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A Fat Cat Mystery #2
Fat Cat Spreads Out
Butterscotch tabby Quincy is back and hungrier than ever in this frisky follow-up to Fat Cat at Large…
A booth at the Bunyan County Harvest Fair seems like the perfect opportunity for Charity “Chase” Oliver and Anna Larson to promote their Bar None bakery business. Unfortunately, plus-sized pussycat Quincy has plans for their delicious dessert bars other than selling them to customers. After tearing through their inventory, Quincy goes roaming the fairgrounds in search of more delights.
But what he finds is murder. One of the top contenders in a butter-sculpting contest has been killed, and Chase is churning on the inside when she sees Quincy’s handsome veterinarian, Dr. Mike Ramos, being led away by the police. With a little help from a kitty with butter on his whiskers, Chase needs to find the real killer and clear the doctor’s good name…
Includes recipes for people and cats!
A booth at the Bunyan County Harvest Fair seems like the perfect opportunity for Charity “Chase” Oliver and Anna Larson to promote their Bar None bakery business. Unfortunately, plus-sized pussycat Quincy has plans for their delicious dessert bars other than selling them to customers. After tearing through their inventory, Quincy goes roaming the fairgrounds in search of more delights.
But what he finds is murder. One of the top contenders in a butter-sculpting contest has been killed, and Chase is churning on the inside when she sees Quincy’s handsome veterinarian, Dr. Mike Ramos, being led away by the police. With a little help from a kitty with butter on his whiskers, Chase needs to find the real killer and clear the doctor’s good name…
Includes recipes for people and cats!
294 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 2, 2015
19 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
Janet Cantrell
3 books159 followersJanet Cantrell is a pen name for Kaye George, Agatha nominated novelist and short story writer. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, Guppies, and Austin Mystery Writers. Her national bestselling cozy Fat Cat mystery series features Quincy, a pudgy, adorable cat who is an accomplished escape artist. Especially when he’s on a diet and hungry. Leave it to Quincy to lead his human, Chase, co-owner of a Minneapolis dessert bar shop, into trouble. Janet lives in Knoxville TN with her husband. Her recently departed feline, Agamemnon, is a source for some of Quincy’s antics. Visit http://janetcantrell.com/ for more details.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 13, 2015
It’s time for the Bunyan County Harvest Festival. Charity and Anna, the owners of the Bar None bakery shop, are signed up for a booth to sell their dessert bars and, hopefully, drum up some business for their store.
Charity’s loveable cat Quincy has ideas of his own for the fair. After eating their inventory, he races through the festival to find other goodies to satisfy his hunger. What he finds is a dead body right in the middle of the butter sculpting contest. Quincy is more interested in the butter than the dead body, though. Charity, on the other hand, is more interested in the man being taken away by the police – Quincy’s veterinarian and a man she is very attracted to, Mike Ramos.
Charity is sure Mike is innocent. She has no doubts at all and proceeds to help the police find the real killer. Not that the police want her help, but Charity doesn’t care. It’s much more important to prove Mike’s innocence than make friends with the police. Besides, they are concentrating on the wrong suspect. She uses her time at the festival to do some investigating on her own.
Along the way, she learns there is a cat costume contest and the prize is an expensive diamond cat collar, which is suddenly missing. She can’t help wonder if it has anything to do with the murder. Not to mention that she thinks Quincy would make the perfect contestant and tries to come up with a costume for him to wear.
As Charity continues to question people, she gets herself deeper and deeper into the murder and realizes there is a long list of suspects. When another body turns up, the danger level rises and she fears for everyone’s safety. At the same time, her relationship with Mike keeps growing.
I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one really won my heart. I loved every minute of this book. I especially love how Quincy is a main character. His antics had me giggling – from trying to get as many treats out of the fair vendors as he can to having butter on his whiskers to entering the cat costume contest…it’s all fun.
The human characters are nice too. LOL Charity has really developed well as the lead character in this series. She’s strong and doesn’t back down in the face of danger. Her business partner, Anna, has also grown since the first book. Both are realistic and written well. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Mike in future books and seeing how that relationship developments.
The storyline had several suspects and kept readers guessing until the end. The mystery was drawn through the entire book with a nice mix of humor and a touch of romance. I, also, have to add that I absolutely adore that cover!
This series is now on my “must read” list and I’m looking forward to the third book… at least I hope there is a third book. I already miss Quincy.
FTC Disclosure: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Charity’s loveable cat Quincy has ideas of his own for the fair. After eating their inventory, he races through the festival to find other goodies to satisfy his hunger. What he finds is a dead body right in the middle of the butter sculpting contest. Quincy is more interested in the butter than the dead body, though. Charity, on the other hand, is more interested in the man being taken away by the police – Quincy’s veterinarian and a man she is very attracted to, Mike Ramos.
Charity is sure Mike is innocent. She has no doubts at all and proceeds to help the police find the real killer. Not that the police want her help, but Charity doesn’t care. It’s much more important to prove Mike’s innocence than make friends with the police. Besides, they are concentrating on the wrong suspect. She uses her time at the festival to do some investigating on her own.
Along the way, she learns there is a cat costume contest and the prize is an expensive diamond cat collar, which is suddenly missing. She can’t help wonder if it has anything to do with the murder. Not to mention that she thinks Quincy would make the perfect contestant and tries to come up with a costume for him to wear.
