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The Cats That #5

The Cats that Watched the Woods

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Buckle up. Get ready for a suspenseful, thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. What have the extraordinary cats of millionaire Katherine “Katz” Kendall surfed up now? “Idyllic vacation cabin by a pond stocked with catfish.” It’s July in Erie, Indiana, and steamy weather fuels the tension between Katz and her fiancé, Jake. Katz rents the cabin for a private getaway, though Siamese cats, Scout and Abra, demand to go along. How does a peaceful, serene setting go south in such a hurry? Is the terrifying man in the woods real, or is he the legendary ghost of Peace Lake? It’s up to Katz and her cats to piece together the mysterious puzzle. Enjoy this stand-alone novel, or learn more about these amazing characters by exploring the first book in the series, “The Cats that Surfed the Web.”

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2015

233 people are currently reading
118 people want to read

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Karen Anne Golden

12 books83 followers

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5 stars
477 (55%)
4 stars
250 (29%)
3 stars
102 (11%)
2 stars
20 (2%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
14 reviews3 followers
December 14, 2015
This book seemed a little tired, but I'm still giving it 3 stars as the other books in the series were much better and I know they can be good again.

Unfortunately what plot there was looked as if it was adapted from a rejected Justified script, the moronic in-bred clan was neither scary or comedic, just rather sad.

While I'm glad Katz has some romance in her life, he is turning into a 'far too good to be true' boyfriend and needs some edges soon or I'm going to start urging her to run off with her bad boy stalker.

In one way, there were not enough cats in this while in another there were too many, which didn't let the girls shine as they should. I'm sorry Katz, but I disagree, unless you are going to foster and pass the cats onto a good home, there is such a thing as too many cats, especially if you want them to have personalities.

Good points were getting out into the countryside and away from the charmed manor pink murder house. I know nothing of Indiana, but I like what I've read about it. I also found the man and his crow very interesting and was glad we weren't short-changed on his story.

I would also like to thank the publisher/distributor/author for pricing this book as an ebook should be, much cheaper than a physical book to reflect the differences in production and distribution costs.

So to sum up, I'm sticking with the series so long as the rustic village idiots are either sidelined or written better and we get more concentrated cat cleverness. After all the cats are in the title, the subhumans aren't.
Profile Image for Kelly.
228 reviews20 followers
February 4, 2020
A little bit of a suspense cozy here. I like the change in venue, the 'change' of some characters and the introduction of a new character (who I hope stays- you hear that Evan?!). It's a light read, easy on the eyes and definitely not overtaxing. I really want the cabin angle opened up and the 'Hulk' to play a more prominent role... if not in this book, then in future ones!
4,379 reviews56 followers
February 16, 2021
This isn't that much of a mystery because the culprit is revealed quickly, but it is a thriller. I don't think I've ever read a cozy with so much action and suspense. A book that entices and grabs you.
28 reviews1 follower
April 17, 2015
Don't start reading at bedtime if you really need to sleep. Not that you won't sleep after reading although it is pretty intense, but you just won't want to put it down.

In this book we get to see more of Scout and Abra's canny perception, and a couple of siamese kittens get introduced. Even though Katz is really getting settled in Erie, she decides she needs a little vacation before making wedding plans with Jake. But the idyllic cabin is not as safe as it appears.
Profile Image for Dallass.
2,233 reviews
June 25, 2020
Not long enough to delve into the meat of the story.

This is another great instalment in the series, but my major gripe with them is beginning to frustrate me. There is quite a bit happening in each book. Small plot points that often seem like they are going to develop fizzle out to nothing, and events happen quickly, but they are briefly dealt with and the author moves on.

I think this book, and the previous one, would have been so much more impactful if they were longer and had the time to handle things in more depth. As it is, life altering events happen, but they are over in a chapter. I finish the books and although I’m entertained, I still am left feeling a little cheated.

Anyhow, apart from that issue, the characters are solid, and I’m liking where Jake and Katz are going. The cats are adorable. Just wish it was longer.

