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Second Chance Cat Mystery #1
The Whole Cat and Caboodle
Meet secondhand shop owner Sarah Grayson and her rescue cat, Elvis, in the first novel in the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mystery series...
Sarah Grayson is the happy proprietor of Second Chance, a charming shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. At the shop, she sells used items that she has lovingly refurbished and repurposed. But her favorite pet project so far has been adopting a stray cat she names Elvis.
Elvis has seen nine lives—and then some. The big black cat with a scar across his nose turned up at a local bar when the band was playing the King of Rock and Roll’s music and hopped in Sarah’s truck. Since then, he’s been her constant companion and the furry favorite of everyone who comes into the store.
But when Sarah’s elderly friend Maddie is found with the body of a dead man in her garden, the kindly old lady becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Even Sarah’s old high school flame, investigator Nick Elliot, seems convinced that Maddie was up to no good. So it’s up to Sarah and Elvis to clear her friend’s name and make sure the real murderer doesn’t get a second chance.
Sarah Grayson is the happy proprietor of Second Chance, a charming shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. At the shop, she sells used items that she has lovingly refurbished and repurposed. But her favorite pet project so far has been adopting a stray cat she names Elvis.
Elvis has seen nine lives—and then some. The big black cat with a scar across his nose turned up at a local bar when the band was playing the King of Rock and Roll’s music and hopped in Sarah’s truck. Since then, he’s been her constant companion and the furry favorite of everyone who comes into the store.
But when Sarah’s elderly friend Maddie is found with the body of a dead man in her garden, the kindly old lady becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Even Sarah’s old high school flame, investigator Nick Elliot, seems convinced that Maddie was up to no good. So it’s up to Sarah and Elvis to clear her friend’s name and make sure the real murderer doesn’t get a second chance.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
325 people are currently reading
4255 people want to read
About the author
Sofie Ryan
13 books567 followersPseudonym for Darlene Ryan. Also writes under Sofie Kelly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 521 reviews
October 31, 2018
4.60 stars - mild pg13 (see below)
I LOVED this cozy mystery!! Lots of LOL --> I “laughed out loud” plus there were a bunch of “little old ladies” -- in fact, the lol’s made me lol -- they were a total hoot!! Chapter 2 had me snorting sweet tea out my nose and the fun never let up throughout the rest of the book!
Everything was fairly realistic and, unlike in other cozies, the main character, Sarah, actually spends time working in her cozy-mystery-required cute little shop in the charming, cozy-requisite, small town. She has three possible/potential romantic interests and so far, it’s just low-key, not weird and I like them all; there’s no love triangle or silly mooning over any of the guys (yet). Sarah and the police officer who is investigating the murder were good friends in their youth but had a falling out years ago; I appreciate that the author is making them act like civil grownups and not snarky teens holding a grudge. And I’m glad that, for the most part, Sarah shares with the police any info that she thinks might be helpful to them.
I adore cats so, naturally, I loved Elvis, the cat!! He helps with mystery solving, but it’s not magical or anything too over-the-top silly. (My cats are much smarter and much more intuitive than my dog, so it wasn’t a complete stretch to believe some of Elvis’s abilities.) I liked that he got his name from the King of Rock and Roll, plus I liked all the vintage guitar and musician details (and a band called The Hairy Bananas!!).
Oh! I just loved the dynamic and dialogue between this ensemble cast of fun characters. Very well written. Humorous. Realistic. I liked the warmth between Sarah and her parents, as well as the warmth and relationships she has with her grandmother’s friends. Some “normal” and some slightly quirky people who truly care about each other. Realistic issues but no angst, melodrama, old grudges, etc. I liked that solving the mystery was a group effort (they each, in some way, do their part to help solve it) and Sarah just gets sucked into helping while she’s trying to keep an eye on the senior-citizen “band of merry detectives” and keep them out of trouble. Very nice. Big thumbs up. (And I just love Mr. P.!!!)
It wasn’t all perfect. There were a few editing blips. A few angles to the mystery that were a bit of a stretch. A few tstl moments where I became annoyed. But, overall, my eye balls didn’t roll too much! I think hard-core mystery readers will probably figure out “who did it” before Sarah and the gang do; but I think this story can stand on its own even without a super difficult mystery. The end resolution of the mystery was a bit rushed and somewhat odd/unbelievable, but the very end of the story was great and left me looking forward to future books. I love humor and humorous dialogue mixed into a story, nothing slapstick, just fun or witty comments. I cannot wait to start the next in the series -- Buy a Whisker – here’s hoping I laugh equally as much while reading it!
p.s. -- Sarah’s best friend, Jess, has to drag Sarah out to spend time “with the three-dimensional people”. <-- Hah!! All of us book-nerds need a friend like Jess!!
(This was a secular, “clean” cozy mystery that I felt was somewhat cleaner than most others. If my notations are correct, there were only two instances of bad words: ”smart-ass" and ”…but damn, it’s itchy”. One use of God’s name in vain. Also, there was half a sentence on page 172 that was a bit tasteless and unnecessary, but most people will probably gloss right over it.)
I LOVED this cozy mystery!! Lots of LOL --> I “laughed out loud” plus there were a bunch of “little old ladies” -- in fact, the lol’s made me lol -- they were a total hoot!! Chapter 2 had me snorting sweet tea out my nose and the fun never let up throughout the rest of the book!