As Charity continues to question people, she gets herself deeper and deeper into the murder and realizes there is a long list of suspects. When another body turns up, the danger level rises and she fears for everyone’s safety. At the same time, her relationship with Mike keeps growing.
I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one really won my heart. I loved every minute of this book. I especially love how Quincy is a main character. His antics had me giggling – from trying to get as many treats out of the fair vendors as he can to having butter on his whiskers to entering the cat costume contest…it’s all fun.
The human characters are nice too. LOL Charity has really developed well as the lead character in this series. She’s strong and doesn’t back down in the face of danger. Her business partner, Anna, has also grown since the first book. Both are realistic and written well. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Mike in future books and seeing how that relationship developments.
The storyline had several suspects and kept readers guessing until the end. The mystery was drawn through the entire book with a nice mix of humor and a touch of romance. I, also, have to add that I absolutely adore that cover!
This series is now on my “must read” list and I’m looking forward to the third book… at least I hope there is a third book. I already miss Quincy.
FTC Disclosure: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 6, 2015
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Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
This is one of my favorite new series! The Fat Cat Mystery Series is a delectable blend of lovable cat, mystery, baked delights and friendship. Janet Cantrell has WOWed us again with Fat Cat Spreads Out, the second in the Fat Cat Mystery series. Chase Oliver is owned by Quincy, a gorgeous butterscotch-colored tabby cat who will do anything for a treat. Who could be a better owner than Charity “Chase” Oliver, as she and adopted grandmother Anna Larson are co-owners of a dessert bar shop in Dinkytown, Minnesota, The Bar None? No matter how hard Chase tries to keep the ‘fat cat’ from snacking, even creating healthy Kitty Patties for him, he charms people into those little extras. And at the Bunyan County Harvest Festival, Quincy has no end of snack-providing buddies.
Anna and Chase have a booth at the Festival while their assistant, Inger, watches over the shop. Quincy has a few surprises for them to unpack; he managed to escape his carrier, gobble his way through some of the stock they brought, then escape. Chase ran to find him, as did her friend and Quincy’s vet, Dr. Mike Ramos, who found him in, of all places, the walk-in cooler where butter sculptures were being designed for the Minnesota Sculpture Contest. Unfortunately, when Dr. Ramos goes into the sculpture room, he also finds acclaimed Butter Sculptor, Larry Oake, dead on the floor. Entering behind him is Elsa, Larry’s…new widow, who screamed and accused Dr. Ramos of the murder. If only Quincy could talk! He could tell who the murderer really was….if he hadn’t been so busy searching for tasty butter out of eyesight of the men who were there.
Thus begins this Fat Cat chronicle. Quincy, of course, is my favorite, as I completely empathize with his desire for snacks and his desire to bring comfort to his humans. Chase runs a close second, as a very likable, hard-working young entrepreneur. She loves the life she has, with her very own shop with the woman who raised her after the death of her parents. Anna is the grandmother of Chase’s best friend, Julia, an attorney building her business. Dr. Mike Ramos is a friend of Chase, and the vet who is trying to help sweet Quincy lose weight. The characters are well-developed, comfortable, and uniquely invested in each others’ lives. Janet Cantrell demonstrates the long history that Anna, Julia, and Chase have together and their love and respect for each other by their interactions. Even the short-term and peripheral characters, those who are in attendance at the Festival and the detective are defined sufficiently for their roles.
The cover art is adorable! The colors and animals surrounding Quincy are as cuddly as he ist! A big shout-out to the publisher and designer for this appealing package!
The plot is a delicious blend of ingredients that bake up into a great new mystery. Included is Dr. Ramos’ niece Patrice, who is a fortune teller at the Festival with sticky fingers. She ‘borrowed’ a diamond-studded collar that would be awarded by the Picky Puss Cat Food Company to the winner of the Fancy Cat Contest to see how it would look on her fluffy pet. Someone tried to snag up the diamond-studded collar from Patrice’s booth so she took it into the sculpture room and hid it in a sculpture, from where it disappeared. There is no shortage of suspects, including the murdered man’s widow, who learned that he had planned to leave her after the Festival and contest. It seems that the sculptor had a mistress and had pulled out enough of their funds to rent a love nest in Costa Rica. But was the murderer and the thief one and the same person, or two separate people? Was the motive and attempt to eliminate competition in the Butter Sculpture contest? There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep this reader guessing right to the very satisfying end. And Quincy? His part in the plot is so unforgettable that it might be time for another snack…just to keep the stress level down. I highly recommend this intriguing tale to cozy and cat lovers, and those who enjoy a well-crafted mystery. Included is a human and a cat treat recipe that look tasty and tempting. I think that my cats might join Quincy on a treat run soon…
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
This is one of my favorite new series! The Fat Cat Mystery Series is a delectable blend of lovable cat, mystery, baked delights and friendship. Janet Cantrell has WOWed us again with Fat Cat Spreads Out, the second in the Fat Cat Mystery series. Chase Oliver is owned by Quincy, a gorgeous butterscotch-colored tabby cat who will do anything for a treat. Who could be a better owner than Charity “Chase” Oliver, as she and adopted grandmother Anna Larson are co-owners of a dessert bar shop in Dinkytown, Minnesota, The Bar None? No matter how hard Chase tries to keep the ‘fat cat’ from snacking, even creating healthy Kitty Patties for him, he charms people into those little extras. And at the Bunyan County Harvest Festival, Quincy has no end of snack-providing buddies.