3.5 stars ⭐️
Profile Image for DE Jorgensen.
173 reviews1 follower
December 3, 2016
Enjoyable light reading

I have really enjoyed every one of Golden's books. If you want heavy, hyper intellectual reading, get a different book, but if you want to be entertained, pick this or any of "The Cats that..." books. This time Katz is out in the woods where there are drugs dealers, a ghostly Vietnam vet, a car wreck, a tornado, and a helpful crow and skunk. How can you go wrong?
1 review
May 24, 2024
Can’t-put-down-almost-missed-supper-fell-asleep-reading Good

If you like mystery and cats. Siamese and their antics this books for you. Clean. There are some h words, b word but that about it I think. Karen Anne Golden has done it again..I am so happy to see more books to read by her. Pre-teen and up. But compared to the language today this is good. Karen will refer back to previous books includes solving a murder, seeing someone get shot. If you want to jump in ….
Profile Image for Suzi.
178 reviews13 followers
August 25, 2017
One of my favorite series!

I'm enchanted by this series, it being set in Indiana and featuring Siamese and an Abyssinian kitties. There are some editing problems such as story continuity and just not explaining well in places. Thank you Ms Golden once again for a very entertaining read!
Profile Image for Kim Loomer.
625 reviews9 followers
April 16, 2020
Seeing is believing

This was a wonderful story full of mystery, crime, compassion and a haunting ghost who does good deeds. When Katz decides to rent a cabin in the woods for a few days she gets much more than she was expecting. With two of her cats along for the ride,it was a great book that I couldn't put down.
Profile Image for Kathleen Mckenna.
73 reviews2 followers
Read
October 24, 2023
This was an exciting read. I love how the cats manage to open doors and closets and locks. I don't think I'd like more than two cats myself. Imagine all the hair and the amount of litter box cleaning. Yikes! These felines are into everything but manage to figure out whodunit. It's a nice story following in time with the other books in the series.
1,012 reviews
October 4, 2019
Cabin in the woods holds secrets

Katherine needs time alone to think, so she goes to a cabin in the woods for a few days, but it isn't peaceful. Suspense, more cat antics, and secrets revealed.
13 reviews
August 12, 2020
Absolutely Love this series!

Love this series! Well written, good mystery, enjoy the antics of the cats, likeable characters! Each book stands alone well but I've been reading in sequence. Thank you for the enjoyable books! Looking forward to the next ones.
64 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2020
Let’s face it, I am a sucker for cozy mysteries with cats and dogs. This septet of fancy felines guide their mistress through murders, robberies, and left over questions from the past. From adorable child neighbors to zany high school friends, this series will keep you guessing.
528 reviews
October 13, 2022
Siamese cats from 5 to 7! Smart cats!

Great characters humans and cats! Would be strange if cats could be like those in this series! Imagine cats knowing when danger is around the corner! Let's see what happens next!
Profile Image for Susan Puckett.
63 reviews
July 22, 2018
Cute and eventful

Loved this what you say was the rest looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Fun easy books to read
Profile Image for Barbara.
43 reviews
October 28, 2018
If you love kitty cats

I have read all your book and loved them, please write some more. All my friends had also read them. Can't wait for your next book.🐱🐾
Profile Image for jill m belina.
1 review
April 3, 2019
If you love cats and a mystery this book is for you!

Cute books, cute cats with their crazy antics! Fast and easy read! The characters are charming! Soft mystery and drama.
705 reviews1 follower
April 22, 2025
The Cat That Watched the Woods

What a beautiful story and such a happy ending all those years he was isolated and alone. Ended in a beautiful way.
Profile Image for Kat Lebo.
855 reviews15 followers
April 18, 2015
The Cats that Watched the Woods
by Karen Anne Golden

This is the 5th book in the The Cats That series, following Katherine "Katz" Kendall and her 5 cats on their adventures in Erie, in Erie County, Indiana. BTW, there is an Erie, Indiana, in, I believe, Lawrence County. There is no Erie County. :-) In fact, the author is from my own area in Indiana, and from descriptions of the location of her fictional Erie, it would lie not far from her. That makes her descriptions and notations of life in this area all the more vivid for me, as they are so easily identifiable.