Everything was fairly realistic and, unlike in other cozies, the main character, Sarah, actually spends time working in her cozy-mystery-required cute little shop in the charming, cozy-requisite, small town. She has three possible/potential romantic interests and so far, it’s just low-key, not weird and I like them all; there’s no love triangle or silly mooning over any of the guys (yet). Sarah and the police officer who is investigating the murder were good friends in their youth but had a falling out years ago; I appreciate that the author is making them act like civil grownups and not snarky teens holding a grudge. And I’m glad that, for the most part, Sarah shares with the police any info that she thinks might be helpful to them.
I adore cats so, naturally, I loved Elvis, the cat!! He helps with mystery solving, but it’s not magical or anything too over-the-top silly. (My cats are much smarter and much more intuitive than my dog, so it wasn’t a complete stretch to believe some of Elvis’s abilities.) I liked that he got his name from the King of Rock and Roll, plus I liked all the vintage guitar and musician details (and a band called The Hairy Bananas!!).
Oh! I just loved the dynamic and dialogue between this ensemble cast of fun characters. Very well written. Humorous. Realistic. I liked the warmth between Sarah and her parents, as well as the warmth and relationships she has with her grandmother’s friends. Some “normal” and some slightly quirky people who truly care about each other. Realistic issues but no angst, melodrama, old grudges, etc. I liked that solving the mystery was a group effort (they each, in some way, do their part to help solve it) and Sarah just gets sucked into helping while she’s trying to keep an eye on the senior-citizen “band of merry detectives” and keep them out of trouble. Very nice. Big thumbs up. (And I just love Mr. P.!!!)
It wasn’t all perfect. There were a few editing blips. A few angles to the mystery that were a bit of a stretch. A few tstl moments where I became annoyed. But, overall, my eye balls didn’t roll too much! I think hard-core mystery readers will probably figure out “who did it” before Sarah and the gang do; but I think this story can stand on its own even without a super difficult mystery. The end resolution of the mystery was a bit rushed and somewhat odd/unbelievable, but the very end of the story was great and left me looking forward to future books. I love humor and humorous dialogue mixed into a story, nothing slapstick, just fun or witty comments. I cannot wait to start the next in the series -- Buy a Whisker – here’s hoping I laugh equally as much while reading it!
p.s. -- Sarah’s best friend, Jess, has to drag Sarah out to spend time “with the three-dimensional people”. <-- Hah!! All of us book-nerds need a friend like Jess!!
(This was a secular, “clean” cozy mystery that I felt was somewhat cleaner than most others. If my notations are correct, there were only two instances of bad words: ”smart-ass" and ”…but damn, it’s itchy”. One use of God’s name in vain. Also, there was half a sentence on page 172 that was a bit tasteless and unnecessary, but most people will probably gloss right over it.)
June 21, 2022
I was really sad not to get on with this book, and usually I get through them even when I'm not really feeling the love.
I have to admit I never finished this one! There are far too many characters (that obviously are important to the sequel books but pointless here) there's too much dilly-dallying about and not enough going on!
Basically I was bored, and did not finish after roughly 75%, skipped to the end and was right about the whole mystery 😑 hence why I'm still reviewing it as I basically read it 😅
I have to admit I never finished this one! There are far too many characters (that obviously are important to the sequel books but pointless here) there's too much dilly-dallying about and not enough going on!
Basically I was bored, and did not finish after roughly 75%, skipped to the end and was right about the whole mystery 😑 hence why I'm still reviewing it as I basically read it 😅
January 16, 2016
Welcome to the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. Sarah Grayson owns and operates Second Chance, a shop that sells used items that have be given makeovers and some have been totally repurposed. She even holds classes so people can transform their own pieces.
Sarah’s grandmother holds the mortgage and several of her grandmother’s friends work at Second Chance. Sarah has known them most of her life and they are her friends as well as her grandmother’s. Mac, a retired financial planner, is Sarah right hand. Together they turn some people’s junk into beautiful treasures. Elvis is the store mascot and not your typical cat. Elvis has used up his nine lives but was rescued by Sarah. The big black cat with the scar on his nose from one of his battles goes everywhere with Sarah and seems to understand every word she says and humans in general.
When one of Sarah’s elderly friends fails to show up for a class everyone gets worried. Maddie would never miss a class. When they find her she is in her garden with a man who is very dead. Maddie is the prime suspect, of course, but Sarah and all her friends know she could never hurt anyone. Before the murderer has a second chance to kill someone else they need to clear Maddie and find the real killer.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
An excellent debut!
This cozy has a really great twist. While Sarah is the main character (with Elvis coming in at a very close second) she is not the one doing the investigating at least at the start. She is more a wrangler of the group who has set up an office in the store and started calling themselves Charlie’s Angels. Senior citizens, Liz, Rose and Charlotte along with a little help from Mr. P. (Bosley) are trying to track back through dead man’s past to see who could have killed him. They happen to turn up plenty of suspects. They also add a whole caboodle of humor to this story too. Elvis also becomes quite an asset as the story plays out.
Added to the character mix is Nick, Sarah’s “old high school flame” who works for the coroner’s office and Michelle Andrews, she and Sarah used to be best friends but not anymore and she is the detective that caught the case. Can old flames reignite? Can old friends come back together and be friends again?
If you have read the Magical Cat Mysteries by Sofie Kelly you will quickly realize the Sofie Ryan is the same author. She has a unique way of writing especially for her feline characters. They jump right off the page and into your heart.