Anna and Chase have a booth at the Festival while their assistant, Inger, watches over the shop. Quincy has a few surprises for them to unpack; he managed to escape his carrier, gobble his way through some of the stock they brought, then escape. Chase ran to find him, as did her friend and Quincy’s vet, Dr. Mike Ramos, who found him in, of all places, the walk-in cooler where butter sculptures were being designed for the Minnesota Sculpture Contest. Unfortunately, when Dr. Ramos goes into the sculpture room, he also finds acclaimed Butter Sculptor, Larry Oake, dead on the floor. Entering behind him is Elsa, Larry’s…new widow, who screamed and accused Dr. Ramos of the murder. If only Quincy could talk! He could tell who the murderer really was….if he hadn’t been so busy searching for tasty butter out of eyesight of the men who were there.
Thus begins this Fat Cat chronicle. Quincy, of course, is my favorite, as I completely empathize with his desire for snacks and his desire to bring comfort to his humans. Chase runs a close second, as a very likable, hard-working young entrepreneur. She loves the life she has, with her very own shop with the woman who raised her after the death of her parents. Anna is the grandmother of Chase’s best friend, Julia, an attorney building her business. Dr. Mike Ramos is a friend of Chase, and the vet who is trying to help sweet Quincy lose weight. The characters are well-developed, comfortable, and uniquely invested in each others’ lives. Janet Cantrell demonstrates the long history that Anna, Julia, and Chase have together and their love and respect for each other by their interactions. Even the short-term and peripheral characters, those who are in attendance at the Festival and the detective are defined sufficiently for their roles.
The cover art is adorable! The colors and animals surrounding Quincy are as cuddly as he ist! A big shout-out to the publisher and designer for this appealing package!
The plot is a delicious blend of ingredients that bake up into a great new mystery. Included is Dr. Ramos’ niece Patrice, who is a fortune teller at the Festival with sticky fingers. She ‘borrowed’ a diamond-studded collar that would be awarded by the Picky Puss Cat Food Company to the winner of the Fancy Cat Contest to see how it would look on her fluffy pet. Someone tried to snag up the diamond-studded collar from Patrice’s booth so she took it into the sculpture room and hid it in a sculpture, from where it disappeared. There is no shortage of suspects, including the murdered man’s widow, who learned that he had planned to leave her after the Festival and contest. It seems that the sculptor had a mistress and had pulled out enough of their funds to rent a love nest in Costa Rica. But was the murderer and the thief one and the same person, or two separate people? Was the motive and attempt to eliminate competition in the Butter Sculpture contest? There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep this reader guessing right to the very satisfying end. And Quincy? His part in the plot is so unforgettable that it might be time for another snack…just to keep the stress level down. I highly recommend this intriguing tale to cozy and cat lovers, and those who enjoy a well-crafted mystery. Included is a human and a cat treat recipe that look tasty and tempting. I think that my cats might join Quincy on a treat run soon…
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
June 2, 2015
This is such a delightful series. Author Janet Cantrell has created a wonderful setting, with such likable characters, and some hilarious situations. She has truly embraced the cozy mystery genre, and I for one can’t get enough!
It was great to be back at The Bar None with Charity “Charlie”, Anna, and of course, that fat cat tabby himself, Quincy. Getting to read the thoughts going on in Quincy’s head is so fun! I’ve often wondered what my own pets are thinking.
For as much as I loved book one, FAT CAT AT LARGE, I have to say that this second installment, FAT CAT SPREADS OUT, was even better! The plot was perfection. The mystery was well thought out and had me scratching my head trying to figure out “whodunit” and why. I laughed out loud so often I lost count. And the thought of all those yummy treats had my tum growling through most of the book.
FAT CAT SPREADS OUT, indeed, the Fat Cat series itself, has everything a cozy mystery fan is looking for and more. Ms. Cantrell has penned one of the must read mysteries of the year!
And check out the back of the book for two great recipes. One for humans and one for cats!
It was great to be back at The Bar None with Charity “Charlie”, Anna, and of course, that fat cat tabby himself, Quincy. Getting to read the thoughts going on in Quincy’s head is so fun! I’ve often wondered what my own pets are thinking.
For as much as I loved book one, FAT CAT AT LARGE, I have to say that this second installment, FAT CAT SPREADS OUT, was even better! The plot was perfection. The mystery was well thought out and had me scratching my head trying to figure out “whodunit” and why. I laughed out loud so often I lost count. And the thought of all those yummy treats had my tum growling through most of the book.
FAT CAT SPREADS OUT, indeed, the Fat Cat series itself, has everything a cozy mystery fan is looking for and more. Ms. Cantrell has penned one of the must read mysteries of the year!
And check out the back of the book for two great recipes. One for humans and one for cats!
August 25, 2015
Quincy is so stinking cute! He likes to be a great escape artist and it winds his owner and those she cares about into a bundle of trouble! Make sure you have buttered popcorn for this read, I craved it this whole time! Another great read by this author. The book flowed so well and was an easy and relaxing read! Cannot wait for the next Quincy story!
June 2, 2015
The fair is in town and Baker and Business Owner of Bar None,Chase Oliver is featuring her delicious dessert bars at The Paul Bunyan Harvest Festival. Along for the ride is her chubby, treat loving escape artist of a cat, a Butterscotch Cat, named Quincy but when murder is the feature attraction Can Chase and Quincy save the day?
