soon. As Sunny is getting ready to head home after this meeting, Sunny finds a large grey cat on sitting on her car. Shadow, as the cat is known, pretty much forces Sunny to take him home with her. On Saturday, Sunny and Shadow head over to Ada's house to help look for the ticket, only to find Ada has apparently fallen down the basement stairs and has died from the fall. The town constable tends to agree with Sunny that Ada must have been pushed. The sheriff is saying it is an accident. With the help of Shadow and the constable Sunny is able to piece together who the killer was.
I, for one, think that our animals are a lot smarter than some people think. It was fun watching Shadow "help" Sunny with the investigation.
A very enjoyable story.
Sunny Coolidge has returned to Kittery Harbor, the town where she grew up, to take care of her father. Ada Spruance, the elderly cat lady of Kittery, asks Sunny if she could help her look for the winning lottery ticket that she has lost. The deadline for turning in the winning tickets coming up very soon. As Sunny is getting ready to head home after this meeting, Sunny finds a large grey cat on sitting on her car. Shadow, as the cat is known, pretty much forces Sunny to take him home with her. On Saturday, Sunny and Shadow head over to Ada's house to help look for the ticket, only to find Ada has apparently fallen down the basement stairs and has died from the fall. The town constable tends to agree with Sunny that Ada must have been pushed. The sheriff is saying it is an accident. With the help of Shadow and the constable Sunny is able to piece together who the killer was.
I, for one, think that our animals are a lot smarter than some people think. It was fun watching Shadow "help" Sunny with the investigation.
A very enjoyable story.
January 16, 2016
Meet Sunny Coolidge, a New York journalist who has returned home to Kittery Harbor, Maine, to take care of her father after his heart attack. She finds work at the local travel agency for Ollie Barnstable a.k.a "Ollie the Barnacle"" but she hopes it is temporary and that she will be able to land a job at a local newspaper.
She is surprised one day when Ada Spuance, the eldery woman everyone calls "the cat lady" comes into the office and asks Sunny to help her find a winning lottery ticket. Sunny is not sure the winning ticket even exists but agrees to help Ada search her cat filled home. She thinks there may be a story she can write for the paper to impress the editor enough to hire her.
Sunny arrives to begin her search and she has a "Shadow", a stray tomcat has followed her right up to the house. When there is no answer at the front door they stroll around to the back of the house and find an open entrance to the basement. Her investigative nature pushes her forward and she discovers poor Ada Spuance dead at the bottom of the stairs.
Did her fall have something to do with the lottery ticket? Was it an accident or MURDER? With her tomcat sidekick Sunny is going to find out. "Following the trail of the purrloined ticket" Sunny and her feline friend better be careful or the made find their very own tickets punched.
Dollycas's Thoughts
Sunny made some interesting decisions which made this a very interesting mystery. I may not have agreed with her actions but they set in action quite a chain of events. Shadow's inquisitive nature also drove this story. They are purr-fect partners.
It had several humorous moments, but the ladies of the neighborhood, especially one special lady, sneaking rich, sweet and "unhealthy" food to Sunny's dad really made me giggle.
This is a light hearted romp with plenty of suspects in a quirky little town. It is a great start to a series that shows much promise.
She is surprised one day when Ada Spuance, the eldery woman everyone calls "the cat lady" comes into the office and asks Sunny to help her find a winning lottery ticket. Sunny is not sure the winning ticket even exists but agrees to help Ada search her cat filled home. She thinks there may be a story she can write for the paper to impress the editor enough to hire her.
Sunny arrives to begin her search and she has a "Shadow", a stray tomcat has followed her right up to the house. When there is no answer at the front door they stroll around to the back of the house and find an open entrance to the basement. Her investigative nature pushes her forward and she discovers poor Ada Spuance dead at the bottom of the stairs.
Did her fall have something to do with the lottery ticket? Was it an accident or MURDER? With her tomcat sidekick Sunny is going to find out. "Following the trail of the purrloined ticket" Sunny and her feline friend better be careful or the made find their very own tickets punched.
Dollycas's Thoughts
Sunny made some interesting decisions which made this a very interesting mystery. I may not have agreed with her actions but they set in action quite a chain of events. Shadow's inquisitive nature also drove this story. They are purr-fect partners.
It had several humorous moments, but the ladies of the neighborhood, especially one special lady, sneaking rich, sweet and "unhealthy" food to Sunny's dad really made me giggle.
This is a light hearted romp with plenty of suspects in a quirky little town. It is a great start to a series that shows much promise.
