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Black Cat Bookshop Mystery #1
Double Booked for Death
Darla Pettistone left Texas for New York after unexpectedly inheriting her Great-Aunt Dee’s Brooklyn bookstore. She didn’t know that the store’s mascot—Hamlet, an oversize black cat with a personality to match—was also part of the deal. And he may be more trouble than Darla bargained for…
As the new owner of Pettistone’s Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee…and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop.
Darla’s first store event is a real coup—the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there, which brings hordes of fans and some protestors. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it’s hardly good for business, even though it’s ruled an accident…until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise. Now Darla fears a killer might be lurking about… Can the interfering Hamlet point the paw at the culprit without losing one of his own nine lives?
As the new owner of Pettistone’s Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee…and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop.
Darla’s first store event is a real coup—the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there, which brings hordes of fans and some protestors. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it’s hardly good for business, even though it’s ruled an accident…until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise. Now Darla fears a killer might be lurking about… Can the interfering Hamlet point the paw at the culprit without losing one of his own nine lives?
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2011
164 people are currently reading
4225 people want to read
About the author
Ali Brandon
6 books246 followersDIANE A.S. STUCKART who also writes as ALI BRANDON, ALEXA SMART and ANNA GERARD, is a member of that proud breed, the native Texan. She was born in the West Texas town of Lubbock, home to Buddy Holly, prairie dogs, and Texas Tech University, where her mom once taught. Most of her formative years, however, were spent in Dallas with her parents and siblings: one younger sister and three younger brothers. And then, when she was fifteen, her dad's work took them north of the Red River and into Oklahoma, settling just outside Oklahoma City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
April 3, 2015
I was uncomfortable with the way a character who may have been trans was instead explained to dress "in women's clothing" because of social anxiety disorder. They were called a cross-dresser by other characters, pronouns were constantly changing, and the possibility of them being trans was never once mentioned.
October 5, 2011
This was pretty good and quite funny in parts. I think Hamlet, the cat was underutilized. His parts really made the book. I like the book and bookstore motif.
I will read more in this series.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine in the December 2011 Issue: http://affairedecoeur.com.
I will read more in this series.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine in the December 2011 Issue: http://affairedecoeur.com.
August 12, 2014
I loved this cozy mystery! Hamlet reminds me of my big ol' cat, Fidget, who died a few months ago. I laughed until I cried at his shenanigans. Whoever says cats are stupid have never meet Hamlet, Figgie, and my black cat Clyde! Hamlet helps solves the mysterious death of a very popular author - Valerie Baylor. Baylor writes a very popular Young Adult series - Haunted High. Baylor is even hotter than the "Boy Wizard" author. And Darla Pettistone is going to host the famous writer in her bookstore that she inherited from her late great aunt. Before Baylor and her entourage arrive, the lone protestor is still across the street - same garb, but a different sign. The message is similar to the one she carried yesterday. But why is she accusing the bestselling author of plagiarism? Darla's staff aren't too keen on having Baylor at Pettistone Fine Books either. Darla needs sales of the signing - finances are tight at the store right now, and she has her friend and tenant Jake to look after, especially since the older woman is a disabled cop. Jake and her friend Reese - an off duty detective - are providing security for the event, trying to keep everyone in long black capes and a streak of red lipstick in an orderly line.
When Baylor and her entourage finally get to the shop, Darla is dismayed witth the author's behavior. She is rude to everyone. Hamlet likes her and sits with her in the outdoor court yard. After only an hour Baylor announces that needs another cigarette break and goes out to the court yard. A few minutes later, tires screech. Baylor has been hit by a church van driven by Darla's sister friend, Marnie. Yes, Marnie threatened both Darla and the dead author. Was Baylor pushed or accidentally fell into the van's path? Of course it was murder. Hamlet begins pulling books off the shelves whose titles give Darla and Jake clues in the case. The big black cat does more but I don't want to spoil the surprise of all what he does. Suspects abound in the death of Valerie Baylor.
I just loved the characters. They'rer quirky and seem to be real. The writing was pretty good; it really didn't feel like a cozy-mystery because Brandon knew how to build suspense and the book is a faster-pace than most cozies. I WILL definitely read this series!
