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The Cats That #4

The Cats That Played the Market

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A blizzard blows into Indiana, bringing gifts, gala events, and a ghastly murder to heiress Katherine “Katz” Kendall. It’s Katherine’s birthday, and she gets more than she bargains for when Colleen and her mum visit the Victorian mansion to celebrate. Handsome boyfriend Jake adds to the joys of the season. After all hell breaks loose at the Erie Museum’s opening, Katherine and her five cats unwittingly stumble upon clues that help solve a mystery. But has Scout lost her special abilities? Or will Katz find that another one of her amazing felines is a super-sleuth? With the cats providing clues, it’s up to Katherine and her friends to piece together the murderous puzzle ... before the town goes bust!

"The Cats that Played the Market” is the fourth book of Karen Anne Golden’s bestselling cozy animal mystery series “The Cats that ... ”

135 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2014

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Karen Anne Golden

12 books83 followers

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5 stars
531 (54%)
4 stars
296 (30%)
3 stars
120 (12%)
2 stars
20 (2%)
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10 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
17 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2014
Enjoyable, easy read

I like cozy mysteries that allow my mind to relax. No bloody gore or horrifying descriptions just to gross you out.
The cats that.... books do not disappoint. Likeable, real characters, a bit heavy on the "how different Indiana is" stuff (I am from Ohio, so I find that constant comparison unnecessary), the story's end does leave me wanting to know what will happen next in this town with Katz and her cats.
Profile Image for Sue Ross.
610 reviews12 followers
March 26, 2015
This is the 4th book in the series and is just as great as the others. If you are a cat person, you will love this series. There are 5 cats in the series. They will entertain you, make you laugh, and make you wonder what’s going to happen next. I hope there is another one in the series because I really enjoy reading about them, even though I’m a dog person.
4,377 reviews56 followers
August 5, 2019
2 1/2 stars. It's an easy read, entertaining and I look forward to see what is happening with the characters. All the things you look for in a cozy. Just a few complaints. The solution to the mystery comes too soon; there isn't following clues, etc. There were were a number of very funny scenes with the cats but some of it seemed a little forced. I also think it is too soon for Jake to think the cats have some sort of mysterious power when it comes to solving mysteries. There just hasn't been enough interaction where he has been around. Maybe, that is it: things are just too rushed.
Profile Image for C..
770 reviews119 followers
May 14, 2018
This was the 4th book in this series that I have read, and it also rates "My Favorite Reads" rating.

I love how this author has managed to give each of her 5 cats it's own unique voice and personality, even though they do not actually "talk" in human speech, which is the way I like it.
I also really enjoy the recurring supporting characters in this series. It makes reading each book feel like revisiting your hometown.

So far there are 9-books in this series, so I am looking forward to reading book #5~"The Cats That Watched The Woods. I love that they are all available to read with my Kindle Unlimited subscription!
Profile Image for Kat Lebo.
855 reviews15 followers
January 23, 2015
The Cats that Played the Market
by Karen Anne Golden

This is the 4th and latest book in Golden's series, and it is another quick, fun read.

This adventure takes place in December, just a couple of months after the finish of the last book. Katherine and Jake have become an item. Once again, Erie, IN is in the throes of a winter storm. Roads are closed and the state police are advising everyone to stay at home. In just a few days, Colleen and her mother are coming out to visit before the holidays. The trial of Patricia Marston, who murdered her own mother and Kathleen's ex-boyfriend, Gary (book #1) occurred just a few weeks earlier and Marston was found guilty and will be transported to a maximum security prison in the northern part of the state. And, it's Katz's birthday.

For her birthday, the estate attorney, Mark, present Katz with a check for 5 million dollars as payout from the estate funds. She will inherit the entire amount in just a few months, after fulfilling the requirements of her great aunt's will. He advises her to invest some of the money with a new financial advisor in town, Robbie Brentwood, who had returned to Erie from New York in order to care for his aging mother.