This is a wonderful start to a new series with group of characters I already love. I am looking forward to book #2.
Sarah’s grandmother holds the mortgage and several of her grandmother’s friends work at Second Chance. Sarah has known them most of her life and they are her friends as well as her grandmother’s. Mac, a retired financial planner, is Sarah right hand. Together they turn some people’s junk into beautiful treasures. Elvis is the store mascot and not your typical cat. Elvis has used up his nine lives but was rescued by Sarah. The big black cat with the scar on his nose from one of his battles goes everywhere with Sarah and seems to understand every word she says and humans in general.
When one of Sarah’s elderly friends fails to show up for a class everyone gets worried. Maddie would never miss a class. When they find her she is in her garden with a man who is very dead. Maddie is the prime suspect, of course, but Sarah and all her friends know she could never hurt anyone. Before the murderer has a second chance to kill someone else they need to clear Maddie and find the real killer.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
An excellent debut!
This cozy has a really great twist. While Sarah is the main character (with Elvis coming in at a very close second) she is not the one doing the investigating at least at the start. She is more a wrangler of the group who has set up an office in the store and started calling themselves Charlie’s Angels. Senior citizens, Liz, Rose and Charlotte along with a little help from Mr. P. (Bosley) are trying to track back through dead man’s past to see who could have killed him. They happen to turn up plenty of suspects. They also add a whole caboodle of humor to this story too. Elvis also becomes quite an asset as the story plays out.
Added to the character mix is Nick, Sarah’s “old high school flame” who works for the coroner’s office and Michelle Andrews, she and Sarah used to be best friends but not anymore and she is the detective that caught the case. Can old flames reignite? Can old friends come back together and be friends again?
If you have read the Magical Cat Mysteries by Sofie Kelly you will quickly realize the Sofie Ryan is the same author. She has a unique way of writing especially for her feline characters. They jump right off the page and into your heart.
This is a wonderful start to a new series with group of characters I already love. I am looking forward to book #2.
February 10, 2021
The sleauthing started at 45% give or take. There are way too many characters that are not even relevant to the plot. The majority of the book feels like a set-up for the rest of the series. The mystery feels like an afterthought for the most part of the book. The book is cluttered with too many unimportant things like the state of the fridge of the h or what she is having for dinner.
April 27, 2014
4-1/2 STARS!! I loved this story!! Sarah Grayson owns Second Chance, an oceanfront shop in Maine, where she refurbishes and sells other people's trash as treasures. Her rescue cat, Elvis, is an extraordinary companion who acts like he totally understands humans and everything else about his surroundings. He travels with Sarah most places she goes.
When Maddie, an elderly friend of Sarah's, winds up with a dead body of a suitor in her backyard; Maddie becomes the main suspect when his autopsy reveals an unnatural death. All her friends are horrified because they know she couldn't hurt a flea!
This book is one of the most entertaining and engrossing stories I've read lately! The character of Elvis is so magical, funny, and heart-charming, that he almost steals the lead away from Sarah!
The secondary characters are interesting and eccentric, and you enjoy all of them, and you're left anxiously waiting to see what they're going to get into in the next story!!
When Maddie, an elderly friend of Sarah's, winds up with a dead body of a suitor in her backyard; Maddie becomes the main suspect when his autopsy reveals an unnatural death. All her friends are horrified because they know she couldn't hurt a flea!
This book is one of the most entertaining and engrossing stories I've read lately! The character of Elvis is so magical, funny, and heart-charming, that he almost steals the lead away from Sarah!
The secondary characters are interesting and eccentric, and you enjoy all of them, and you're left anxiously waiting to see what they're going to get into in the next story!!
February 21, 2022
Sarah Grayson sells repurposed items at "Second Chance " a shop on the oceanfront in North Harbor, Maine.
Her newest project is a stray cat named "Elvis". He seems to understand what is being said around him.
When a man's body is found in Maddie's garden ; Sarah enlists her friends and Elvis to help clear Maddie's name in the investigation.
Her newest project is a stray cat named "Elvis". He seems to understand what is being said around him.
When a man's body is found in Maddie's garden ; Sarah enlists her friends and Elvis to help clear Maddie's name in the investigation.
July 17, 2019
This was my first cozy mystery read, and overall it was only an average read.
I loved Nancy Drew books when I was younger, and I think I was expecting the characters to take a more logical, methodical approach to solving a mystery. Not being familiar with the genre, I don't know if the problem is my expectations of what a 'cozy mystery' read would be like or if the problem was the book itself.
~What I Liked~
Setting - the town of North Harbor, Maine seems like a nice place.
I'm a little surprised a newly opened secondhand shop can do so well and afford so many employees, but this is partially explained by the steady flow of busloads of tourists (constantly referred to as "leaf peepers") who come through the town and shop.
Unpredictable Outcome - I thought I had a good idea who did it right up until near the end where I was proven wrong. The mystery itself was a good one, and I enjoyed watching the bits of evidence fall into place.
~What I Didn't Like~
There were many ways I felt this book did not live up to my expectations & left me disappointed.
I expected a female lead who was interested in solving a murder case where one of her friends is the accused murderer. I prefer characters who have curiosity and an interest in solving things for themselves.