When Baylor and her entourage finally get to the shop, Darla is dismayed witth the author's behavior. She is rude to everyone. Hamlet likes her and sits with her in the outdoor court yard. After only an hour Baylor announces that needs another cigarette break and goes out to the court yard. A few minutes later, tires screech. Baylor has been hit by a church van driven by Darla's sister friend, Marnie. Yes, Marnie threatened both Darla and the dead author. Was Baylor pushed or accidentally fell into the van's path? Of course it was murder. Hamlet begins pulling books off the shelves whose titles give Darla and Jake clues in the case. The big black cat does more but I don't want to spoil the surprise of all what he does. Suspects abound in the death of Valerie Baylor.
I just loved the characters. They'rer quirky and seem to be real. The writing was pretty good; it really didn't feel like a cozy-mystery because Brandon knew how to build suspense and the book is a faster-pace than most cozies. I WILL definitely read this series!
February 25, 2012
Yes yes, another bookstore with cat mystery. More interesting than most because our heroine is from Texas and the store is in Brooklyn. Like another reviewer here, I think the fundie xians subplot could have been dropped with no loss to the story. As a former bookstore owner myself, I was interested in how the store runs: so it's a mix of new and old? who buys the old/rare books for stock (requires specialized knowledge which heroine doesn't have)? not exactly ethical for James to buy store stock to then flog on ebay (I'd fire him). And more, though I did think the shelving on casters was a great idea.
I like Darla and Reese just beginning to circle one another, maybe becoming friends first before heading into romance territory. If you're anxious for them to get it on, and that's your primary reason for reading this kind of book, go buy some erotica. I particularly liked Jake and would like a little more info on her, age maybe, as Darla always calls her the "older woman" most of the time. So, is she 40 (in leopard-print minis) or 60 (attracting Prof. James)?
Not bad, overall, and I'll certainly read more. Pow pow bada boom.
I like Darla and Reese just beginning to circle one another, maybe becoming friends first before heading into romance territory. If you're anxious for them to get it on, and that's your primary reason for reading this kind of book, go buy some erotica. I particularly liked Jake and would like a little more info on her, age maybe, as Darla always calls her the "older woman" most of the time. So, is she 40 (in leopard-print minis) or 60 (attracting Prof. James)?
Not bad, overall, and I'll certainly read more. Pow pow bada boom.
February 26, 2017
I really enjoyed this book.
Darla Pettistone has inherited the book store Pettistone's Fine Books from her Great Aunt Dee.
While doing a book signing for the Haunted High series. The author, Valerie Baylor makes a visit
outside to speak to someone and ends up hit by a car. Was it an accident or did someone push her
on purpose?
Can Darla, along with her friends, find out what really happened?
The characters are well written, and I love Hamlet her black cat, she also received from Dee.
I will be looking forward to seeing what Darla, Jake, Reese, and also Hamlet have in store in the next
book.
Darla Pettistone has inherited the book store Pettistone's Fine Books from her Great Aunt Dee.
While doing a book signing for the Haunted High series. The author, Valerie Baylor makes a visit
outside to speak to someone and ends up hit by a car. Was it an accident or did someone push her
on purpose?
Can Darla, along with her friends, find out what really happened?
The characters are well written, and I love Hamlet her black cat, she also received from Dee.
I will be looking forward to seeing what Darla, Jake, Reese, and also Hamlet have in store in the next
book.
September 9, 2016
I was struggling and slogging my way through this book wishing to avoid having it be either the last book read in 2015 or the first in 2016 when I finally decided that I did not care to read it at the end of a year, the beginning of a year, or anywhere in the middle of a year. The book is just not worth my time and energy.
I got to the sentence "The teen turned her [Darla's] way, displaying a moderate case of acne and a shock of bleached hair so overly processed that it would probably ignite if it came within ten feet of an open flame." (pg. 56) and decided enough is enough. The whole book - or at least as far as I got in it - is full of these snarky comments and observations. Who needs it? These snide remarks add nothing to the plot and really detracted from my ability to warm up to or have any appreciation at all for Darla as a protagonist in the book.
In fact, I literally disliked this book from the first page because it is full of this type of hostility. In the first five pages, beginning on page one, an old man has a run in with the cat, Darla has a run in with the old man, a girl with Darla, and Darla and the girl with the old man, then Darla has a run in with two young boys, and a snarky set of thoughts about her late great-aunt who left Darla the bookstore. By page 5! It pretty much goes downhill from there. Seriously, this author seems to need a great deal of therapy as she seems to be carrying around a great deal of pent up hostility. Except, I am no therapist and have no wish to invite that bad energy into my home and my life through a novel.