The story marries to story lines, the mysteries surrounding Brentwood and his seemingly too-good-to-be-true financial promises and the wrap up of the Marston story. Both story lines provide plenty of twists and turns, action and danger, and put all of Katherine's friends and furry family at risk. The story lines are well paced, intertwine well, and keep the reader engaged and turning page after page.

As usual, great proofing/editing. Kudos! The characterizations of main characters are well fleshed out by this 4th book, and a reader of the entire series feels a comfortable with them as with his/her real life friends. Abra, the fifth cat (book #3) has settled in well and is a good fit with the growing Kendall clowder. Golden has utilized references to popular culture in all of the books, and continues that in this book, a practice of which I am very fond. A good example would be the names Barbie Sanders has given the two Siamese cats she has adopted: Dewey and Crow, obviously named for the Dewey Crow character in the TV series "Justified." (An aside -- interesting that I would read this the night before watching the first episode of the current, and last, season of "Justified," in which Dewey passes into that great TV land in the sky).

All in all, I have enjoyed this series very much. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series, to see what trouble will come knocking at Katherine's door, and how her friends and her furry family will react.

Profile Image for Mystereity Reviews.
778 reviews50 followers
December 21, 2014
Another entry in a cute series. I love that you can curl up and read this in an afternoon, and the characters are adorable. The only criticism I have is that the main mystery wasn't solved very well. It wasn't until after I finished it that it occurred to me that with all the excitement at the end of the book, the resolution to the murder was buried. But still a fun, enjoyable series.
Profile Image for Dallass.
2,233 reviews
June 25, 2020
Well, that wasn’t what I expected.

Had a fun time with this book, and I’m glad the characters are sorting out issues raised in previous books. Jake and Katz are sweet, and Colleen has a surprise for her bestie. Cora is a problem, and Mark finally has a more serious talk with Katz.

A fast paced plot that has a nice resolution for our main players. Onwards to book 5.

3.5 stars ⭐️
Profile Image for Kathleen Mckenna.
73 reviews2 followers
October 24, 2023
At this point in the series I have decided that I wouldn't want to live in this house. In the first book of the series a character mentions that crime is really rare in this town. How, in the space of a few months, this lady has death and mystery this often is kind of crazy. I'd be back in Brooklyn in a NY minute, to use the heroine's expression. However, I do like the fast pace of the stories and I very much enjoy the feline antics. It's a fun series.
Profile Image for Kelly.
228 reviews20 followers
February 3, 2020
Another quick, light read. This cozy romance has a few different mysteries going on, and several cat capers. To be honest, I would have preferred two books... the first ⅔ could have been the story- it just needed some more details. The last ⅓ could have been a complete story, all its own. I really wanted more details and information, it was really quite bare.
Profile Image for Suzi.
178 reviews13 followers
August 1, 2017
So glad I discovered this series

If you love Siamese and small town murders, try this series! Lots of action, small town gossips and real characters. Thank you again Ms Golden for the entertainment and excitement!
39 reviews
April 17, 2019
Love this series

In having so much fun with this series. Normally I know who dunit early but I haven't in this series. Ima big cat lover and once had part Siamese so it doesn't adds fun to the story. I highly recommend
Profile Image for Ellen Drummond.
14 reviews
June 22, 2019
Lovely book & suspense galore

The continuing adventures of Katz and her 5 cats continues. It has a swindler, a murder, an unfriendly mother & a formidable foe returns.
I really like the progression and filling out of the characters and am looking forward to the next book.
1,010 reviews
October 2, 2019
Funny cats and a mystery or two

A mystery involving a new financial planner in town and the new historical society museum, and a bad person from the past. The cats, as usual, know things humans don't and are so much fun.
64 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2020
And the murderous fun continues

The cats do their death dance when someone is about to die. This series gets better as it goes along. It is full of light fun reading with many cat centered incidents and a growing romance.
527 reviews
October 10, 2022
Special cats know when things are going to happen!!

These cats are something else! They just know things! A murder happens the cats did a weird dance before he died! You love cats!? Read this!
136 reviews2 followers
May 29, 2017
Loved it very much!