What I got was Sarah, who spent pretty much the entire first half of the book telling the elderly female trio who wanted to investigate the murder to "let the police handle it". About halfway through the book Sarah did eventually start becoming more involved in the investigation and less whiney, but I really didn't like the idea that her character had to be "herded" into investigating the murder by the trio of elderly women she was supposed to be discouraging from investigating.
I expected interesting, engaging, unique characters.
What I got was a trio of elderly women who not terribly individual and hard to tell apart. Of the trio, I only remember one of their names - I couldn't even tell you what the names of the other two old lady characters were.
Sarah's character was very frustrating to me. Every time I read her saying they should leave the investigation to the police, I was getting so frustrated and eventually angry with her. I wanted to scream at the author "stop writing about this boring, whiney person and write about the people who are actually interested in investigating!"
Sarah's love interest Nick really served little purpose in the story. He wasn't interesting on his own as a character. As an information funnel, there were other characters like Michelle could have been used instead.
Overall, I'd say I got part of my character expectations met. I don't know if the problem was that there were too many characters being introduced, or if some of the characters just weren't unique enough to stand out.
A story about Sarah (as a person with curiosity who wanted to investigate and not complain), Michelle and Jess investigating with Mac and Avery as support would have been really interesting.
I expected an average cat as a pet.
What I got was a furry domesticated animal who was actually smarter then most human teenagers and had a more interesting and unique personality then a few of the central characters. More was described about the mannerisms, TV preferences, facial looks and emotions, etc of Elvis then some of the other characters.
I would have been fine with that if he was acting like a cat.
In all my years working in a vet office and doing rescue work, I have to say Elvis did not behave like any cat I have ever met. This may be fine for people who desire to read about "magical cats", but for people who are looking for a mystery story that includes a pet cat, it was really a detraction from the story.
I expected a lot more clear, analytical thought and practical detective work. What I got was a trio of eccentric old women bumbling about, and an elderly gentleman (love interest) of one of the trio who was there to steer them back to the practical avenues of investigation that they overlooked.
There was also a lack of practicality regarding the relevance of the information that they did turn up.
I expected that when the police arrested someone for murder they would have evidence supporting a good to airtight case against them.
It seemed like the evidence against Maddie was circumstantial at best. The murder victim was in her backyard, not inside her house. In a town where it's demonstrated the relaxed atmosphere allows for others to wander into a friend's backyard, this 'evidence' is hardly more the circumstantial. True, it's harped on over and over that Sarah feels that Maddie was hiding something, but the police didn't even have the cause of death they could link to Maddie beyond a reasonable doubt. Honestly, given the evidence they had I feel Maddie's arrest was unreasonable.
The next day, secrets about the victim are brought to light in the newspaper, which would expand the list of suspects with a motive greatly - to everyone except the police, unfortunately.
and finally, my biggest complaint about the book ...
I expect by the end of the book that all the detective work will pay off and that the investigators will have enough evidence to bring to the police to clear their friend and have a strong case against the real murderer.
What I got was a case against the murderer based mostly on circumstantial evidence and conjecture (much like the police had against Maddie) that never would have stood up in court - IF NOT FOR THE MURDERER'S LAST MINUTE CONFESSION.
It was a horribly disappointing ending, not because of who was revealed to be the murderer - but because of the poorly written way it was rushed to the finish line by the murderer's confession.
Maybe cozy mysteries just aren't my thing?
I've never read this author before, and unless someone I trust can tell me the rest of her works are significantly different, I probably won't ever read this author again (and this includes all her other pen names as well).
On that chance that it was just a bad book I will try reading one more cozy mystery by a different author, but if it's the same reaction then obviously this is not the genre for me to enjoy.
Edit to add: I have since gone on to read two other cozy mysteries, both by different authors and both with normal, average pets in them.
I've discovered I really do enjoy well written cozy mysteries with characters who are interested in investigating who have normal, average pets.
I've discovered that really, my problems are likely with this author and not the genre.
Although I regret that I picked a horrible book to be introduced to the genre with - thanks to this book, I now know pretty much everything I want to avoid in future cozy mysteries I read.
I loved Nancy Drew books when I was younger, and I think I was expecting the characters to take a more logical, methodical approach to solving a mystery. Not being familiar with the genre, I don't know if the problem is my expectations of what a 'cozy mystery' read would be like or if the problem was the book itself.
~What I Liked~
Setting - the town of North Harbor, Maine seems like a nice place.
I'm a little surprised a newly opened secondhand shop can do so well and afford so many employees, but this is partially explained by the steady flow of busloads of tourists (constantly referred to as "leaf peepers") who come through the town and shop.
Unpredictable Outcome - I thought I had a good idea who did it right up until near the end where I was proven wrong. The mystery itself was a good one, and I enjoyed watching the bits of evidence fall into place.
~What I Didn't Like~
There were many ways I felt this book did not live up to my expectations & left me disappointed.
I expected a female lead who was interested in solving a murder case where one of her friends is the accused murderer. I prefer characters who have curiosity and an interest in solving things for themselves.
What I got was Sarah, who spent pretty much the entire first half of the book telling the elderly female trio who wanted to investigate the murder to "let the police handle it". About halfway through the book Sarah did eventually start becoming more involved in the investigation and less whiney, but I really didn't like the idea that her character had to be "herded" into investigating the murder by the trio of elderly women she was supposed to be discouraging from investigating.
I expected interesting, engaging, unique characters.