In this episode, Katz if feeling some pressure regarding the specifics not only of managing the huge fortune she inherited from her great-aunt, but regarding the probably upcoming marriage to Jake. He wants her to sign a pre-nup to prove he isn't after her money, but she's not feeling she wants that. His mother has many ideas for a grand wedding and reception, but Katz isn't really wanting a lot of hoopla to surround the nuptials. So, in hopes of thinking things through, Katz decides to bow out of a going with Jake on a business trip to Atlanta, and instead rents an isolated cabin in the woods in southern Erie County, where she can get back to nature and clear her mind. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

Of course, there's that legend of the Vietnam serviceman who was killed in action and now haunts the lake and woods where the cabin is located. And, of course, the fact, of which Katz is unaware, that the cabin owner is in fact tied into some of the less-than-legal doings of Erie's nefarious Sanders family. What could go wrong? When Scout and Abra do their danger dance when Katz tries to leave them behind with the house and cat sitter, she relents and takes them with her.

It's an exciting romp, full of mysterious sightings, heart-pounding danger, twists, turns, and loose ends enough to please any mystery lover. This one ranks up there as one of my absolute favorites of the series. And, of course, the fact that there are no no grammar errors, no misspellings, no wrong words or other proofing errors makes me wish I could give it a 6th star.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
571 reviews7 followers
November 16, 2017
These mysteries are reminiscent of The Cat Who…books by Lilian Jackson Braun. I loved those books.

However, these mysteries with Katz and her merry band of cats are a wonderful update. Katz inherited her great Aunt’s fortune and lives in Erie, Indiana. Katz is a programmer from Manhattan who is growing accustom to small town, Midwest life. Katz lives with her 5 cats in a pink mansion. She seems to be a danger magnet, who finds murder and/or mayhem wherever she goes. Along with her friends from New York and Indiana she solves the mysteries of Erie.

In this story, Katz is feeling the pressure of pleasing everyone and herself. She decides to take a weekend off at a lovely cabin near Peace Lake, Indiana. However, two of her Siamese cats don’t think it’s a good idea for her to go alone. So, they throw a fit until Katz agrees to take them. Once they get to the area, Katz realizes that this isn’t going to be the quiet weekend that she was looking for. And the adventure begins. Even with everything Katz goes through she shows how generous and kind natured she is. It is very sweet the way she helps people.

I like the characters and jams that Ms. Golden comes up. The neat thing about her stories are they aren’t always about murder, she has other mysteries in each story which is refreshing and intriguing. This is the fifth book in her series and I look forward to the next installment.

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Profile Image for MK.
1,623 reviews22 followers
July 26, 2015
In the 5th book of the Cozy Mystery series by Karen Anne Golden..The Cats that Watched the Woods she brings us mystery, suspense, and much laughter especially with the two Siamese who give the best performance of there lives.

Katz is in need of a little alone time, and this means away from the cats, wedding plans, everything that was troubling her. So much has happened and she needs to clear her head. Jake is concerned, but just makes sure there ok. The day she leaves Scout and Abra give her no choice but to bring them with her.

While up at the cabin on Peace Lake it's beautiful, but when things start happening Katz decides ok time to go home. The only thing is weird things begin to happen when she leaves. The excitement has begun. When she nearly misses hitting someone in the road the car goes, and hits something else. No idea what happens, and how she got out of the car. She wakes up disorientated. When a man appears out of nowhere he assures her that everything will be ok. He has taken her somewhere safe. There are men after her.