On top of that, the book is too wordy and repetitive. At one point, I had to check the back cover of the book to try and remind myself of what the book was supposed to be about as it was so bogged down in extraneous words that it seemed to have little or no plot. There are way too many unnecessary details (e.g. do I really need to know each bite of food they consume between the sentences of their conversation? - NO!). I think too that Darla must not be very bright as she needs to discuss the barriers and other, fairly basic, crowd control over and over and over again. I wondered if the author thought that the readers are also not too bright as we are reminded over and over and over again that there will be (and later are) 'hundreds of screaming teenaged girls' at the bookstore for the 'big signing'. I stopped reading at page 56 and think already that this book is at least 100 pages too long - the author would now owe me 44 pages but I want no more from her so will call it even.
Finally, part of the reason that I had put the book on my 'to read' shelf was that it was supposed to include a black cat. From what I could see the black cat was not really a character in the book but just another element included so that Darla had something else to complain about and make snarky comments about. Besides which, from the way that the cat's behaviour (and speculated behaviour) is described, it seems like the author has never had any actual interactions with a real cat.
No. There are too many wonderful books, good books, and even halfway decent books out there waiting to be read. I am putting this one down and moving on to something else.
I got to the sentence "The teen turned her [Darla's] way, displaying a moderate case of acne and a shock of bleached hair so overly processed that it would probably ignite if it came within ten feet of an open flame." (pg. 56) and decided enough is enough. The whole book - or at least as far as I got in it - is full of these snarky comments and observations. Who needs it? These snide remarks add nothing to the plot and really detracted from my ability to warm up to or have any appreciation at all for Darla as a protagonist in the book.
In fact, I literally disliked this book from the first page because it is full of this type of hostility. In the first five pages, beginning on page one, an old man has a run in with the cat, Darla has a run in with the old man, a girl with Darla, and Darla and the girl with the old man, then Darla has a run in with two young boys, and a snarky set of thoughts about her late great-aunt who left Darla the bookstore. By page 5! It pretty much goes downhill from there. Seriously, this author seems to need a great deal of therapy as she seems to be carrying around a great deal of pent up hostility. Except, I am no therapist and have no wish to invite that bad energy into my home and my life through a novel.
On top of that, the book is too wordy and repetitive. At one point, I had to check the back cover of the book to try and remind myself of what the book was supposed to be about as it was so bogged down in extraneous words that it seemed to have little or no plot. There are way too many unnecessary details (e.g. do I really need to know each bite of food they consume between the sentences of their conversation? - NO!). I think too that Darla must not be very bright as she needs to discuss the barriers and other, fairly basic, crowd control over and over and over again. I wondered if the author thought that the readers are also not too bright as we are reminded over and over and over again that there will be (and later are) 'hundreds of screaming teenaged girls' at the bookstore for the 'big signing'. I stopped reading at page 56 and think already that this book is at least 100 pages too long - the author would now owe me 44 pages but I want no more from her so will call it even.
Finally, part of the reason that I had put the book on my 'to read' shelf was that it was supposed to include a black cat. From what I could see the black cat was not really a character in the book but just another element included so that Darla had something else to complain about and make snarky comments about. Besides which, from the way that the cat's behaviour (and speculated behaviour) is described, it seems like the author has never had any actual interactions with a real cat.
No. There are too many wonderful books, good books, and even halfway decent books out there waiting to be read. I am putting this one down and moving on to something else.
November 13, 2017
In this first installment of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series, we are introduced to Darla, our main protagonist who inherited her great-aunt’s bookshop in Brooklyn. As Darla and her bookshop staff are hosting a book signing by a popular young adult author, things take a dark turn. The author dies. I’m sure you can guess what happens next: Darla takes on the role of amateur sleuth (with the help of her friend who is a retired cop) to figure out if the author’s death was an accident or murder.
Double Booked for Death was my first cat cozy mystery. I loved the setting: an independent book shop in Brooklyn. Also there’s a giant black cat named Hamlet (my family has a black cat named Frodo)! While it kept me guessing until the end, I wished the characters were better written. Everyone was quite one-dimensional, and Hamlet needed some more screen time.
This won’t be my last time reading a cozy mystery, though. It was the perfect type of book to read during cold, wintery days.