July 18, 2020
The "Fantastic Fiction" website shares that, "Claire Donally is a pseudonym for the author of many other critically acclaimed cozy mysteries." I can only say that I hope some day the author will reveal himself/herself! Until then as a "wannabe" sleuth, I will keep my suspicion under wraps. Without a doubt, the author is very attuned to cat behavior and catitude and has spent time imagining what a cat may be thinking as he/she enjoys his/her daily life. I was captivated, charmed, amused, and marvelously entertained!
I am very thankful to Lyn Anderson (member of the Fans of Jenn McKinlay FB group) who posted covers of the 1st four (4) books in the series that she had discovered at her local used bookstore and to all the members who joyfully commented their own delight in reading the novels. I've only read the opening novel in the series and I can't wait to read more about Shadow's adventures. I absolutely purred in my human reading pleasure way for the wondrous names that charismatic Shadow has for humans, the things humans do, the things human say, etc.
I often don't agree with tagline reviews on the back cover of paperbacks but in this case I'll make an exception as Susan Wittig Albert said it purrfectly, "Applause for paws---Sunny and Shadow take Best in Show!"
I am very thankful to Lyn Anderson (member of the Fans of Jenn McKinlay FB group) who posted covers of the 1st four (4) books in the series that she had discovered at her local used bookstore and to all the members who joyfully commented their own delight in reading the novels. I've only read the opening novel in the series and I can't wait to read more about Shadow's adventures. I absolutely purred in my human reading pleasure way for the wondrous names that charismatic Shadow has for humans, the things humans do, the things human say, etc.
I often don't agree with tagline reviews on the back cover of paperbacks but in this case I'll make an exception as Susan Wittig Albert said it purrfectly, "Applause for paws---Sunny and Shadow take Best in Show!"
July 1, 2019
Ohhh I just love this sweet cat! There were times when I was ready to cry over what he'd experienced in his life. I wanted to cuddle him and tell him he'd be ok. That was one of the cool parts of this third-person mystery. I liked how the author got inside the various characters and gave their viewpoints, including Shadow the cat. Once he spotted Sunny who had moved back home to take care of her dad who was a post-heart attack patient, Shadow knew he'd found his forever human. The mystery was a good one with plenty of great suspects, action and threats. Sunny worked part-time as a news reporter for the local paper and started working on a story about the local cat lady's suspicious death. This apparently riled enough people to want to go after her with various types of threats, one of which Sunny and her dad were saved by Shadow's actions.
I only had a slight suspicion about the killer and loved the little twist that came at the end. The whole showdown was really exciting and Shadow finally got to have his revenge on someone he knew as a bad person. It's a shame that this was a short-lived series, but I plan to read and savor all of the rest of the books in it.
I only had a slight suspicion about the killer and loved the little twist that came at the end. The whole showdown was really exciting and Shadow finally got to have his revenge on someone he knew as a bad person. It's a shame that this was a short-lived series, but I plan to read and savor all of the rest of the books in it.
February 20, 2018
I did like this one, although I felt like the premise was a little far-fetched to begin with. Ada just picking a random person to help? I think this could have been thought out a bit better. But still, I liked the mystery and the eventual reveal, and I felt like this was a pretty strong start to the series.
This has been on my to-read list for ages, and I was lucky enough to get this for Christmas. I always enjoy a new mystery series, and one based on cats is even better! Four stars.
This has been on my to-read list for ages, and I was lucky enough to get this for Christmas. I always enjoy a new mystery series, and one based on cats is even better! Four stars.
April 12, 2021
I seem to be on a run of 5 star reads and this one was a no brainer, I love the fact that Claire besides writing a fantastic murder mystery with a great cast of characters, she also writes chapters in the voice or view of the cat Shadow. Shadow is the real main character in this book, make no mistake I love this cat. This is a great read with several nice complicated twist. I really recommend this book, the 1st in the series. I'm really looking forward to reading many more.
June 28, 2018
The first chapter introduces 2 protagonists essential to the book. I immediately fell in love with the first one who was introduced. I had to stop reading the book after meeting the second one because she is so bitter, hard hearted, snarky, and cynical that I knew I could not stand to spend anymore time with her. This was sad for me, because like I say I really liked the first protagonist the reader meets in the book. He seems like an awesome cat. Why he wanted to spend any time with Sunny is beyond me.
May 1, 2013
Really liked this one! Fast paced and breezy, set in a cute little town in Maine. Fun! I'll be looking for the next in the series when it comes out.
