Blueprints, Blackmail, And A British Shorthair: A Dead Developer, Dangerous Secrets, and One Very Observant Cat

by Samantha Noble

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Willow Poteet · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a normal Monday morning at the Purrs & Puzzles Cat Café as owner Emma Clark and her British Shorthair sidekick, Purrlock Holmes, attend to their opening duties.
Lately, the routine has included the arrival of wealthy developer, Garrison Faulk, who has been frequenting the café at the same time every morning, sitting at the same table and ordering a coffee, which he doesn't drink.
But, one morning after his visit, Emma gets a call from the local handyman who has stumbled upon Faulk’s dead body in the alley behind the Whitmore building.
To make matters worse, there's a paper to-go cup of still hot coffee displaying the Purrs & Puzzles logo on it!
Emma and Purrlock are determined to find the murderer before there's another murder.
This is book #11 of the Purrs & Puzzles Cat Café Cozy Mystery series and have read and enjoyed them all! There are plenty of plot twists and suspects to keep you guessing.
I highly recommend this series!
I was honored to be part of the Advance Reader team for this book and I am happy to leave this voluntary review.

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Blueprints, Blackmail, And A British Shorthair: A Dead Developer, Dangerous Secrets, and One Very Observant Cat" is the first book I've read in the Purrs and Puzzles Cat Café Cozy Mysteries. It's book eleven. I've got a lot of catching up to do.
The title is certainly catchy. The author didn't even need to write a blurb, pretty much tells the story itself! The cover is absolutely gorgeous. The great cat detective himself grumpy and fierce at center.
The mystery was finely crafted. Ms. Noble provides us with lots of twists and clues. The little glimpses of cat personality were delightful. The cafe owner, Emma Clark, a good narrator with excellent detective skills.
An enjoyably quick read. I'm glad I had the opportunity (a suggestion from another cozy author) to find this gem of a series. I'm already reading the prior book and can't wait for more.

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

[Jenna Appleseed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, some really good writing, some phrases are deeper/stronger than you'd expect from what looks like a throwaway bit of fluff with an ai cover.

Good side characters fun stuff with the blogger convincing people the case was solved by a celebrity cat detective.

The relationship between the cafe owner & the detective is a bit formulaic/cliche. Does it have to turn into a romance?

Not sure why the murderer needed to steal that many cups?

Needed a bit more editing to remove overly repetitive description and dialogue (inc. the
main character releasing a breath she didn't realise she was holding in chapters 9 & 10).
Some of the repetition initially works to show the usual routine of the cafe, cats & regular customers, but by the last chapters it was like the author assumed the reader's forgotten what characters have just said or thought.

(Ironically the acknowledgements thank their team for saving "readers from far too many repeated phrases").

[REGINA BRADBURN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueprints Blackmail & a British Shorthair

Samantha Clark keeps busy with Purrlock Holmes the British shorthair cat and she also runs the Purrs & Puzzles Cate Cafe in Savannah. When a man is murdered, they decide to solve the whodunnit by going through the twists & turns to get there. This is the first book I’ve read by this author & I’m glad I got it from Amazon. I admit I got it due to the cute cover since I like cozy mysteries with animal sleuths & can say I was not disappointed. I liked reading about Samantha & Purrlock Holmes and will read more books in this series. Aunt Jo’s Bourbon Peach Coffee Cake, Aunt Jo’s Lemon Olive Oil Cake & Amelia’s Lemon Cardamom Scone recipes at the end were a nice addition to the end of the book since they were mentioned in the story. I made all 3 & all of us liked everything.

[GinaB. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Clark keeps busy with Purrlock Holmes the British shorthair cat and she also runs the Purrs & Puzzles Cate Cafe in Savannah. When a man is murdered, they decide to solve the whodunnit by going through the twists & turns to get there. This is the first book I’ve read by this author & I’m glad I got it from Amazon. I admit I got it due to the cute cover since I like cozy mysteries with animal sleuths & can say I was not disappointed. I liked reading about Samantha & Purrlock Holmes and will read more books in this series. Aunt Jo’s Bourbon Peach Coffee Cake, Aunt Jo’s Lemon Olive Oil Cake & Amelia’s Lemon Cardamom Scone recipes at the end were a nice addition to the end of the book since they were mentioned in the story. I made all 3 & all of us liked everything.

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueprints, Blackmail, and a British Shorthair is a Superb story and series about Emma Clark a Cat Cafe Owner and very special sleuthing cats, Purrlock, Mr Mittens, Lady Purrington, Whiskers, Watson. Caleb a Handyman discover a body and calls Emma. Detective Jake Malone comes to investigate and is assisted by Emma and her team of friends a Blogger and Caleb.
There are some twists and turns and cats that knew before the humans. But can the truth be uncovered?
I enjoyed reading this story very much and I highly recommend that you read this book.

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

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cafe with several cats in it, Lay Purrington, Mr Mittens, Whiskers and Purrlock to name a few,Mr Baxter is a regular at the cafe and as soon as he puts his newspaper on the chair in the sun, Purrlock arrives and sits on it. Emma gets a phone call from Caleb “Come immediately”. She did & discovers that Garrison Faulk is dead with a Purrs & Puzzles to-go cup, still warm, beside him. Not possible says Emma as he didn’t buy one from her. Lizzie, a friend, arrives next morning with 3 notebooks - Faulks Files she calls them. The things they slowly discover proves that the person the police had arrested most certainly was not the guilty one.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good story that involves a cat cafe and it's very opinionated residents. That also includes the humans that just happen to notice everything that happens in this corner of town. Emma Clark's cafe is the everyday stops for a lot of people in Savannah and Emma and crew notice when something isn't normal behavior. Emma works with Detective Jake Malone and Lizzie a local blogger to find out who killed the most hated man in town. The cats see things that most people don't and that helps the rest of the crew discover the clues that make things right.
I received an arc and this is my review.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, quick-paced cozy mystery with a delightful feline twist. The story blends small‑town intrigue, light humor, and a dash of danger as the heroine stumbles into a tangle of secrets involving stolen plans and unexpected blackmail. The British Shorthair adds personality and warmth without ever feeling gimmicky, and the mystery stays engaging with clean clues and satisfying reveals. It’s an easy, enjoyable read perfect for anyone who likes their mysteries clever, cozy, and just a little mischievous.

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma is caught up in a mystery when Caleb informed her of a dead body of one of the regular clients to her café. There is more than meets the eye to this murder. I was hooked on from the first chapter and enjoyed this read. An intriguing read . I received and ARC copy and leave a voluntary review . I recommend this book to other readers.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an advanced reader. It was a delightful read. I loved the way things were described, like the sunlight coming through an old window. It had a great rhythm to it. The cafe, books and cats play such an important backdrop for the characters, with the cats being characters themselves.

[Kirsty Stagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulously, cozy mystery about a cat cafe.

Emma the owner gets a call from her handyman about a dead body, they and the very special detective cats set about solving the murder before a customer can be framed for it.

I will be reading the rest of this series ASAP

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gossip runs rampant when a dead body is found. Café owner Emma is use to hearing a lot as owner. She and her friend detective are determined to uncover the truth n this Southern cozy mystery. Secrets run amuck and someone is walling to kill to keep them.

[LizJ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueprints, Blackmail, And A British Shorthair Book 11 of Purrs and Puzzles Cat Café Cozy Mysteries by Samantha Noble is a charming southern mystery cozy with cats, loved it!

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

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced, charming cozy mystery with a great feline twist. The story is a blend of light humor, small town intrigue, and some danger. A tangle of secrets involves stolen plans and unexpected blackmail.