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Cozy Cat Caper Mystery #1
Murder in Cherry Hills
Kat Harper has only just returned to her small hometown of Cherry Hills, Washington when she discovers the dead body of her neighbor, Mrs. Tinsdale. Matilda, Mrs. Tinsdale's orphaned rescue cat, just might be the only eyewitness to the murder. But how do you convince a cat to reveal "whodunit"?
152 pages, ebook
First published August 7, 2015
1908 people are currently reading
1845 people want to read
About the author
Paige Sleuth
59 books103 followersPaige Sleuth is a pseudonym for mystery author Marla Bradeen. She plots murder during the day and fights for mattress space with her two rescue cats at night. When not attending to her cats' demands, she writes.
Please join her readers' group so she can keep in touch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
October 25, 2020
Scrib book and audio. I've almost DNF this! The principal characters have no complexity, are schematic, commonplace, uninteresting, unremarkable, uninspired, and forgettable. Well, and the plot is shallow, clichéd, predictable, and oversimplified. Sorry for so many adjectives! But as always, I learned some new words to improve my English vocabulary.
Synopsys: "Kat Harper has only just returned to her small hometown of Cherry Hills, Washington when she discovers the dead body of her neighbor, Mrs. Tinsdale. Matilda, Mrs. Tinsdale's orphaned rescue cat, just might be the only eyewitness to the murder. But how do you convince a cat to reveal "whodunit"?"
Synopsys: "Kat Harper has only just returned to her small hometown of Cherry Hills, Washington when she discovers the dead body of her neighbor, Mrs. Tinsdale. Matilda, Mrs. Tinsdale's orphaned rescue cat, just might be the only eyewitness to the murder. But how do you convince a cat to reveal "whodunit"?"
July 1, 2023
Cute cozy
Short and sweet cozy mystery featuring a frisky feline as the prime witness to a murder. A second chance potential romance is thrown in for good measure.
Short and sweet cozy mystery featuring a frisky feline as the prime witness to a murder. A second chance potential romance is thrown in for good measure.
September 6, 2016
A light reading cozy mystery. It was well written and no glaring editor problems. There is no sex and very little violence. It was a pleasure to find the protagonist did not put herself in danger. The characters are not well developed and the story is simple. Matilda, her neighbor cat leads Kat Harper finds her human dead in a bathroom. Matilda also shows Kat the clue that leads to the answer. There a number interesting way for the tale to develop into a fascinating story. I recommend this book for light reading and for YAs.
July 8, 2017
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We meet Kat Harper just when she notices Matilda in the hallway. Her neighbor’s door is ajar so that explains how the cat got out. When Kat goes to return the cat, she find her neighbor has been murdered. Kat soon realizes Matilda witnessed her person’s death. Now how can Kat get the cat to help her find the killer?
This series is off to a great start. We just scratch the surface on our lead characters, Kat and Matilda. I would have liked a little more depth and a little more drawn out plot but this is just the first story in a series where there are now 16 books so I am sure as the series continues the characters are more fleshed out.
This was a fun, light cozy that I enjoyed very much. A fast read too. I will be returning to Cherry Hills soon to visit with Kat and Matilda again.
We meet Kat Harper just when she notices Matilda in the hallway. Her neighbor’s door is ajar so that explains how the cat got out. When Kat goes to return the cat, she find her neighbor has been murdered. Kat soon realizes Matilda witnessed her person’s death. Now how can Kat get the cat to help her find the killer?
This series is off to a great start. We just scratch the surface on our lead characters, Kat and Matilda. I would have liked a little more depth and a little more drawn out plot but this is just the first story in a series where there are now 16 books so I am sure as the series continues the characters are more fleshed out.
This was a fun, light cozy that I enjoyed very much. A fast read too. I will be returning to Cherry Hills soon to visit with Kat and Matilda again.
October 13, 2018
Short and sweet cozy mystery
November 16, 2018
Very short
entertaining cozy. Clean, pleasant Dr. Office-bedside, fireside, or beach read. Lively plot and likable characters. Recommended but not if you want heavy reading.
entertaining cozy. Clean, pleasant Dr. Office-bedside, fireside, or beach read. Lively plot and likable characters. Recommended but not if you want heavy reading.
November 29, 2020
Excellent
Excellent quick read. Full of surprises. Love crime stories and furry friends that become detectives. Can't go wrong with this book it is fast paced and enjoyable.
Excellent quick read. Full of surprises. Love crime stories and furry friends that become detectives. Can't go wrong with this book it is fast paced and enjoyable.
April 15, 2021
First off, this is a novella, not a novel. It was only 64 pages, followed by almost 20 more in ads, bios, and the prequel to the next book.