October 24, 2014
Yawn. This book was kind of boring. Would have been more interesting if we got to see the murder case thru Shadows perspective.
May 7, 2023
Fun story
I've read this book a few times in the past, and I really like this series.
Sunny and Shadow are a dynamic duo, and I love Shadow's antics.
I've read this book a few times in the past, and I really like this series.
Sunny and Shadow are a dynamic duo, and I love Shadow's antics.
January 12, 2025
New author and series. Great characters and mystery.
March 21, 2018
This is the first in the series. I had already read the second one, so at least I knew which suspects were ruled out in the first to be able to appear in the second. It's a very cute, relaxing cozy series with Shadow the cat just a regular cat....well, maybe a special regular cat. In other words, no super-powers, no supernatural abilities, or anything like that. It's entertaining the way she writes the cat's thoughts, and the cat assists Sunny in her adventures without even being aware of it. The characters are thoroughly enjoyable as well, and the humor keeps things light even when dealing with shifty strangers and nasty murders.
September 30, 2018
A fast fun read with a nice smart cat.
May 25, 2019
Best parts were hearing the cat's "thoughts" as he did various things - if you are owned by a cat, or like cats at all, you'll find getting a glimpse of those thoughts to be quite humorous.
August 19, 2019
This was a fun read and a good start to a new series for me. I am jumping right into the second book in this series.
May 15, 2021
This book was very enjoyable. I liked the characters especially Shadow the cat.
October 25, 2020
An elderly cat lady has a winning lottery ticket but has misplaced it. She asks Sunny to help find it but when Sunny arrives at the house, she finds Ada dead at the bottom of the cellar steps. Too many strange things catch Sunny's interest and she starts to dig into things about what appeared to be an accident, but is really a murder. She has help from a cat named Shadow who originally was one of Ada's, but now has become attached to Sunny.
May 25, 2012
For a debut novel in a new series, I found the book to have a good premise, interesting characters, and a solid mystery. It was a wee bit slow paced but that, I think, is due to the fact that a first book often does.
Sunny Coolidge is now residing in Kittery Harbor, Maine to help her father recover and adjust to his new life as a heart patient. I must admit that the Father's character was off-putting to me, at the beginning, as he was so physically cruel to the cat that Sunny brought home. I can understand not wanting the cat in the shared home but the action should have been verbal conflict between the two family members, not taken out on the cat. In the ending the Father relaxes his attitude and I actually sighed in relief.
Sunny is working for an awful man who runs a tourist company sort of in the spirit of a company having the logo of a gentle gnome. Only this company is just for Kittery Harbor.
A lady comes and asks Sunny's help in finding her 'Big Kitty' in this case, a lottery ticket. Sunny agrees and finds instead a body and a real life kitty...Shadow.
An interesting viewpoint of the mystery is shared by Shadow to us readers. I did like this change a great deal and have found it very helpful in this book.
The ending of the book really increased the pace and made me interested in the outcome. Enough that I will look towards Ms. Donally's next book.
Sunny Coolidge is now residing in Kittery Harbor, Maine to help her father recover and adjust to his new life as a heart patient. I must admit that the Father's character was off-putting to me, at the beginning, as he was so physically cruel to the cat that Sunny brought home. I can understand not wanting the cat in the shared home but the action should have been verbal conflict between the two family members, not taken out on the cat. In the ending the Father relaxes his attitude and I actually sighed in relief.
Sunny is working for an awful man who runs a tourist company sort of in the spirit of a company having the logo of a gentle gnome. Only this company is just for Kittery Harbor.
A lady comes and asks Sunny's help in finding her 'Big Kitty' in this case, a lottery ticket. Sunny agrees and finds instead a body and a real life kitty...Shadow.
An interesting viewpoint of the mystery is shared by Shadow to us readers. I did like this change a great deal and have found it very helpful in this book.
The ending of the book really increased the pace and made me interested in the outcome. Enough that I will look towards Ms. Donally's next book.
June 15, 2020
The author is obviously familiar with, and fond of, cats, to have delineated Shadow so well. I feel as if I have met Shadow "in person" (so to speak), even though he is only a literary character. I look forward to getting to know him better (and Sunny, too) in future volumes of the series.