Double Booked for Death was my first cat cozy mystery. I loved the setting: an independent book shop in Brooklyn. Also there’s a giant black cat named Hamlet (my family has a black cat named Frodo)! While it kept me guessing until the end, I wished the characters were better written. Everyone was quite one-dimensional, and Hamlet needed some more screen time.
This won’t be my last time reading a cozy mystery, though. It was the perfect type of book to read during cold, wintery days.
July 4, 2018
Fair Warning: When I pick up a cozy I am looking for the following: easy, quick read that flows well, quaint locale, likable characters, and if there is a pet, adorable even if ornery. This book is not any of those. Excessive descriptions and details made this book drag. I did not care for any of the characters. Hamlet, the cat, was not in the book enough. I especially did not like relationship between the main character (MC) and Hamlet. The author made it seem like Hamlet was an annoyance to the MC instead of a lovable pet. If you are one who likes slower books, then this might be worth your while. I will not be reading more from this author. 1.5 stars
Did like learning about the Algonquin cats. I had never heard of them before.
Did like learning about the Algonquin cats. I had never heard of them before.
April 22, 2017
I know, I know- another mystery with a cat and a bookstore, right? Well, when it's well done, it's not so bad, and this IS well done. Texan Darla has moved to NY to run the bookstore left to her by her deceased aunt. She's also inherited the bad mannered black cat, Hamlet. We begin after she's been there for a few months and is about to host her first big book signing, for an author of the latest teen blockbuster series. She's been warned that this author can be difficult to handle, and is calling this her Up Yours tour. The reason? She's a failed romance writer who was only able to get signings at a few indie bookstores around the country before hitting big with her paranormal teen book. Now all the big chains want her to do signings for them, but she's only planning to go back to the stores who acknowledged her earlier books, and Darla's store is the first stop. Darla enlists neighbor & former NYPD officer Jake (short for Jacqueline) to help with crowd control. Things seem to be going well at first, despite some infighting among the bookstore staff, the appearance of a protester and the threat of a church group picket, and then all hell breaks loose. Val, the author, winds up dead in the street when she's supposed to be signing books. The police at first think it's a simple, yet awful accident, but things keep nagging at Darla until she & Jake start putting pieces together, with the unwitting (or is it?) help of Hamlet and they realize there's a LOT more going on than anyone realized. There's also a subplot with mysterious break-ins at the store and Darla's apartment (nothing is stolen, but someone is CLEARLY looking for something), a potential future romance for Darla, and the developing relationship between Darla & Hamlet the wonder cat. All in all, a good read for a chilly day and a promising start for a new series.
January 31, 2016
I was pretty disappointed that I wasn't able to read this series in order, because my mum accidentally ordered one as a gift for me and somehow bought the wrong one! Eventually, I just ordered this for myself to read, and I definitely wasn't disappointed in THAT choice!
Basically I love the simplicity of murder mysteries, especially if they're cozy, set in a bookstore and feature a cat. This has all of that, so of course I'm going to love it! Thankfully I ordered the rest of the series at the same time I did this one, although they haven't shown up yet. They should arrive early next week, so keep a look out for those reviews!
A fun series that I highly recommend, five stars.
Basically I love the simplicity of murder mysteries, especially if they're cozy, set in a bookstore and feature a cat. This has all of that, so of course I'm going to love it! Thankfully I ordered the rest of the series at the same time I did this one, although they haven't shown up yet. They should arrive early next week, so keep a look out for those reviews!
A fun series that I highly recommend, five stars.
February 8, 2020
The mutual dislike between Darla and Hamlet is odd to see. I don't know if the books pulled from the shelves were meant to mean something, I didn't recognize the titles. The potential love interest is quite annoying, and the ex-cop sidekick a bit too eager to bend the law while Darla is snarky and clueless.
In the mystery I had my suspicions but the story went in such a way I kept reconsidering. The girls were all suspicious, and you don't get the real motive until near the end. The case would have solved itself even without them investigating.
The character of Mavis was problematic. Usually when someone is tall, with masculine features and a deep voice, but in full makeup and feminine clothes is safe to assume they're trans women (unless they're drag queens) but they kept saying she was a cross-dressing man.
Not to mention the description was quite stereotypical.
In the mystery I had my suspicions but the story went in such a way I kept reconsidering. The girls were all suspicious, and you don't get the real motive until near the end. The case would have solved itself even without them investigating.
The character of Mavis was problematic. Usually when someone is tall, with masculine features and a deep voice, but in full makeup and feminine clothes is safe to assume they're trans women (unless they're drag queens) but they kept saying she was a cross-dressing man.