But, all aside, it was a cute read. The writing modern and upbeat. There wasn't much character development, people appeared with a small backstory and were mostly static for the story. The arc of the plot didn't move much either after the murder. However, the story took a giant speedy leap, Kat wrapping the mystery into a neat package, then ended. The main character Kat, was out of line, investigating the murder of her neighbor and then solved it without involving the police. She should have given the information to them, especially her detective friend, not boldly accosted or accused anyone, even if she was correct in her suspicions and findings.
But that seems to be the norm in the "Cozy Murder Mystery abetted by pets" genre of novels. The heroes or the pets finding or revealing clues, and the hapless owners like curious cats get involved, sometimes to the detriment of the case or endangering their lives.
But, all aside, it was a cute read. The writing modern and upbeat. There wasn't much character development, people appeared with a small backstory and were mostly static for the story. The arc of the plot didn't move much either after the murder. However, the story took a giant speedy leap, Kat wrapping the mystery into a neat package, then ended. The main character Kat, was out of line, investigating the murder of her neighbor and then solved it without involving the police. She should have given the information to them, especially her detective friend, not boldly accosted or accused anyone, even if she was correct in her suspicions and findings.
But that seems to be the norm in the "Cozy Murder Mystery abetted by pets" genre of novels. The heroes or the pets finding or revealing clues, and the hapless owners like curious cats get involved, sometimes to the detriment of the case or endangering their lives.
January 23, 2020
I knew this was going to be a cute series when I first heard about it, but it's taken me a couple of years to get around to reading the first book, which I loved and definitely plan to continue reading the series. It was sweet that Kat being new in town had found her childhood friend Andrew was now a police detective on the case when she found her neighbor murdered. Andrew wasn't crazy about her investigating, but Kat did eventually get to help out. Matty, the cat she adopted was so adorable--and proved that she could be a reliable witness!
January 19, 2020
Fun Cozy
Fun ,Fast paced Read, I liked Kat right away , she finds her neighbor murdered, when the neighbors cat Matty goes to Kats Apt.Kat is determined to find the killer with Mattys help she just might be able to crack the case.
Fun ,Fast paced Read, I liked Kat right away , she finds her neighbor murdered, when the neighbors cat Matty goes to Kats Apt.Kat is determined to find the killer with Mattys help she just might be able to crack the case.
September 6, 2015
3 1/2 stars
Cute short story, and a good first in a new series. Murder in Cherry Hills has Kat Harper newly returned to her hometown when she finds her neighbor's cat, Matilda, on her doorstep and her neighbor murdered in her apartment. Can Kat catch a killer?
I enjoyed the characters, I look forward to seeing them gain dimension as the series goes on, as well as developing Kat's back story. Great plot, too although it wasn't so much solved as narrated.
Because the story was so short, only 60 or so pages, you don't get a lot of detail needed to set up a new story. Because of this, you don't "meet" the victim and the reader has to rely on the MC to "tell" the reader about past events, motivations, etc, so it becomes less a story and more of a narrative. Which may work in fiction, but it's not very effective in mysteries.
Also, I thought Matilda the cat would have more substance in the story. From the description, I thought the cat would find some way to tell Kat what she'd seen. But no, not really. The cat ended up being a part of the background except for one scene.
So, overall, a promising start to a new series but not without limitations due to story length. A few more pages and this would be a solid book.
Cute short story, and a good first in a new series. Murder in Cherry Hills has Kat Harper newly returned to her hometown when she finds her neighbor's cat, Matilda, on her doorstep and her neighbor murdered in her apartment. Can Kat catch a killer?
I enjoyed the characters, I look forward to seeing them gain dimension as the series goes on, as well as developing Kat's back story. Great plot, too although it wasn't so much solved as narrated.
Because the story was so short, only 60 or so pages, you don't get a lot of detail needed to set up a new story. Because of this, you don't "meet" the victim and the reader has to rely on the MC to "tell" the reader about past events, motivations, etc, so it becomes less a story and more of a narrative. Which may work in fiction, but it's not very effective in mysteries.
Also, I thought Matilda the cat would have more substance in the story. From the description, I thought the cat would find some way to tell Kat what she'd seen. But no, not really. The cat ended up being a part of the background except for one scene.
So, overall, a promising start to a new series but not without limitations due to story length. A few more pages and this would be a solid book.
July 28, 2019
This was dreadful. The writing was fine, but there was absolutely no plot or character development. Boom. A suspect comes to light and with no development at all, that is who dunnit. It was too brief to even call a novella, let alone a novel. I was looking for a pleasant, light read, and this didn't satisfy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2018
A very enjoyable short story. Ideal for quiet enjoyment between more complex books. A great little 'cozy mystery'.
March 31, 2018
Kat Harper has moved home to Cherry Hills, Washington, and is settling in happily, until she finds her neighbor, Mrs. Tinsdale, murdered. The police detective who turns up to lead the investigation is childhood friend Andrew, who'll be investigating his first murder.