A must read. If you haven't read any of the other's before this I would. They just grab you.
Profile Image for Leslie.
1,445 reviews5 followers
May 6, 2016
Katz and her 5 cats are living in the pink mansion. Katz and her fiancé Jake disagree on a prenuptial agreement - Jake wants one and Katz doesn't. Jake thinks a prenup will staunch any gossip about him marrying Katz for her money. Katz is feeling overwhelmed by Jake's mother who is trying to take over the wedding planning to create a huge overblown event. She decides to take a mini vacation to Peace Lake without Jake and the cats. Two of the cats pitch such a fit Katz takes them with her. Once at the cabin she rented, she goes to bed and is awakened by thunder. The cats are looking at something outside and Katz sees that it is a big man looming near the woods and, in the next lightning flash he's closer. She stays awake the rest of the night and decides to leave the next day. Just as she's trying to return the key to the owner down the road she witnesses him being shot. The shooter chases her and runs her off the road. It was quite action-packed and fast paced; overall another enjoyable quick cozy mystery.
Profile Image for Sue Ross.
610 reviews12 followers
April 15, 2015
This is the fifth book in the series and I hope it’s not the last one.
This time our heroine, Katherine, decides to take a vacation all alone to a cabin in the woods to decompose after her last adventure. What she finds in the woods is not just woodsy little cute furry creatures, but a nest of vipers and a lost sheep. In the short time that she is there not only does she run into these vipers, but a huge storm strikes and she wrecks her car and is almost killed.
Karen Anne Golden writes a series that is heart warming and heart wrenching both at the same time. It is entertaining and compelling. Once you start, you can’t quit. They are a quick read series, but yet offer suspense, excitement and a bit of humor. This one even has a ghost in it. Now what more could you ask of a good book?
Profile Image for Kay (Brigidsmomma) Compton.
767 reviews28 followers
July 11, 2015
This is another great mystery in the Cats who series... I just love Abra and Scout and all the other cats, and Katz is great too. This series reminds me very much of the Cat Who series by Lillian Jackson Braun, and like that series is about a wealthy philanthropist who shares her life with a house full of cats (in the older series, the protagonist is male and only has 2 cats, but otherwise, they are very similar). The adventures Katz and her cats have are full oc action and some really unique catly traits. It's a series that I whole-heartedly endorse, and this book is another reason why this series should be successful for a long run.
Profile Image for Mystereity Reviews.
778 reviews50 followers
April 19, 2015
3.5 stars
I like this series, it's cute, enjoyable and a quick read. A little longer than a short story and a little shorter than a cozy, something you can read in an hour or 2. I love all the cats, and the setting

Although I enjoyed this book, there wasn't a lot of plot, and it was more suspense than mystery. It was more like several mini-plots strung together. I think a lot of future story lines were introduced, making this book a bridge between the previous books and what's to come. Or at least, that's how I'm looking at it. Either way, it's still a series I enjoy and I look forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Betty.
2,004 reviews73 followers
April 13, 2015
Man With Out A Face

Cats are the main characters in this cozy with a little mystery and romance. Katz decides she needs a break from arguments about prenuptial and the wedding plans and rents a cabin. Abra and Scout raise a storm so she takes them with her. Arriving going storm, Katz retires to bed. She is awoken by the storm and see a man with out a face and only one eye. Who is the man, what does want? She better find answers before her life ends. I recommend this series.
39 reviews
November 14, 2015
One of the best of the Cozy Mystery

This is an interesting series. Yes inheriting lots of money and becoming the city murder magnet is a stretch but the characters in the books, the stories themselves, and especially the little nuggets of cat behavior are well worth the time. Each book is better than the last. This one is my favorite.
28 reviews4 followers
April 19, 2015
Love it

Katz is up to her old stunts again, but this time Jake is tuned in on the cats " special abilities". Get ready to enjoy another adventure with Katz and her sweet babies. Find out if her little family grows to include more fun.
2 reviews
April 26, 2015
Love cat cozy mysteries!

I stumbled into Katz's life, waiting for a different series. At first the only draw for me was the cats, but somehow I have become endeared to the whole family. The stories are perfect for those short reads and quite enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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