What I got was a trio of elderly women who not terribly individual and hard to tell apart. Of the trio, I only remember one of their names - I couldn't even tell you what the names of the other two old lady characters were.
Sarah's character was very frustrating to me. Every time I read her saying they should leave the investigation to the police, I was getting so frustrated and eventually angry with her. I wanted to scream at the author "stop writing about this boring, whiney person and write about the people who are actually interested in investigating!"
Sarah's love interest Nick really served little purpose in the story. He wasn't interesting on his own as a character. As an information funnel, there were other characters like Michelle could have been used instead.
Overall, I'd say I got part of my character expectations met. I don't know if the problem was that there were too many characters being introduced, or if some of the characters just weren't unique enough to stand out.
A story about Sarah (as a person with curiosity who wanted to investigate and not complain), Michelle and Jess investigating with Mac and Avery as support would have been really interesting.
I expected an average cat as a pet.
What I got was a furry domesticated animal who was actually smarter then most human teenagers and had a more interesting and unique personality then a few of the central characters. More was described about the mannerisms, TV preferences, facial looks and emotions, etc of Elvis then some of the other characters.
I would have been fine with that if he was acting like a cat.
In all my years working in a vet office and doing rescue work, I have to say Elvis did not behave like any cat I have ever met. This may be fine for people who desire to read about "magical cats", but for people who are looking for a mystery story that includes a pet cat, it was really a detraction from the story.
I expected a lot more clear, analytical thought and practical detective work. What I got was a trio of eccentric old women bumbling about, and an elderly gentleman (love interest) of one of the trio who was there to steer them back to the practical avenues of investigation that they overlooked.
There was also a lack of practicality regarding the relevance of the information that they did turn up.
I expected that when the police arrested someone for murder they would have evidence supporting a good to airtight case against them.
It seemed like the evidence against Maddie was circumstantial at best. The murder victim was in her backyard, not inside her house. In a town where it's demonstrated the relaxed atmosphere allows for others to wander into a friend's backyard, this 'evidence' is hardly more the circumstantial. True, it's harped on over and over that Sarah feels that Maddie was hiding something, but the police didn't even have the cause of death they could link to Maddie beyond a reasonable doubt. Honestly, given the evidence they had I feel Maddie's arrest was unreasonable.
The next day, secrets about the victim are brought to light in the newspaper, which would expand the list of suspects with a motive greatly - to everyone except the police, unfortunately.
and finally, my biggest complaint about the book ...
I expect by the end of the book that all the detective work will pay off and that the investigators will have enough evidence to bring to the police to clear their friend and have a strong case against the real murderer.
What I got was a case against the murderer based mostly on circumstantial evidence and conjecture (much like the police had against Maddie) that never would have stood up in court - IF NOT FOR THE MURDERER'S LAST MINUTE CONFESSION.
It was a horribly disappointing ending, not because of who was revealed to be the murderer - but because of the poorly written way it was rushed to the finish line by the murderer's confession.
Maybe cozy mysteries just aren't my thing?
I've never read this author before, and unless someone I trust can tell me the rest of her works are significantly different, I probably won't ever read this author again (and this includes all her other pen names as well).
On that chance that it was just a bad book I will try reading one more cozy mystery by a different author, but if it's the same reaction then obviously this is not the genre for me to enjoy.
Edit to add: I have since gone on to read two other cozy mysteries, both by different authors and both with normal, average pets in them.
I've discovered I really do enjoy well written cozy mysteries with characters who are interested in investigating who have normal, average pets.
I've discovered that really, my problems are likely with this author and not the genre.
Although I regret that I picked a horrible book to be introduced to the genre with - thanks to this book, I now know pretty much everything I want to avoid in future cozy mysteries I read.
October 13, 2025
Setting the scene: We are in beautiful North Harbor, Maine. The Second Chance Shop is a cute shop where items are refurbished to resell to customers far and wide. This book is written by Sofie Ryan, narrated by Marguerite Gavin.
This book is #1 in the Second Chance Mystery Series, called "The Whole Cat and Caboodle." True to form I've read others in this series and enjoyed them very much. The story commences with Sarah Grayson, our protagonist, the three "Charlotte's Angels" Liz, Charlotte, and Rose are wonderful, and Mac her righthand man, and of course, Elvis, a sleek black cat, who has a talent for knowing the truth in all things. Sarah has the flair for business and even teaches folks how to transform their own pieces into items of a different purpose.
When one of Sarah's friends doesn't show up for a class, folks are very concerned. Maddie would never miss a class. They do find her, however, in the garden with a man that is very dead. That pins Maddie as the prime suspect, but they know she would not hurt a soul. They all need to put their heads together and clear Maddie then find who is the real killer.
Michelle Anderson, detective and former best friend of Sarah, and Nik, Sarah's High School beau, out of the coroner's office, are also assigned to this case. They provide useful information that helps with the case, and relationships are addressed which is fun.
I just realized that Sofie has also written the Magical Cat Series. I read a couple of those, and they are enjoyable as well. My black and white cat "Slinky" thinks this all well and good.
As a first book in the series, she does a good job introducing characters, providing a good plot, describing the setting, keeping the language clean, and having a good time. Recommend.