Not to mention the description was quite stereotypical.
April 23, 2024
Yes, there's a cat who is (perhaps) prescient about the murder, but overall this cozy mystery is nicely done, with an interesting plot concerning the death of a very successful YA novelist. Nice group of suspects, somewhat surprising denouement.
March 4, 2015
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
For the most part, this was a fun, lighthearted cozy mystery with some great characters. I liked the setting of the bookstore, but this seems to be a theme that is becoming all too familiar and formulaic in these types of books. Books, bookstores and libraries are indeed the necessary fodder for bibliophiles, but it would be nice to have different settings every once in a while.
After meeting Hamlet, the moody, tempermental, disdainful, naughty, grumpy black cat who came with the store when Darla took it over, my love and preference for dogs was totally validated! :) Not saying I don't like cats, but their haughty, independent natures appeal less to me than the loveable, huggable, endearing charm of dogs. Nevertheless, Hamlet seemed like an intelligent cat who helped Darla in her sleuthing by digging up clues for her.
Most of the characters were quite well developed, especially Jake, the ex-cop who rented out the basement apartment in the bookstore and was a good, loyal, steadfast friend to Darla. Reese was a great guy, and I really liked how the potential romance between him and Darla (if indeed there turns out to be one in the future) wasn't rushed and didn't overwhelm the main focus of the story.
I know the subplot of the mysterious footsteps was probably meant to lend a spooky, eerie feel to the story, but it wasn't really necessary to move the plot along.
The climax was a little...well, anticlimatic since Darla and Jake didn't really solve the mystery. They just happened to be in the right place at the right time for the conclusion of the whodunnit. The villain's motive also seemed a little stupid and flimsy.
All in all, though, this was a fairly enjoyable read to make those chilly winter evenings pass more quickly.
For the most part, this was a fun, lighthearted cozy mystery with some great characters. I liked the setting of the bookstore, but this seems to be a theme that is becoming all too familiar and formulaic in these types of books. Books, bookstores and libraries are indeed the necessary fodder for bibliophiles, but it would be nice to have different settings every once in a while.
After meeting Hamlet, the moody, tempermental, disdainful, naughty, grumpy black cat who came with the store when Darla took it over, my love and preference for dogs was totally validated! :) Not saying I don't like cats, but their haughty, independent natures appeal less to me than the loveable, huggable, endearing charm of dogs. Nevertheless, Hamlet seemed like an intelligent cat who helped Darla in her sleuthing by digging up clues for her.
Most of the characters were quite well developed, especially Jake, the ex-cop who rented out the basement apartment in the bookstore and was a good, loyal, steadfast friend to Darla. Reese was a great guy, and I really liked how the potential romance between him and Darla (if indeed there turns out to be one in the future) wasn't rushed and didn't overwhelm the main focus of the story.
I know the subplot of the mysterious footsteps was probably meant to lend a spooky, eerie feel to the story, but it wasn't really necessary to move the plot along.
The climax was a little...well, anticlimatic since Darla and Jake didn't really solve the mystery. They just happened to be in the right place at the right time for the conclusion of the whodunnit. The villain's motive also seemed a little stupid and flimsy.
All in all, though, this was a fairly enjoyable read to make those chilly winter evenings pass more quickly.
November 28, 2011
"Double Booked for Death" is a cozy mystery. I suspect other people may find the characters engaging, but I found that their (unexpected) excessive use of bad language and Darla's habit of worrying about everything prevented me from really bonding with them.
The cat is just a cat--possibly a smart one, but possibly just a bad-tempered and naughty one. At the end, I concluded that the cat wasn't as smart as I'd thought he was and so he lost some of his charm for me, but Darla concluded the cat was smarter than she'd thought. I suspect I missed the significance of the books he chose to be naughty with (beyond the obvious that they were crime-related).
There weren't really enough real clues to guess whodunit until near the end of the book. Even when it was obvious, I keep expecting another twist because I didn't really understand whodunit's motive even though it was explained. Again, I was left feeling like I missed something.
Despite that, the book was enjoyable. There was some nice detail woven in about the book-selling business. The suspense was created by several strange and creepy happenings.
There was a fair amount of explicit cussing and swearing as well as some fake bad words. There were no sex scenes.
