Kidnapped and Catnipped

by Diane Kelly

After her tabby alerts her to suspicious activity next door, a college student finds her elderly neighbor non-responsive, the bedroom ransacked, and the woman’s beloved cat missing. Was it a burglary gone awry, or something much more sinister? Can she track down the clues and bring the prissy Persian back home?

59 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2025

About the author

Award-winning author Diane Kelly writes romance and romantic mysteries featuring feisty heroines, quirky sidekicks, and sexy leading men, with humor that leaves readers laughing out loud.

Reviews

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Austen, a Preservation Design major at the Savannah College of Art and Design, lives in a converted attic with her cat, Sherlock. She shares a close friendship with her 94-year-old neighbor, Eleanor, while Sherlock enjoys the company of Eleanor's cat, Silly.

I appreciated the engaging character development of Austen, Sherlock, Eleanor, and Silly, as well as the intriguing mystery with Sherlock leading the investigation. Unfortunately, the story was marred by numerous copy-editing errors in only 59 pages, including a misidentification of a character. The most jarring mistake was an appointment timeline that shifted from a five-month wait to only two weeks within a few paragraphs.

Because the book was available as a free download, I purchased the digital version to see if the free copy was an eARC, but the errors remained. This was my first encounter with the author's work. While I might read another book eventually, I'm not in a rush.

This book is marketed as part of the "90-Minute Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Short Reads" category.

Reviewer's Note: Twelve cozy mystery authors are offering a free story each month in 2026. This story was February's selection.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's a sweet mystery and perfect for animal lovers. I've read a few others by this author and always enjoy her work. I hope there will be a continuing series with these characters.

I received this as a freebie and all opinions are my own.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kidnapped and Catnipped is a smart, enjoyable quick read. Featuring a smart college student, a sassy senior citizen and a couple of cute kitties our intrepid team is on the hunt for a dangerous pet-napper. Pets are disappearing from the neighborhood and Austen and Sherlock are on the case. I really enjoyed the chase.

[leesa j. pendley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet read

Animal lovers will enjoy this who dun it. Likeable protagonist and positive messages. Cats play a part in the solution.

[Cindyloo84 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute novella.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love your pets, you’ll cheer for this cute story with a happy ending!

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. But why wasn’t Sherlock at the celebration event/party?

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter and I read this aloud together. Okay story, but not a very tough mystery to solve. We knew who the culprit before we got to the end. A fun read together but not a keeper on my shelf.

[DONNA FOSS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!
Unique story.
I read it in a few hours.
I've read many books by Diane Kelly.
Loved them all.