I love cozy mysteries about fairs, festivals and competitions and this one is one of my new favorites. Especially because I knew one of my favorite new fictional cats, Quincy was in it. Chase, with the urging of her assistant's granddaughter and Chase's friend,Julie, Chase aquires a booth at the Paul Bunyan Harvest festival displaying and selling her scrumptious dessert bars. Quincy has his own ideas when Chase brings him with her to the week long festival to stay in vetrainarian's clinic who is also a friend and love interest to Chase, Mike Ramos.
Quincy manages to eat his way through most of Chase's inventory with Chase and assistant, Anna rushing to bake more to keep up. There are many contests and competitions taking part in the festival. One such competition is the Butter Sculpting Competition. When one of the competitors is discovered by Quincy when he ventures in there to pig out on some butter murdered with a sculpting dowel sticking out of his ear. Vetrainarian Mike is soon taken in to the custody of the police under suspicion of murder. With the theft of a diamond studded cat collar, a part of a kitty costume contest and another murder at the festival. Chase scrambles to find a connection and a deadly killer.
The perspective of Quincy was a delight to read, his thoughts on his surroundings and his strong will to escape just to aquire some delicious morsels from the festival vendors had me in stitches. Sweet treats, a fat cat and murder make this mystery a winner. Very entertaining and fast paced plot. Nothing beats a setting for a cozy mystery of a festival with not so friendly competitions where there's murder. Perfect for cat lovers, anyone who craves delicious desserts and a murder mystery. I can't wait to read and review the next in this charming series.
FTC Disclosure: Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of this book for review.This did not influence my thoughts in any way. All the opinions of the book and review are my own.
I love cozy mysteries about fairs, festivals and competitions and this one is one of my new favorites. Especially because I knew one of my favorite new fictional cats, Quincy was in it. Chase, with the urging of her assistant's granddaughter and Chase's friend,Julie, Chase aquires a booth at the Paul Bunyan Harvest festival displaying and selling her scrumptious dessert bars. Quincy has his own ideas when Chase brings him with her to the week long festival to stay in vetrainarian's clinic who is also a friend and love interest to Chase, Mike Ramos.
Quincy manages to eat his way through most of Chase's inventory with Chase and assistant, Anna rushing to bake more to keep up. There are many contests and competitions taking part in the festival. One such competition is the Butter Sculpting Competition. When one of the competitors is discovered by Quincy when he ventures in there to pig out on some butter murdered with a sculpting dowel sticking out of his ear. Vetrainarian Mike is soon taken in to the custody of the police under suspicion of murder. With the theft of a diamond studded cat collar, a part of a kitty costume contest and another murder at the festival. Chase scrambles to find a connection and a deadly killer.
The perspective of Quincy was a delight to read, his thoughts on his surroundings and his strong will to escape just to aquire some delicious morsels from the festival vendors had me in stitches. Sweet treats, a fat cat and murder make this mystery a winner. Very entertaining and fast paced plot. Nothing beats a setting for a cozy mystery of a festival with not so friendly competitions where there's murder. Perfect for cat lovers, anyone who craves delicious desserts and a murder mystery. I can't wait to read and review the next in this charming series.
FTC Disclosure: Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of this book for review.This did not influence my thoughts in any way. All the opinions of the book and review are my own.
June 3, 2015
Fat Cat Spreads Out is the second book in the A Fat Cat Mystery series.
Again, Quincy, the structurally enhanced(i.e. Fat Cat) cat owned by Charity “Chase” Oliver figures prominently in this book.
Charity “Chase” Oliver and Anne Larson own the Bar None, where they produce the best dessert bars, bar none. They have recently hired a new employee, Inga, and she seems to be working out well. Chase and Anne have been busy baking their newest dessert treat, Harvest Bars, that will sell at their booth at the Bunyan County Harvest Festival.
Anne and Chase are busy unloading their bars and other items at their boot and unseen to them, Quincy makes a quick exit from the basket that he had squirreled away in and is off to find other tasty tidbits to satisfy his hunger. But, from the crumbs and chewed on packages, Charity knows that they had a stowaway. She takes off to find Quincy and bumps into Dr. Mike Ramos, Quincy's vet and someone Charity would like to she more often, but not a professional level. He mentions that he thought he saw a cat go into the building where butter sculpting is in going on. In addition to finding Quincy, he also finds the lifeless body of Larry Oake who has been stabbed with a sculpting tool. Being as Ramos was the one to find the body and accusations from the victim's wife, he becomes a prime suspect.
Charity begins to do some of her own sleuthing in hope of clearing Ramos' name. She soon finds that three of the other sculptor have had words with Oake and even his wife doesn't seem to upset and will be getting the proceeds from a nice life insurance policy. Charity will need to find the murderer before there is a complete meltdown.
The series has a very nice cast of character that this reader would be happy to call friend. I also enjoy reading what is going on in Quincy mind all thru the book.
Looking forward to book 3, for sure.
Again, Quincy, the structurally enhanced(i.e. Fat Cat) cat owned by Charity “Chase” Oliver figures prominently in this book.
Charity “Chase” Oliver and Anne Larson own the Bar None, where they produce the best dessert bars, bar none. They have recently hired a new employee, Inga, and she seems to be working out well. Chase and Anne have been busy baking their newest dessert treat, Harvest Bars, that will sell at their booth at the Bunyan County Harvest Festival.
