Murder on the Feline Express: Hercule Purr-row Case Files

Hercule Purr-row Case Files #2

by Jamie Kleinkauf, Mariah Sinclair (Illustrator)

When former librarian Penny Lane converts her inherited Victorian mansion into a luxury cat hotel, she expects her biggest challenge to be managing finicky felines and their particular owners. But when a mysterious woman checks in her prize-winning Persian cat and vanishes without a trace, Penny finds herself whisker-deep in a decades-old scandal.

The discovery that the abandoned Persian is actually Diamond, show cat of reclusive film star Gloria Starling, is just the beginning. Hidden in Diamond's carrier are two explosive pieces of a vintage art deco brooch and a letter that could rewrite Hollywood history. The infamous theft that destroyed Gloria's career in 1975 during the filming of "The Cat's Eye Affair" may not be what it seemed – and someone in quiet Guilford, Connecticut wants to keep it that way.

Aided by the charming local veterinarian Dr. Paul Harrison and her shrewd neighbor Mrs. Maple, a retired detective, Penny races to uncover the truth about Gloria's disappearance. With her own enigmatic house cat Hercule Purr-row acting strangely around Diamond's carrier and a determined visitor who keeps asking too many questions, Penny realizes that small towns hold the biggest secrets – and someone will do anything to keep them buried.

"Murder on the Feline Express" is the purr-fect start to a cozy new series that will delight mystery lovers and cat fanciers alike.

236 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2025

Reviews

[Emily Pennington]

Hercule on the Case . . .

When Penny Lane decides to make the Victorian mansion she inherited into a fancy cat hotel, she gets drawn into a mystery. A show cat named Countess is dropped off by a woman who then disappears. However, Countess’ owner is actually a Hollywood actress named Gloria Starling, who went into seclusion after a scandal over the theft of a brooch. Penny gets pulled into the curious mystery when some evidence is found in the cat’s carrier. Working with veterinarian Dr. Paul Harrison and neighbor Mrs. Agnes Maple who is a retired detective, they look into Gloria’s mysterious disappearance. Penny’s cat Hercule Purr-row is also in on the investigation. Will they find the answers they are looking for? Will they discover the link to the two murders, both involving a knife?

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story. All the wonderful cats and a mystery to boot! It is a unique story. I love Penny and Hercule Purr-row. I loved the dual narrative. Human versus feline. This was highly enjoyable. The pages flew past with ease.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded up to a 4 as I really gave it a 3.5.
If you like characters that look down on others (like cats look down on humans), puns, and a whodunit tale - this could be your go to!

My full review is below::

I was fortunate enough to meet the author and I love a good cozy tale as well as a cat story - that said, this fell short for me :(
First, I can't get over the fact that a tuxedo cat is not on the cover... he's described as a tuxedo cat and that cover is so not that - trying to reconcile the description in the book vs the image chosen has proven impossible for me.

I'm wondering if I read more Hercule Poirot books if I would have liked this more - since it is a play on the name, perhaps the writing style is in line with that? I can't say since I haven't read them! I was often irritated by the cats pov - which honestly could track because it is a cat after all XD

The story arc was good - I did like the character movement and changes - I just really struggled with the cat. Honestly, if the cat hadn't been in the story, I don't feel it would have changed the outcome terribly - rather than demeaning the humans in the book, it could have in fact encouraged more growth and development for those characters.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder on the Feline Express is book #2 in the Hercule Purr-row Case Files series by Jamie Kleinkauf.

Penny, inherit an old Victorian house from her aunt Linda, who loved train travel. She decides to leave her career as a librarian and convert the mansion into a luxury cat hotel with train themed rooms with the help of her cat, Hercule. I really like Penny, Hercule, Agnes, and Paul. We get the story from both Penny and Hercule’s point of view which is interesting. The first guest is dropped off with the owner acting a bit suspiciously, at least to Hercule. When they find out that there’s been murder, Penny, Hercule, and Paul are drawn into the mystery. The murder possibly has links to an older mystery. I really enjoyed this book and plan to go back to the first book.

I received a free copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

charming little cozy mystery. am a sucker for cozies that have cat detectives.

- but Hercule is a tuxedo cat, the cat on the cover isn’t. kind of misleading
- the timeline gets a little confusing, felt it could have been explained a bit clearer
- still unsure why all the fuss around Countess, unless it was meant to be a red herring? extremely valuable show cat but that’s a lot of fuss for one animal.
- minor errors in text and formatting such as changes from present to past tense in the same chapter
- also not sure why Hercule is given dialogue and ‘speaking’ abilities here when none of the other cats are
- did keep me guessing until the end, so three stars for that.

[Big Fat Hairy Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny, owner and keeper of her newly established cat hotel, suddenly has a mystery dropped in her lap when a famous cat is left behind at her business. It's up to her cat, Hercule Purr-row, to follow the clues hidden in the cat carrier and solve an old Hollywood scandal mystery before his owner gets checked out for good. This is a fun, cozy mystery with plenty of twists mixed in with the Agatha Christie feline homage.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Genesia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! It stands out from most stories about animals. In the plot, Penny inherits her Aunt Linda's house and decides to turn it into a hotel for cats. One of the residents is a Persian cat named Countess, who is a valuable show cat. Her owner is a former Hollywood actress who fell from grace after being accused of stealing a very expensive brooch. When a murder occurs, Penny finds herself drawn into the investigation, even though she never intended to become an amateur sleuth.

I enjoyed every moment of reading this book; it's a true page-turner. It's definitely worth your time, and I promise you won't regret reading it. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. I love the characters, especially, of course, the feline detective, whose voice is heard at the end of each chapter. His French accent and his Poirot-like superior attitude are perfect. The mystery is complex enough to hold one’s interest, so this is a perfect relaxing read any time of year.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy mystery, featuring the detective cat Hercule Purr-row, was captivating from beginning to end. Each chapter includes charming and original sections from Purr-row's perspective. As the second book in the series, it stands alone well, with no need to have read the first.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I really liked Hercule and how he heled Penny solve this case. It was a very interesting case with many tangents.

[Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it !! love this series !! love Penny and Hercule Purr-row.. this is their story ... the cat hotel .. a cat left behind.. a famous missing kitty...named Diamond...and the mystery... so good !!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the classic series with Hercule and this was super cute with his 'personality' as a kitty. A fun little read with a good mystery. Lots of interesting suspects. It's a good book for mystery fans.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[AMBER CLARK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy new series that will delight mystery lovers and cat fanciers alike. As a cat fan, I'm in cat heaven.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful story of Penny Lane, owner of a cat hotel and her feline detective, Hercule Purr-Row, who helps her solve the mystery.

[Diana Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This light cozy mystery book kept me guessing who-done-it to the end! An easy and entertaining story. Can't wait to read books #1&3.

[Slugpuppy3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

MURDER ON THE FELINE EXPRESS is a fun cozy mystery with good characters, a twisty plot, and an amazing cat detective. Very entertaining!