Update: After thinking it over a while, I decided part of the reason I was left feeling vaguely dissatisfied with this story was that Darla (and cat and and friends) don't solve the case. They don't know whodunit until the big confession scene, and the case would have been solved even if they did nothing throughout the story.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
The cat is just a cat--possibly a smart one, but possibly just a bad-tempered and naughty one. At the end, I concluded that the cat wasn't as smart as I'd thought he was and so he lost some of his charm for me, but Darla concluded the cat was smarter than she'd thought. I suspect I missed the significance of the books he chose to be naughty with (beyond the obvious that they were crime-related).
There weren't really enough real clues to guess whodunit until near the end of the book. Even when it was obvious, I keep expecting another twist because I didn't really understand whodunit's motive even though it was explained. Again, I was left feeling like I missed something.
Despite that, the book was enjoyable. There was some nice detail woven in about the book-selling business. The suspense was created by several strange and creepy happenings.
There was a fair amount of explicit cussing and swearing as well as some fake bad words. There were no sex scenes.
Update: After thinking it over a while, I decided part of the reason I was left feeling vaguely dissatisfied with this story was that Darla (and cat and and friends) don't solve the case. They don't know whodunit until the big confession scene, and the case would have been solved even if they did nothing throughout the story.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
February 11, 2012
When Darla's Brooklyn bookstore snags a rare signing with the hot YA author of the moment, it seems that everything is coming up roses. However, the author is killed out side her shop in an apparent accident and Darla is determined to find out if it was in fact an accident, or was the author pushed.
Hmmm. I am not sure what left me cold with this book. Maybe I was just not in the mood. The mystery was pretty good. Darla is an OK character. The cat, Hamlet, is charming. The book was a bit long and did seem to include a lot of events and things that had nothing to do with the mystery. I am OK with that in a cozy if it has to do with the main characters, but these were things about the suspects that added nothing to the story. They were not even red herrings. Darla ended up seeming more like a nosey gal who just can't mind her own business. I doubt I will be reading another of these books.
Hmmm. I am not sure what left me cold with this book. Maybe I was just not in the mood. The mystery was pretty good. Darla is an OK character. The cat, Hamlet, is charming. The book was a bit long and did seem to include a lot of events and things that had nothing to do with the mystery. I am OK with that in a cozy if it has to do with the main characters, but these were things about the suspects that added nothing to the story. They were not even red herrings. Darla ended up seeming more like a nosey gal who just can't mind her own business. I doubt I will be reading another of these books.
January 4, 2012
I really wanted to give this book 3 1/2 to 4 stars, but the length of the book took away a half star. If the editor had been able to convince the author to knock 50-100 pages I think this would have flowed a lot better. But, there was enough to like in the book, that I will continue with the next book when it comes out. The lead character, Darla, has a good sense of who she is and a solid friendship with Jake, her tenant. I also liked that the author didn't have Darla fall in love by the end of the book. There is a romance that could develop b/w her and Reese, a cop (of course!), but it wasn't rushed. That part was very refreshing. All in all, a solid first start.
May 22, 2023
The mystery was ok. I found Darla to be way too superstitious in the beginning and too much of a worry wart (and that is saying something because I have severe social anxiety). I get the worrying about something going wrong it just seemed as she couldn't see anything positive about having the event at all. Once the event was over--and yes, of course, bad things happened; hello, murder mystery--the worrying didn't seem that bad, or at least maybe, it just seemed more appropriate because it was really having an effect on her business.
I did enjoy Hamlet and overall it wasn't a bad story.
I did enjoy Hamlet and overall it wasn't a bad story.
January 16, 2012
Who can resist bookstore & cat mysteries? Not me, obviously. Bookstore, good. Writing needs tightening up a bit. There were definitely too many subplots. For example, dropping the fundamentalist Christian and the "could it be haunted?" plot threads would have tightened up the book a lot and made it flow better. I know it's hard to cut. But i'll probably give the next one a shot. The Sophie Kelly magical cats mysteries are better.
July 8, 2016
Even though I won't be reading any more of this series, it was mostly entertaining. The plot was well-planned, but the endless dialogue and excruciating detail quickly became grating.
There was one mystery that was never explained or even addressed...how did the bookshop cat manage to get out of the third floor apartment and into the street level shop, and back, on a regular basis by himself when doors were always closed and usually locked?
There was one mystery that was never explained or even addressed...how did the bookshop cat manage to get out of the third floor apartment and into the street level shop, and back, on a regular basis by himself when doors were always closed and usually locked?