Enjoy 4 stars****
This book is #1 in the Second Chance Mystery Series, called "The Whole Cat and Caboodle." True to form I've read others in this series and enjoyed them very much. The story commences with Sarah Grayson, our protagonist, the three "Charlotte's Angels" Liz, Charlotte, and Rose are wonderful, and Mac her righthand man, and of course, Elvis, a sleek black cat, who has a talent for knowing the truth in all things. Sarah has the flair for business and even teaches folks how to transform their own pieces into items of a different purpose.
When one of Sarah's friends doesn't show up for a class, folks are very concerned. Maddie would never miss a class. They do find her, however, in the garden with a man that is very dead. That pins Maddie as the prime suspect, but they know she would not hurt a soul. They all need to put their heads together and clear Maddie then find who is the real killer.
Michelle Anderson, detective and former best friend of Sarah, and Nik, Sarah's High School beau, out of the coroner's office, are also assigned to this case. They provide useful information that helps with the case, and relationships are addressed which is fun.
I just realized that Sofie has also written the Magical Cat Series. I read a couple of those, and they are enjoyable as well. My black and white cat "Slinky" thinks this all well and good.
As a first book in the series, she does a good job introducing characters, providing a good plot, describing the setting, keeping the language clean, and having a good time. Recommend.
Enjoy 4 stars****
May 30, 2020
In this first novel of a new series, Sarah has come back to her grandmother’s hometown and opened a repurposed shop, where she and her staff refurbish items she finds hither and yon. She also found Elvis, a cat, who, by the looks of his battle-scarred face, has lost at least one of his nine lives. He now also has a second chance in life. When an elderly friend is accused of murder, not only does Sarah get involved, but also her other elderly friends. Going by the collective moniker Charlotte’s Angels, they are in for the long haul, and just might have a second chance at a new career. This is a great beginning for an interesting series. With a variety of characters, this time it’s the old folks who have the inroads - and the abilities - to fix the problem.
June 10, 2016
This is the first book in another excellent mystery collection by the author who also writes 'The Magical Cat Series' under the pseudonym, Sofie Kelly. If you like that one (and I do, I do!), you are bound to like this one as well. A black cat named Elvis is the companion helper to Sarah, the owner of a second hand shop. Elvis likes to watch the game show, Jeopardy, and assists Sarah with a well placed paw, meow or facial expression. I found this to be charming and entertaining and look forward to reading more in the series.
April 9, 2014
THE WHOLE CAT AND CABOODLE is a fun start to Sofie Ryan’s new cozy mystery series with a gregarious feline called Elvis taking center stage. Elvis’ person is Sarah Grayson, and she runs a nifty shop selling vintage and refurbished items in North Harbor, Maine.
Sarah gets dragged into a murder mystery when her grandmother’s friend Maddie is arrested for murdering her boyfriend. Well, Sarah actually gets involved in the case because she wants to keep a group of dear elderly friends out of trouble. They are a stubborn and determined bunch wanting to find the real murderer on their own, and Sarah promises investigators that she’ll keep them out of of trouble. Or at least try to!
The mystery was good and the plot moved quickly, but what I loved most was the cast of characters. Elvis the cat was an intriguing little fellow, savvy about what’s going on and able to give the humans a push in the right direction. Cat cozy mystery fans will love him. Sarah was likable and easy to connect with. I enjoyed her back story, and her complicated relationship with her childhood friend Michelle Andrews and old flame Nick Elliott. Sarah’s group of elderly friends were a lot of fun and provided several good laughs along the way. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Sarah gets dragged into a murder mystery when her grandmother’s friend Maddie is arrested for murdering her boyfriend. Well, Sarah actually gets involved in the case because she wants to keep a group of dear elderly friends out of trouble. They are a stubborn and determined bunch wanting to find the real murderer on their own, and Sarah promises investigators that she’ll keep them out of of trouble. Or at least try to!
The mystery was good and the plot moved quickly, but what I loved most was the cast of characters. Elvis the cat was an intriguing little fellow, savvy about what’s going on and able to give the humans a push in the right direction. Cat cozy mystery fans will love him. Sarah was likable and easy to connect with. I enjoyed her back story, and her complicated relationship with her childhood friend Michelle Andrews and old flame Nick Elliott. Sarah’s group of elderly friends were a lot of fun and provided several good laughs along the way. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Source: Review copy from the publisher
May 1, 2014
I have a huge TBR pile. Yet, I saw this 1st in a new series pop up and immediately wanted to read it. This was strengthened by the fact that I read several great reviews by other book bloggers I follow and it was a no brainer for me.
There wasn't anything not to love about this. The setting, North Harbor, Maine, the cast of characters, the main character, Sarah, her awesomely wonderful cat Elvis, and the mystery itself.
There were a few spots where I initially thought there were typos but they weren't; it was just that the author introduced a subject, made you sort of think she forgot what she had written and then cleared it up a few pages later.
All in all though, a great debut and I look forward to reading more in the series and also reading the author's magical cat series (even though I'm a dog person!).
There wasn't anything not to love about this. The setting, North Harbor, Maine, the cast of characters, the main character, Sarah, her awesomely wonderful cat Elvis, and the mystery itself.
There were a few spots where I initially thought there were typos but they weren't; it was just that the author introduced a subject, made you sort of think she forgot what she had written and then cleared it up a few pages later.
All in all though, a great debut and I look forward to reading more in the series and also reading the author's magical cat series (even though I'm a dog person!).
February 25, 2020
Enjoyed this. While not really a cozy mystery reader, this one was fun and I liked the combination of characters, the setting and the plot. They mystery murder was low key but interesting.