Anne and Chase are busy unloading their bars and other items at their boot and unseen to them, Quincy makes a quick exit from the basket that he had squirreled away in and is off to find other tasty tidbits to satisfy his hunger. But, from the crumbs and chewed on packages, Charity knows that they had a stowaway. She takes off to find Quincy and bumps into Dr. Mike Ramos, Quincy's vet and someone Charity would like to she more often, but not a professional level. He mentions that he thought he saw a cat go into the building where butter sculpting is in going on. In addition to finding Quincy, he also finds the lifeless body of Larry Oake who has been stabbed with a sculpting tool. Being as Ramos was the one to find the body and accusations from the victim's wife, he becomes a prime suspect.
Charity begins to do some of her own sleuthing in hope of clearing Ramos' name. She soon finds that three of the other sculptor have had words with Oake and even his wife doesn't seem to upset and will be getting the proceeds from a nice life insurance policy. Charity will need to find the murderer before there is a complete meltdown.
The series has a very nice cast of character that this reader would be happy to call friend. I also enjoy reading what is going on in Quincy mind all thru the book.
Looking forward to book 3, for sure.
May 17, 2015
“Fat Cat Spreads Out” by Janet Cantrell is the second book in the Fat Cat Mystery series. The first Fat Cat book, “Fat Cat at Large,” debuted as a national bestseller. Janet Cantrell is a pseudonym for Kaye George, who made my list of “Authors who deserve a greater readership.”
Kaye George has won critical acclaim as both a short story writer and as a novelist.
Her short story, “Handbaskets, Drawers, and a Killer Cold,” was nominated for the Agatha Best Short Story Award. Her first novel, “Choke”, was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2011. Eine Kleine Murder was a finalist for the Silver Falchion award in 2012. “Death in the Time of Ice” was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Historical of 2013.
As “Fat Cat Spreads Out” opens, Charity ‘Chase’ Oliver and Anna Larson are at the Bunyan County Harvest Festival to promote their bakery business, Bar None. Quincy, the plus size butterscotch tabby, after destroying ten boxes of Hulu Bars gets loose and ends up uncovering a dead body in the butter sculpture building. The victim is the top contenders in the sculpting contest. When the police focus on Mike Ramos, Quincy’s vet, Chase knows they are wrong and decides to find the real killer.
To see the rest of the review visit: http://www.examiner.com/article/fat-c...
Kaye George has won critical acclaim as both a short story writer and as a novelist.
Her short story, “Handbaskets, Drawers, and a Killer Cold,” was nominated for the Agatha Best Short Story Award. Her first novel, “Choke”, was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2011. Eine Kleine Murder was a finalist for the Silver Falchion award in 2012. “Death in the Time of Ice” was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Historical of 2013.
As “Fat Cat Spreads Out” opens, Charity ‘Chase’ Oliver and Anna Larson are at the Bunyan County Harvest Festival to promote their bakery business, Bar None. Quincy, the plus size butterscotch tabby, after destroying ten boxes of Hulu Bars gets loose and ends up uncovering a dead body in the butter sculpture building. The victim is the top contenders in the sculpting contest. When the police focus on Mike Ramos, Quincy’s vet, Chase knows they are wrong and decides to find the real killer.
To see the rest of the review visit: http://www.examiner.com/article/fat-c...
June 8, 2015
"Fat Cat Spreads Out" is a cozy mystery. This book was the second in the series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one and this story didn't spoil the previous whodunits.
The cat is constantly escaping in search of food which keeps his owner running around looking for him. When there's a mystery, it's always helpful to have a good reason to be out talking with people. Mostly, though, the heroine is just a chatty, friendly person, and she picked up most of her clues that way. The heroine and her friends acted realistically and were nice people.
This was a clue-based puzzle mystery. There were enough clues that I could guess whodunit shortly before the final clues. The heroine asked good questions, was observant, and was generally good at realizing what those clues could mean. When one of her friends was in immediate danger, she was proactive in stopping a murderer, but she was as smart about it as possible under the circumstances.
There was one instance of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this fun mystery.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
The cat is constantly escaping in search of food which keeps his owner running around looking for him. When there's a mystery, it's always helpful to have a good reason to be out talking with people. Mostly, though, the heroine is just a chatty, friendly person, and she picked up most of her clues that way. The heroine and her friends acted realistically and were nice people.
This was a clue-based puzzle mystery. There were enough clues that I could guess whodunit shortly before the final clues. The heroine asked good questions, was observant, and was generally good at realizing what those clues could mean. When one of her friends was in immediate danger, she was proactive in stopping a murderer, but she was as smart about it as possible under the circumstances.
There was one instance of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this fun mystery.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
November 18, 2016
This is the second book in the Fat Cat series and I thought it was even better than the first. Quincy, a ginger tabby, is a bit overweight and it's a constant battle between him and his human to keep his weight down. His human, Chase (Charity) somehow always manages to solve a murder mystery. I was laughing out loud in the first chapter as Quincy escapes detection and sneaks his way into the car that Chase and her business partner are taking to set up a booth of their bakery wares at the local fair. Once they arrive, Quincy, manages to beg treats from several food vendors until he is discovered licking a butter sculpture as one of the fair's main attractions. I have 3 ginger tabbies like Quincy who also love butter. They would love to get their paws on a butter sculpture and cross it off their bucket list!! I highly recommend this series for cozy lovers, cat lovers and anyone who enjoys a light murder mystery from time to time. I can hardly wait to read the next one in the series!!!!