January 8, 2012
Cute start to a new cozy series. Likeable characters and a decent mystery. Hamlet, the cat, definitely was the standout. It was interesting hearing some of the details that go into a major author's signing event.
March 21, 2017
I love cozies. I love cozies about bookstores. I love cozies with cats.
I don't like cozies where the main character is more worried about her bottom line than books. Unlike other cozies featuring an inherited business owner, I didn't perceive her to be a bookworm.
Five chapters in, there still wasn't a murder, although clues and suspicions were on the rise.
I don't like cozies where the main character is more worried about her bottom line than books. Unlike other cozies featuring an inherited business owner, I didn't perceive her to be a bookworm.
Five chapters in, there still wasn't a murder, although clues and suspicions were on the rise.
May 19, 2015
I hated this book. It took too long for the death to occur and by then I disliked the characters very, very much. I was glad when the death occurred and I totally lost interest in who did it. If I could have given it less than 1 star I would have. What a waste of my time.
December 11, 2018
I wanted to like it more, but was disappointed by the way the Mavis character was treated. The pronouns kept changing and they were never addressed as trans.
June 25, 2018
Apesar de começar de forma lenta e demorar um pouco a começar a sério, era uma leitura prazerosa, calma, muito agradável, da vida numa livraria que me deixou invejosa. É um livro um pouquito maior do que o usual e lá pelo meio andou muito morno, só no final é que se deu um novo fôlego, com grandes revelações:
Irritou-me mesmo muito que a amiga da Darla, tivesse nome de homem - Jake. Juro, sempre que lia o nome dela imaginava um homem e até já a associava a um interesse romântico de Darla, o que não tem nada a ver, são 2 amigas e pronto. Não gostei especialmente de Jake, por causa do nome e pelo hábito de chamar "kid" a Darla.
Quanto ao interesse romântico, eh, seria com Reese e seria muito bem, mas, na verdade, a ação aqui neste livro não foi longe nesse sentido.
Irritou-me mesmo muito que a amiga da Darla, tivesse nome de homem - Jake. Juro, sempre que lia o nome dela imaginava um homem e até já a associava a um interesse romântico de Darla, o que não tem nada a ver, são 2 amigas e pronto. Não gostei especialmente de Jake, por causa do nome e pelo hábito de chamar "kid" a Darla.
Quanto ao interesse romântico, eh, seria com Reese e seria muito bem, mas, na verdade, a ação aqui neste livro não foi longe nesse sentido.
August 27, 2019
Average start to a new (to me) series. I love cozies, especially when they are about libraries/bookstores. I'm more of a dog person but the kitty kind of got me to pick this one up. I enjoyed the characters. Darla, Hamlet, James, Reese and Jake are all likable and relatable. It did take me a little to get used to Jake being a girl nickname and I got her and James mixed up in the beginning but once I got INTO into it, it was all good. I didn't guess who the murderer was but I did guess a bunch of the side "reveals". There were tons of details that I felt could be left out (about scene descriptions that were never needed later) and I may have skimmed some of them if they didn't have any dialog.
I probably will continue with the series when I get the chance.
I probably will continue with the series when I get the chance.
December 24, 2020
Darla, the new owner of a bookstore, is devastated when the famous author she's snagged for a signing is killed on site.
This was a decent start to a cozy mystery series. It's pretty slow-moving, and the main characters don't really solve the mystery, but it was still interesting enough to read a second book (largely because - bookstore! cat!).
This was a joint read with my 89-year-old mom and I think she summed it up pretty well - about halfway through, she said that she wished there weren't so many pages where nothing happened. By the end, she was ready to read another.
This was a decent start to a cozy mystery series. It's pretty slow-moving, and the main characters don't really solve the mystery, but it was still interesting enough to read a second book (largely because - bookstore! cat!).
This was a joint read with my 89-year-old mom and I think she summed it up pretty well - about halfway through, she said that she wished there weren't so many pages where nothing happened. By the end, she was ready to read another.
April 30, 2018
I wanted to like the characters more than I did. There wasn't much about them that was very compelling or stirring. I did like the Darla's relationship with a little girl, but it was peripheral to the story.
June 24, 2018
It was pretty good. I'd be willing to read another from the series.
October 9, 2019
Cheesy like most cosy mysteries, but still quite enjoyable.
July 4, 2023
4.5. Hamlet supremacy!
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