July 26, 2025
This was a charming, heartwarming cozy mystery. I absolutely loved Elvis the cat and the fun and funny relationships between protagonist Sarah Grayson and her team of senior sleuths! Great start to a new-to-me series. I look forward to reading the next installment.
January 8, 2016
I like the Magical Cats series from Sofie Kelly. For Second Chance Cat Mystery her brand news series were boring. from first chapter to the middle of story line only. it described about sarah and her golden ages friends's relationship blah blah blah. it's all too much.
however, i'm still continuous reading her next book. I hope ms. kelly will write more role to Elvis.
however, i'm still continuous reading her next book. I hope ms. kelly will write more role to Elvis.
December 14, 2025
Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy of The Whole Cat and Caboodle!
This is the start of a FANTASTIC cozy mystery series! It's no secret that cozy mysteries are one of my favorite genres. I can tell already that this is a series I'm going to love with my whole heart! I'm so excited that there are TWELVE of them for me to read!
This is the start of a FANTASTIC cozy mystery series! It's no secret that cozy mysteries are one of my favorite genres. I can tell already that this is a series I'm going to love with my whole heart! I'm so excited that there are TWELVE of them for me to read!
July 3, 2025
3.5/5
This was such a cute cozy mystery featuring a main character (Sarah Grayson) who owns a second hand shop, a group of elderly busybodies (a must have in a good cozy, imo), and a black cat by the name of Elvis who has major main character energy.
I felt like there were too many elderly friends to keep track of but overall, there was a great cast of characters and this book really did set the groundwork for future friendships and relationships to develop further as the series progresses.
As far as cozy mysteries go, I loved that this book felt very plausible and realistically mundane. Aside from the Elvis' involvement throughout the book and how things escalated at the end, nothing else was too farfetched. Sarah only wants to focus on her business and keep an eye out on her friends - she's level-headed and reasonable, and didn't want to get involved with the murder mystery but somehow gets pulled into it anyways. Perhaps her attitude will change later in the series, but for now, I think this is a solid beginning to a promising series.
**I received a free physical copy of the book from the publisher (Berkley) for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
This was such a cute cozy mystery featuring a main character (Sarah Grayson) who owns a second hand shop, a group of elderly busybodies (a must have in a good cozy, imo), and a black cat by the name of Elvis who has major main character energy.
I felt like there were too many elderly friends to keep track of but overall, there was a great cast of characters and this book really did set the groundwork for future friendships and relationships to develop further as the series progresses.
As far as cozy mysteries go, I loved that this book felt very plausible and realistically mundane. Aside from the Elvis' involvement throughout the book and how things escalated at the end, nothing else was too farfetched. Sarah only wants to focus on her business and keep an eye out on her friends - she's level-headed and reasonable, and didn't want to get involved with the murder mystery but somehow gets pulled into it anyways. Perhaps her attitude will change later in the series, but for now, I think this is a solid beginning to a promising series.
**I received a free physical copy of the book from the publisher (Berkley) for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
July 12, 2022
Cute little story, and I always enjoy a smart little cat!
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July 15, 2021can't say! lol. Join us this saturday the 17th @ 5pm es time for the killing time with Cozies knockout challenge when we will be chatting about this book!!
https://youtu.be/P-g04gFIqyc
https://youtu.be/P-g04gFIqyc
March 19, 2021
I enjoy the introduction to this series and getting to know Sarah and Elvis and the rest of the characters. I’m looking forward to reading how Charlotte’s Angels expands their new business.
August 5, 2017
It looks like I've found another great cozy mystery series - Second Chance Cat Mystery Series! And The Whole Cat and Caboodle is a good debut entry to this series.
Sarah Grayson has returned to North Harbor, Maine to reinvent herself after losing her late night radio show, and her shop, Second Chance is doing nicely. She can't seem to keep the refurbished and re-imagined items in stock. And even her cat, Elvis, seems to help out. The wily cat also has another talent - he's a feline lie detector.
And that will come in handy when Sarah and 3 of her grandmother's friends - the Charlotte Angels - investigate the murder of Arthur Fenty. He was the beau of another one of her grandmother's buddies. And the ladies have an elderly hacker - Mr P to help them out too! Can they save Maddie from prison? And what isn't she saying?
The novel is quite delightful and humorous. Sofie Ryan know how to keep the reader turning pages. And she doesn't give Elvis special insights except to detect a lie from some human. The characters are well developed. Kind of reminded of Jessica Fletcher a bit.
Sarah Grayson has returned to North Harbor, Maine to reinvent herself after losing her late night radio show, and her shop, Second Chance is doing nicely. She can't seem to keep the refurbished and re-imagined items in stock. And even her cat, Elvis, seems to help out. The wily cat also has another talent - he's a feline lie detector.
And that will come in handy when Sarah and 3 of her grandmother's friends - the Charlotte Angels - investigate the murder of Arthur Fenty. He was the beau of another one of her grandmother's buddies. And the ladies have an elderly hacker - Mr P to help them out too! Can they save Maddie from prison? And what isn't she saying?
The novel is quite delightful and humorous. Sofie Ryan know how to keep the reader turning pages. And she doesn't give Elvis special insights except to detect a lie from some human. The characters are well developed. Kind of reminded of Jessica Fletcher a bit.