June 15, 2015
What a lucky winner I was in the Goodreads contest to win this one! It is a 'cute' mystery, and it is probably the first time I have ever called a mystery book 'cute'. But Quincy, the adorable cat, the Bar None Bakery, the treat shop, and the interesting characters make this an upbeat joyous type book with two murders. [Not a spoiler alert thing, I don't think.] One of the main characters, Chase, is too nice, and too helpful towards everyone. Who is like that? She does occasionally show some faults, but they are usually funny. I can visualize the police officer looking at her when she tries to be helpful in solvng the cases...'just one more thing to help you do your job, Mr. PoliceOfficer!' As a special treat, there is a recipe at the end which anyone can make, and I plan to do so.
June 1, 2019
A fun and quick read. I have known cats like Quincy!
July 3, 2015
The 2nd of Janet Cantrell's "Fat Cat Mystery" series, "Fat Cat Spreads Out", takes us to the Bunyan county fair when the Bar None has set up a booth to sell their wares. When a butter sculptor turns up dead using one of the tools to craft one, a rather intriguing mystery follows that will keep you guessing right up to a somewhat delayed end. Cantrell does a lot of character development in this book which is a good thing as we continue to establish the relationships in this new series. Quincy at times is used as comic relief for the most part although just how clever this cat really is remains to be seen. The story itself is fast paced & engrossing and is hard to put down which is helped by the characters who are as real as anyone in a setting that could be any local fair. Despite an ending that jumps a little ways into the future, this is a very strong 2nd entry in this relatively new series that this reader looking forward to the next entry.
January 5, 2016
Quincy is again on a diet and prowl. He managed to hide in the bushel basket that Chase and Anna take to the county fair. He visit many of the booths receiving treats along the way. Now ,what is that smell? Butter he heads to that building and enters it without anyone knowing. Quincy immediately starts eating a butter sculpture. Someone screams and Dr Ramos is found with his hand in the sculpture and becomes a person of interest in the man laying dead. He was murdered while Quincy was feasting on butter. Chase is determined to clear Dr Ramos of the charge. This makes for a fun entertaining read. The one question I find hard to believe is using butter as a sculpture media. The cost would be expensive.
June 6, 2015
Great mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. I appreciate that the characters are both like-able and honest: you don't have to like everyone you come in contact with.
Would have taken off half a star if possible for the failure of editors to catch that the name Inger is replaced with Ingrid in several places near the end. Very distracting.
Would have taken off half a star if possible for the failure of editors to catch that the name Inger is replaced with Ingrid in several places near the end. Very distracting.
June 8, 2015
With short chapters for easy pick up reading, this cozy mystery is a quick,satisfying read. Quincy, the cat who loves eating and escaping, is one any cat owner can identity with. Clues given throughout let you figure out the plot. It was nice to see the recipes referred to at the back of the book. I received a copy for review from Goodreads First Reads.
July 16, 2015
Quincy is overweight and must diet per his vet's orders but he doesn't like that idea. This is a fun read with Quincy's owner, Chase, working hard at the Bar None with her partner, Anna. They create, make and sell dessert bars of all kinds. Quincy is an escape artist and when hunger calls, don't get in his way, but watch out as murder always seem to find him. While selling their desert bars at the county fair Quincy escapes and ends up in the butter-sculpting building and while indulging in a butter eating orgy, he sees a murder. Chase's boyfriend and Quincy's vet, Mike, ends up the main suspect and Chase goes into the investigating mode. The characters are well defined and interesting, especially Quincy, who voices his thoughts thru out the book. The background and food descriptions leave you hungry and wanting to sample everything in the shop. The murder plot is well done and quite twisted with the ending tying all the red herrings up in a satisfying way. The butter-sculpting contest is a well done theme that brought back my memories of seeing my first butter sculpture at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines many years ago. I recommend this series to cozy and mystery fans of all ages. This is Book#2 and I can't wait for the next one.
July 1, 2015
Another GREAT book by Janet Cantrell. Fat Cat Spreads Out is the second book in this "Fat Cat" series and I can't wait for more ! You cannot help but fall in love with Quincy the cat that likes to escape its confinement and explore. In Fat Cat Spreads Out you find yourself at the Bunyan County Harvest Fair with Chase and Anna, co-owners of Bar None. They have a booth there and are selling their wonderful dessert bars. As you read you will find yourself imagining the fairgrounds with the noises and smells, see the people walking around looking at the different vendors eating fair food. Then when you enter the Butter Sculpture exhibition building, I bet you will feel like you can smell the butter.
Cantrell has such a way with her writing that you get lost in the story. That to me is the way it should be when you read a book....get out of your own head, leave your life for a while and hang out with Chase, Anna, Quincy and Dr. Ramos....you will be glad you did.
Cantrell has such a way with her writing that you get lost in the story. That to me is the way it should be when you read a book....get out of your own head, leave your life for a while and hang out with Chase, Anna, Quincy and Dr. Ramos....you will be glad you did.
June 24, 2015
Chase can't seem to go anywhere without Quincy finding a body. This time he's escaped into the fair only to find kitty heaven in the building holding a butter sculpting contest. And, Chase's new beau, Dr. Ramos is found with Quincy and a dead body and an expensive prize in the fancy cat contest is missing. It's up to Chase to clear her friend while juggling a hormonal employee, the deceased's wife, the wife's identical twin sister, a parrot, a fair booth and an escape artist of a cat.