Book 4...excellent read great storyline. Sweet ending!!I love all of Katz' 5 cats!! Can't wait to read book Five. Enjoy!!
Profile Image for Susan Puckett.
63 reviews
June 18, 2018
Cute story

As usual, Katz and her cats end up with a murder to solve!
I had wondered when the murderer would appear.. this one was a little hesitant....
Profile Image for Kim Loomer.
625 reviews9 followers
May 21, 2019
What a great book.

This book hsd the most action of any so far. It was everything from funny to nerve wrecking. A great read.
8 reviews
January 1, 2024
Best one yet

A great story line. It had everything love mystery hate fear sad happy. A great read. Can not wait for the next installment.
160 reviews
November 15, 2024
Another wonderful story. Murder, deceit, and Katz in the middle of things.
705 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2025
The Cats That Played the Market

Truly amazing what all the things these silly cats are able to do. I wish I was as smart as these cats.
Profile Image for MK.
1,620 reviews22 followers
July 26, 2015
Karen Anne Golden has brought another wonderful cozy book which I loved. In the fourth book the amazing cats are back to play the market...Scout, Abra, Iris, Lilac and Abby they will touch your heart. Mark Dunn has brought Katz some wonderful news on her birthday no less. His advice is to invest her fortune..When she meets Robert Brentwood for the first time, he sets off some bad vibes. The cats even tell her too in the way they only now how. Wow you can't help but laugh.
When something terrible happens you know who will help solve the mystery? The plot only thickens, because of other
things the cat's find after Robert Brentwood leaves Katz's house. It's very fascinating how the mystery is solved.

In this book my heart was beating in moments and crying too..such sweet moments. You'll see why..so buy the books.
You'll just fall in love with all the cats.
Highly recommend this book, as well as the entire series.
Profile Image for Caroline Baisley.
46 reviews2 followers
January 11, 2015
Cute Cosy Murder Mystery

This is a light, easy murder mystery with minimum suffering and minimum gore. There's love involved, but the author discreetly draws the line at hugging and kissing. I very much appreciate this! When I wasn't a cosy, I'm not looking for steamy sex. The plot is straightforward but extremely well crafted. While our heroine, Katz, is becoming a murder magnet in this series set in small town INDIANA, the plot is believable. I found it a totally enjoyable afternoon read.
1 review
October 7, 2016
Love the cats

I loved this latest installment. The storyline draws the reader in right away and I couldn't put it down until the end. It's fun to imagine inheriting such a fortune. I love reading about the cats and their distinct and human-like personalities. I can't wait for the next installment.
Profile Image for Susan.
211 reviews5 followers
December 22, 2016
Murder once again comes to Eerie, Indiana and heiress Katz Kendall and her feline sleuths are on the case. I love these books. Katz is a woman you could be friends and her cat menagerie are charming, smart, and helpful. I recommend it to mystery lovers who also love cats. If you enjoy Lillian Jackson Braun,Rita Mae Brown, and Carole Douglas, then you will enjoy Karen Anne Golden. Happy Reading!
100 reviews
January 5, 2015
Purrect

Oh my god I love these books. Karen Anne Golden is a great author. I have read the full series and can't wait for her next one. Please don't wait to long to write the next one.
Profile Image for Leslie.
1,445 reviews5 followers
January 23, 2015
Another quick read with Katz and her 5 cats. The scene at the fund raiser is hilarious; the author is sparse with description so you can fill in the images yourself, esp. with the really interesting cakes. Not sure where she's going with this series, but this one had a very satisfying ending.
3 reviews
May 7, 2015
The cats that played the market excellent book read

I wrote that it was excellent because it keep you wanting to read more. It kept you wanting to know what happened next. Cannot wait to start reading the next one. Great job.
295 reviews5 followers
June 7, 2016
Market

Such a darling, funny, intriguing story, one I won't give away! Karen Golden writes about cats as if she had been one in a previous life, maybe she was!!! Really enjoying this as well as other of her books. Hope you will too!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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