February 22, 2017
I've never read anything by this author (Ryan/Sofia Kelly) but that's definitely changed after this book! Sarah Grayson has recently returned to her old hometown on the Maine coast and is now the owner of an upscale second-hand store. She has a number of elderly friends because of her close relationship with her grandmother. One of these older ladies is suspected of killing her boyfriend and Sarah is determined to prove her innocence. I really enjoyed the plot, pace, characters, dialog, well--that about covers everything! With a cat named Elvis, how can one go wrong? A good mystery is always key and there were a number of suspects who definitely had strong motives, down to the killer, who seemingly had none.
I will definitely be reading the next book in this fun series!
I will definitely be reading the next book in this fun series!
April 20, 2015
The first in new series is a delightful read. The plot is excellent and carried out successfully. The characters are fleshed out and became friends at once. Sarah Grayson owns a second hand store. She has a number of helpers that add to the story. Elvis a black has chosen her as is owner. He likes ride and go with her. He talks with Sarah and others. Sarah reconnected with high school friends. Her Grandmother's help Sarah out when one of them is arrested for murdering her boy friend.
June 13, 2015
A great start to a new series! The only thing that prevented a higher rating was the number of characters introduced. It was hard to keep track of who was whom (and I assume Sarah's grandmother will be back for the next book to further complicate things!).
Cheers to the other reviewers who pointed out Ryan's Magical Cats series; they will be added to my "to read" list!
Cheers to the other reviewers who pointed out Ryan's Magical Cats series; they will be added to my "to read" list!
February 8, 2017
This is a cute cozy mystery. The main character returns home after losing her job, to find a new start. One of her grandmother's friends ends up in the middle of a murder. She spends her time trying to keep the rest in her grandmother's clique out of trouble while they try to find the real murderer. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it.
January 4, 2019
This book had been in my TBR list for a while so when it finally became available in my library I quickly grabbed the chance to read it. I glad I did, this was a fun cozy well-written and plotted and wonderful characters. I recommend this to Cozy fans.
April 6, 2015
This one was fun, but not as fun as magial cats. That's pretty much all I have to say at this point.
March 29, 2019
ELVIS is everything. Such a little cutie <3
Cozy Mystery Book Club Livestream Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syrBP...
Cozy Mystery Book Club Livestream Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syrBP...
April 15, 2017
Elvis was sitting in the middle of my desk when I opened the door to my office.
Sarah Grayson has moved to North Harbor, Maine to open a second hand store. She had spent her summers there with her grandmother and it was a good place for her to start a new life. Soon after moving to town she acquired a scarred travel worn cat that she named Elvis. Sarah becomes a sleuth when her grandmother's friend Maddie is accused of murder. Maddie's friends join the investigation and the adventure begins.
It is quite obvious that Ms. Ryan has spent a great deal of time around cats. She understands their personalities and is spot on with their mannerisms. This is the first book in the series and it starts out with a bang. I'm so happy that I found another series by this author to love.
Elvis shines as a character. He isn't magical but he certainly is intuitive and smart. I love the interaction that he has with Sarah and her motley crew of detectives.
Maddie's friends are a varied lot and true friendship is evident in their faith that Maddie was not a killer. I am particularly fond of Mr. Peterson. His introduction mad me laugh out loud.
Sarah's high school crush is back in town working as an investigator for the medical examiner. Nick wants Sarah and her crew to stay out of the way so that he and the police can do their jobs. Like that is going to happen!
The store employees, Mac and Avery, are well rounded characters that add to the storyline. It is great to see people from teens to senior citizens working together for a common good.
The mystery has some twists and turns that keep your interest. I look forward to the next book.
Sarah Grayson has moved to North Harbor, Maine to open a second hand store. She had spent her summers there with her grandmother and it was a good place for her to start a new life. Soon after moving to town she acquired a scarred travel worn cat that she named Elvis. Sarah becomes a sleuth when her grandmother's friend Maddie is accused of murder. Maddie's friends join the investigation and the adventure begins.
It is quite obvious that Ms. Ryan has spent a great deal of time around cats. She understands their personalities and is spot on with their mannerisms. This is the first book in the series and it starts out with a bang. I'm so happy that I found another series by this author to love.
Elvis shines as a character. He isn't magical but he certainly is intuitive and smart. I love the interaction that he has with Sarah and her motley crew of detectives.
Maddie's friends are a varied lot and true friendship is evident in their faith that Maddie was not a killer. I am particularly fond of Mr. Peterson. His introduction mad me laugh out loud.
Sarah's high school crush is back in town working as an investigator for the medical examiner. Nick wants Sarah and her crew to stay out of the way so that he and the police can do their jobs. Like that is going to happen!
The store employees, Mac and Avery, are well rounded characters that add to the storyline. It is great to see people from teens to senior citizens working together for a common good.
The mystery has some twists and turns that keep your interest. I look forward to the next book.
October 3, 2019
3 1/2 stars. A cute mystery with a cat I could fall in love with. The characters interact well together but it isn't too sickly sweet. At times it is like a hallmark movie but when a good friend is accused of murder things are going to be a bit emotional. There is the appropriate apprehension of an older group of ladies getting involved in a police investigation. Meaning, not everyone is on board with the idea and try to dissuade them.
It's not a bad mystery, but as in most cozies it the characters that make you want to come back and read more.
It's not a bad mystery, but as in most cozies it the characters that make you want to come back and read more.
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