Janet Cantrell delivers a quirky cast of characters that leaves us guessing on who did it. I like the little blurbs written from the cat's point of view. It's cute and pushes the story along when the only witness to an event is the cat.
Janet Cantrell delivers a quirky cast of characters that leaves us guessing on who did it. I like the little blurbs written from the cat's point of view. It's cute and pushes the story along when the only witness to an event is the cat.
May 19, 2015
This is book two in the Fat Cat Mysteries, and it is lots of fun! Chase and Anna are hosting a booth at the harvest festival, to sell their baked goodies, and get the word out about their store. Well, Quincy decides to tag along ( I love this cat!). Chase gets herself mixed up in a murder investigation when Quincy happens to discover the body of a contestant in the butter sculpting contest, and when Dr Mike is taken for questioning, Chase knows she has to help! This is an easy read, and you will enjoy your time with Anna and the gang, and especially Quincy the cat! Looking forward to the next in the series.
June 15, 2016
Just finished this, the second book in the Fat Cat Mystery series. I really enjoyed the first one and this did not disappoint. Chase and Quincy take the Bar None Bakery goods on the road to a Harvest Festival. Quincy pulls his escape artist routine and winds up smack in the middle of a murder. There is a lot going on with murders, thefts, an employee with personal issues, the victim’s family, and with Dr. Mike implicated in a crime. Quincy’s point of view exerpts are clever and well done. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. This was fun quick read with a satisfying ending.
July 9, 2015
Again, I need more stars. This is a 3 1/2. I enjoyed it and still love Quincy and look forward to another in the series. Too many romantic relationships...filler as far as I am concerned. Other women in books, except for her partner and best friend are all whiny, bitchy, weird, selfish, strange.
August 21, 2016
Another amazing book in the Fat Cat mystery series. I absolutely love Quincy the cat. And I love this series.
June 29, 2015
This was an interesting book. The comments from the cat's point of view are separated. The bars that Chase makes sound wonderful and a recipe is included for one bar and for a cat treat.
January 1, 2020
Well golly, I didn't put together fast enough who the real suspect was in this book!
1st star - I gotta hand it to the author that there was much improvement in this book compared to the previous one, I'm glad I stuck around and am now off to the third book!
2nd star - I really, truly had to fight the urge to spoil myself on who was the killer and boy am I glad I did 'cuz I mostly didn't see THAT coming, like I think there were still some missing clues I couldn't quite place together, and with all these suspects it was hard to just pin down one suspect, and GAH! We don't even have just one crime in our hands here!!!
3rd star - I loved that we're taken out of the Bar None shop in this one and smack-dabbed placed in a local fair, and even with the change of scenery, those dessert bars are still some best-sellers! And did they margarita bars too?? Also, let's not forget the lovable tabby cat, Quincy! He more than made up for the trouble he caused in the first book and you couldn't quite help but love him in this. Quincy is surprisingly one protective tabby.
4th star - I can't believe I'm actually saying this but Charity Oliver, you have greatly improved from the last book; although she does seem extra nosy in this, but I'll brush it off as her style of sleuthing, which I did think she put great effort in doing. Chase still came a bit slow in few parts but boy, did she make up for it! Though she still comes off as a bit.. child-like?? for her indicated age of thirty-two... but I guess age is just a number, oh well...
1st star - I gotta hand it to the author that there was much improvement in this book compared to the previous one, I'm glad I stuck around and am now off to the third book!
2nd star - I really, truly had to fight the urge to spoil myself on who was the killer and boy am I glad I did 'cuz I mostly didn't see THAT coming, like I think there were still some missing clues I couldn't quite place together, and with all these suspects it was hard to just pin down one suspect, and GAH! We don't even have just one crime in our hands here!!!
3rd star - I loved that we're taken out of the Bar None shop in this one and smack-dabbed placed in a local fair, and even with the change of scenery, those dessert bars are still some best-sellers! And did they margarita bars too?? Also, let's not forget the lovable tabby cat, Quincy! He more than made up for the trouble he caused in the first book and you couldn't quite help but love him in this. Quincy is surprisingly one protective tabby.
4th star - I can't believe I'm actually saying this but Charity Oliver, you have greatly improved from the last book; although she does seem extra nosy in this, but I'll brush it off as her style of sleuthing, which I did think she put great effort in doing. Chase still came a bit slow in few parts but boy, did she make up for it! Though she still comes off as a bit.. child-like?? for her indicated age of thirty-two... but I guess age is just a number, oh well...
March 9, 2019
Chase and Anna are promoting the bakery at the Bunyan County Harvest Fair. Chase brings Quincy along to the fairgrounds in order to keep an eye on him. After the women discover that Quincy has torn through the desert bar inventory he escapes in search of more delicacies.
After gaining entry to the butter-sculpting exhibit the cat partakes in nibbling on a work in progress as he overhears an argument. Chase locates Quincy in the harms of his handsome veterinarian, Mike Ramos, as his is being led away from the exhibit building by the police. Mike becomes a suspect in a murder and Chase is determined to prove he had nothing to do with the crime.
This is the second book in the Fat Cat Mystery series. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. The characters are authentic. The plot in this story moves at a steady pace. A subplot involving Inger, one of Chase’s employees, moves slowly and seems to be missing detail. I find the asides made by the cat to be humorous. I wish the relationship between Chase and Mike would move a bit faster, especially because there is only one more book in this series. I look forward to reading that book and venturing into the authors books written under her real name, Kaye George.