(Editing oversights found in the 2012 Paperback version:
Page 33, Sunny suddenly became very away that this guy was standing / Sunny suddenly became very AWARE that this guy was standing ; 45, Maybe we should try and show him differently / Maybe we should try TO show him differently ; 166, she keep looking in the rearview mirrors / she KEPT looking in the rearview mirrors ;
Page 172, to try and help get some adoptions / to try TO help get some adoptions ; 186, and a couple other witnesses / and a couple OF other witnesses ; 198, Mike might had continued in his tirade / Mike might HAVE continued in his tirade ; 199, Well here's a choice for you / WELL, here's a choice for you ; 286, coming in to try and kill Sunny / coming in to try TO kill Sunny .)
(Editing oversights found in the 2012 Paperback version:
Page 33, Sunny suddenly became very away that this guy was standing / Sunny suddenly became very AWARE that this guy was standing ; 45, Maybe we should try and show him differently / Maybe we should try TO show him differently ; 166, she keep looking in the rearview mirrors / she KEPT looking in the rearview mirrors ;
Page 172, to try and help get some adoptions / to try TO help get some adoptions ; 186, and a couple other witnesses / and a couple OF other witnesses ; 198, Mike might had continued in his tirade / Mike might HAVE continued in his tirade ; 199, Well here's a choice for you / WELL, here's a choice for you ; 286, coming in to try and kill Sunny / coming in to try TO kill Sunny .)
March 29, 2024
I thought this was a very enjoyable cozy mystery. The main character is likable, and she is an easy character to relate to as well. I also enjoyed the fact that the book kind of bounces between her perspective and the perspective of her cat. That made it for an interesting read. All the other characters in the book were interesting as well. The ones that were meant to be liable were likable and the ones that were meant to be potential villains definitely came across that way too varying degrees. The storyline itself was also good and it had a nice flow to it. The story never really hit a lull in its flow, the pacing stay pretty true the whole way from start to finish. There were just enough little twists here and there to keep you kind of bouncing between who you thought might be the actual villain. Most the people thrown in there you kind of shook your head at because you knew they were meant to be a red herring, and for me, at least it came down to being two strong contenders for the villain. So overall, I plan to pick up the second book at my local library and read it as well.
May 31, 2012
The debut novel for Claire Donally in the Sunny & Shadow mystery series takes us to fictional Kittery Harbor, Maine & introduces us to Sunny Coolidge a writer who works in a travel office in this town. When a local resident, Ada Spruance (the local cat lady) who has a lottery ticket worth $6-8M comes up dead after telling her this things a rather clever mystery ensues. Shadow, the cat, ends up adopting Sunny making this a change from the usual items in this genre & he is a cat that's not quite your typical feline sleuth. Donally's story pretty much follows the typical murder mystery plot & the characters themselves are introduced as best they can with details that will sorted out in the future. Things aren't all that predictable although there are enough twists & turns to keep you guessing for a while & the sarcasm in this book is a nice thing to have. Overall not a bad debut for what could be yet another interesting series for we the fans of the cozy cat genre mystery.
November 22, 2015
Another cat book, but the cat is pretty much a cat. The author does tell some of the story from the cat's point of view, but the cat doesn't use people's names and has a limited understanding of the world. Sunny Coolidge has returned to small-town Maine, from NYC, to care for her ailing father. The town "cat lady" asks Sunny to help her look for her winning lottery ticket. When Sunny arrives at the woman's home she finds the woman dead instead. One of the dead woman's cats, Shadow, adopts Sunny. Sunny, Shadow, and Will Price the town constable solve the case.
Despite the fact there is a cat in the book, there are no recipes or knitting patterns included. It's a cozy, but not too cozy. First in the Sunny and Shadow series.
Despite the fact there is a cat in the book, there are no recipes or knitting patterns included. It's a cozy, but not too cozy. First in the Sunny and Shadow series.
January 8, 2020
This was a fun start to a promising series starring a super sweet cozy companion, Shadow. I really enjoyed this book and the characters in it, especially Shadow! I was surprised at some of the language and how it didn't really fit into my definition of "cozy" buy oh well. I also was not thrilled about a couple of scenes of the cat getting abused.
I loved the ending and I think all animal lovers will. The murder was satisfying and the wrap up was convincing. I will read on with this series, but if the animal abuse continues, I might not finish. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I loved the ending and I think all animal lovers will. The murder was satisfying and the wrap up was convincing. I will read on with this series, but if the animal abuse continues, I might not finish. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
May 22, 2013
Ada Spruance was your typical, elderly cat-person. She loved cats right up till the day she died. . . or was murdered. Sunny Coolidge has moved back to her small home town to care for her ailing father. When she promises to help Ada look for a missing lottery ticket, her life became overly complicated with Ada's death. Add to that a large grey tomcat called Shadow and a handsome police named Will Price, and you have have the makings of a entertaining mystery that will especially appeal to cat lovers.