After gaining entry to the butter-sculpting exhibit the cat partakes in nibbling on a work in progress as he overhears an argument. Chase locates Quincy in the harms of his handsome veterinarian, Mike Ramos, as his is being led away from the exhibit building by the police. Mike becomes a suspect in a murder and Chase is determined to prove he had nothing to do with the crime.
This is the second book in the Fat Cat Mystery series. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. The characters are authentic. The plot in this story moves at a steady pace. A subplot involving Inger, one of Chase’s employees, moves slowly and seems to be missing detail. I find the asides made by the cat to be humorous. I wish the relationship between Chase and Mike would move a bit faster, especially because there is only one more book in this series. I look forward to reading that book and venturing into the authors books written under her real name, Kaye George.
October 22, 2017
It's autumn and time for the Bunyan County Harvest Festival. While Chase and Anna are getting ready for the fair--they have a booth there to sell their bars from the Bar None.
And of course the first day they are setting things up, Quincy escapes. Everyone, including the vet, Mike Ramos, go after him. No one can find the cat until Mike goes into the building where they are carving butter sculptures. And he stumbles on a murdered person and is accused of murdering the man.
The there is the missing diamond collar that would be used for the dress-up cat competition. Patrice, a relative of Mike, admits to stealing it and had hid it in one of the butter sculptures--one more reason Mike is in there But the collar isn't there and then there is the dead man.
Is Mike really guilty of murder? And what happened to the diamond collar? Who did kill the man in the building?
This is a really fun cozy read that will keep you glued to the pages to find out who was the murderer. And there are laughs galore, especially when Quincy meets Gray, the parrot.
And of course the first day they are setting things up, Quincy escapes. Everyone, including the vet, Mike Ramos, go after him. No one can find the cat until Mike goes into the building where they are carving butter sculptures. And he stumbles on a murdered person and is accused of murdering the man.
The there is the missing diamond collar that would be used for the dress-up cat competition. Patrice, a relative of Mike, admits to stealing it and had hid it in one of the butter sculptures--one more reason Mike is in there But the collar isn't there and then there is the dead man.
Is Mike really guilty of murder? And what happened to the diamond collar? Who did kill the man in the building?
This is a really fun cozy read that will keep you glued to the pages to find out who was the murderer. And there are laughs galore, especially when Quincy meets Gray, the parrot.
August 24, 2018
About the book, A booth at the Bunyan County Harvest Fair seems like the perfect opportunity for Charity “Chase” Oliver and Anna Larson to promote their Bar None bakery business. Unfortunately, plus-sized pussycat Quincy has plans for their delicious dessert bars other than selling them to customers. After tearing through their inventory, Quincy goes roaming the fairgrounds in search of more delights.
But what he finds is murder. One of the top contenders in a butter-sculpting contest has been killed, and Chase is churning on the inside when she sees Quincy’s handsome veterinarian, Dr. Mike Ramos, being led away by the police. With a little help from a kitty with butter on his whiskers, Chase needs to find the real killer and clear the doctor’s good name.
I loved how it all turn out and am looking forward to the next in this series. I highly recomm3end reading them.
But what he finds is murder. One of the top contenders in a butter-sculpting contest has been killed, and Chase is churning on the inside when she sees Quincy’s handsome veterinarian, Dr. Mike Ramos, being led away by the police. With a little help from a kitty with butter on his whiskers, Chase needs to find the real killer and clear the doctor’s good name.
I loved how it all turn out and am looking forward to the next in this series. I highly recomm3end reading them.
June 5, 2017
It's been 2 years since I read the first book, but it was easy to pick right back up with the characters. However, I must admit that I was fuzzy enough on the details of the first mystery that the oblique references to past events went over my head. From what I do recall though, the first murder-mystery was more high-stakes, while this book was more interesting throughout. I still wish Quincy was more of a main character though. The little italicized features from his point of view are very short, few, and far between.
I did notice a few little editing goofs too, where words or sentences seemed to be missing.
All in all, nothing outstanding, but good enough that I'll probably buy the next one so I can maintain a complete set.
I did notice a few little editing goofs too, where words or sentences seemed to be missing.
All in all, nothing outstanding, but good enough that I'll probably buy the next one so I can maintain a complete set.
June 17, 2022
Quincy the cat is at it again, running off and being discovered beside a freshly murdered body, this time at the Bunyan County Harvest Fair. I found myself enjoying the newly introduced characters, as well as the grown of the existing cast. I admit I'm more invested in Chase and Mike than I thought I'd be, and I was beyond amused at his family's antics. I honestly didn't put the murders together until it was laid out for me, so I feel a little silly, but otherwise I greatly enjoyed Fat Cat Spreads Out, and now that I have the trilogy, I can start Fat Cat Takes the Cake.
July 30, 2018
The second book in the Fat Cat series deals with issues involving a new employee at Bar None, Inger; Dr. Mike Ramos, the veterinarian; and the Bunyan County Harvest Festival. Several murders occur, and Dr. Ramos is suspected in one. Chase Oliver sets out to clear his name by solving the murders and also looks into the theft of a prize, a very valuable cat collar. She enters Quincy in a Fancy Cat Contest at the fair. Romance blossoms for some of the characters.
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