May 8, 2012
This was a very enjoyable read with a great main cat character. I'm looking forward to more in this series!
May 9, 2012
I enjoyed this book. And if you are any kind of cat person, you will love Shadow... I'm looking forward to the second in this new series.
September 9, 2012
Loved this book. Loved how it has what the cat is thinking and feeling. Hope there will be more.
March 11, 2016
Not bad
August 13, 2017
I find a lot of cozy mysteries charming; the small town, murder-lite amateur detective stories are always a reliable palate cleanser for my usual reads. When I came across a copy of this at my library, with an illustration of a cat front and center, I decided to give the series a shot with book 1. To my delight, it fulfilled exactly what I needed.
Sunny has returned to her small Maine hometown to care for her ailing father. She left a glamorous journalist job in NYC and, though she didn't know it at the time, her romantic relationship with her editor was about to end. She hasn't been able to find a newspaper job in a town with only one local news option, so she's taken a job with the tourism office. Though small, the town of Kittery Harbor has its fair share of tourists. Sunny's job as a reporter has helped her organize and research lodging and attractions for visitors. Her boss is a prickly, grumpy entrepreneur, but Sunny is grateful for the work.
One day, local cat lady Ada Spruance tells Sunny that she has won the lottery but has been unable to locate her lottery ticket. Time is running out and she'll lose millions if she can't find it. She enlists Sunny's help in finding the ticket. After Ada turns up dead, at the bottom of a set of stairs in a little used room in her home, Sunny immediately suspects something suspicious has happened to Ada.
Meanwhile, a small grey cat has begun appearing around Sunny. She quickly learns that Shadow was one of Ada's many cats and, it appears, Shadow has decided to adopt a new human. Shadow instantly likes this twolegs. He noticed her hanging around his former owner "The Old One" (now known to Shadow as the "dead one"), and Shadow figures he may as well see what this Sunny person is all about. When Shadow realizes Sunny is asking questions and investigating, with the help of local police officer, the Old One's death, he knows he should stick around to help. After all, he saw (and smelled) who did it.
One of the most pleasant surprises about this book, was the point of view of Shadow. Getting the viewpoint of the cat and his thoughts was cute and charming and worked really well within the mystery. Sunny is a likeable heroine and the storyline about her relationship with Will got the exact right amount of page space. The setting of small town Maine makes for the perfect New England background for this series and I will definitely read more of this series. I recommend this to fans of cozy mysteries or if you are ever curious about reading light mysteries like this (and are willing to suspend disbelief and read a cat's POV.)
Sunny has returned to her small Maine hometown to care for her ailing father. She left a glamorous journalist job in NYC and, though she didn't know it at the time, her romantic relationship with her editor was about to end. She hasn't been able to find a newspaper job in a town with only one local news option, so she's taken a job with the tourism office. Though small, the town of Kittery Harbor has its fair share of tourists. Sunny's job as a reporter has helped her organize and research lodging and attractions for visitors. Her boss is a prickly, grumpy entrepreneur, but Sunny is grateful for the work.
One day, local cat lady Ada Spruance tells Sunny that she has won the lottery but has been unable to locate her lottery ticket. Time is running out and she'll lose millions if she can't find it. She enlists Sunny's help in finding the ticket. After Ada turns up dead, at the bottom of a set of stairs in a little used room in her home, Sunny immediately suspects something suspicious has happened to Ada.
Meanwhile, a small grey cat has begun appearing around Sunny. She quickly learns that Shadow was one of Ada's many cats and, it appears, Shadow has decided to adopt a new human. Shadow instantly likes this twolegs. He noticed her hanging around his former owner "The Old One" (now known to Shadow as the "dead one"), and Shadow figures he may as well see what this Sunny person is all about. When Shadow realizes Sunny is asking questions and investigating, with the help of local police officer, the Old One's death, he knows he should stick around to help. After all, he saw (and smelled) who did it.
One of the most pleasant surprises about this book, was the point of view of Shadow. Getting the viewpoint of the cat and his thoughts was cute and charming and worked really well within the mystery. Sunny is a likeable heroine and the storyline about her relationship with Will got the exact right amount of page space. The setting of small town Maine makes for the perfect New England background for this series and I will definitely read more of this series. I recommend this to fans of cozy mysteries or if you are ever curious about reading light mysteries like this (and are willing to suspend disbelief and read a cat's POV.)
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