Except, of course, Kat has to investigate, too. Mrs. Tinsdale's cat, Matilda, with no one else to give her a home, moves in with her, and she gets involved with the rescue group Matty came from, and which Mrs. Tinsdale was treasurer for. This puts her in contact with all of the tiny number of people who could even conceivably had any motive to kill the friendly, kindly, older woman.
I like the characters. They're not very deep or complex, but they are likable. Kat also doesn't ignore all common sense and put herself in obvious and predictable danger, which is a plus. Yet it seemed a rather slight story, even for its short length. Enjoyable, but not something that will linger in your mind after you're done reading it.
In addition to that, Paige Sleuth a.k.a. Marla Bradeen reads the audiobook herself, which was perhaps not wise. She's not a bad reader, but she is merely reading aloud. She reminded me more than anything of me and my cousins reading to each other in bed at night, sharing a book in our shared bedroom. Warm memories, but there are better readers out there.
I bought this audiobook.
Except, of course, Kat has to investigate, too. Mrs. Tinsdale's cat, Matilda, with no one else to give her a home, moves in with her, and she gets involved with the rescue group Matty came from, and which Mrs. Tinsdale was treasurer for. This puts her in contact with all of the tiny number of people who could even conceivably had any motive to kill the friendly, kindly, older woman.
I like the characters. They're not very deep or complex, but they are likable. Kat also doesn't ignore all common sense and put herself in obvious and predictable danger, which is a plus. Yet it seemed a rather slight story, even for its short length. Enjoyable, but not something that will linger in your mind after you're done reading it.
In addition to that, Paige Sleuth a.k.a. Marla Bradeen reads the audiobook herself, which was perhaps not wise. She's not a bad reader, but she is merely reading aloud. She reminded me more than anything of me and my cousins reading to each other in bed at night, sharing a book in our shared bedroom. Warm memories, but there are better readers out there.
I bought this audiobook.
June 23, 2024
3.5 stars. Digital book.
Cute, cozy, short, what’s not to like?
Kat’s not what I would call a good or even decent detective so hopefully she gets better as the series go on cause accusing everyone you encounter until someone confesses isn’t a great long-term strategy.
Cute, cozy, short, what’s not to like?
Kat’s not what I would call a good or even decent detective so hopefully she gets better as the series go on cause accusing everyone you encounter until someone confesses isn’t a great long-term strategy.
January 5, 2020
Short and cute.
September 15, 2019
Fun, quick cozy mystery.
May 13, 2021
Light fun read
A very light and fun summer read. Looking forward to seeing how the characters develop as I read more on my lunch breaks this summer.
A very light and fun summer read. Looking forward to seeing how the characters develop as I read more on my lunch breaks this summer.
March 4, 2020
Wow! I am amazed at how far out of step I am!
I can't decide which is worse - the narrating or the writing. Both are incredibly juvenile. The redeeming feature is that it is short. No depth of character, no fully developed plot ... no explanation as to why someone would return to a town they hated ... not for a job since she's working a stop gap one while looking for one in her field. Why did she adopt the expression of a neighbour she claims to barely know? It feels like a bunch of ideas simply thrown together.
To me the whole thing was pretty sad, like the writing efforts of a sixth grader, read by someone doing sight reading.
This is one series where one is more than enough for me.
Though it's marked as the Kindle edition, it was actually the Audible one.
I can't decide which is worse - the narrating or the writing. Both are incredibly juvenile. The redeeming feature is that it is short. No depth of character, no fully developed plot ... no explanation as to why someone would return to a town they hated ... not for a job since she's working a stop gap one while looking for one in her field. Why did she adopt the expression of a neighbour she claims to barely know? It feels like a bunch of ideas simply thrown together.
To me the whole thing was pretty sad, like the writing efforts of a sixth grader, read by someone doing sight reading.
This is one series where one is more than enough for me.
Though it's marked as the Kindle edition, it was actually the Audible one.
August 1, 2020
Great short read.
Young woman, moves back to her hometown. She rents an apartment. A murder happens next door. She finds the body, and adopted the cat that lived there.
Young woman, moves back to her hometown. She rents an apartment. A murder happens next door. She finds the body, and adopted the cat that lived there.
September 29, 2020
Great read
Well written, holds the readers attention with a good storyline. Clean mystery with a romantic undercurrent between Kat and Andrew.
Well written, holds the readers attention with a good storyline. Clean mystery with a romantic undercurrent between Kat and Andrew.
April 9, 2018
This is the first book in a 21 book series, which would usually make me want to imediately pass on it, but all the books are short so I decided to read it and I’m glad I did. I really liked it.
Kat opens her apartment door and see’s her neighbor’s (Mrs. Tinsdale) cat siting there. Since she knows Mrs. Tinsdale doesn’t like Matilda roaming around inside the apartment building, Kat decides to take her back to Mrs. Tindale’s apartment. When she gets to the door she see’s it’s open a bit. She goes inside and finds her neighbor laying on the floor dead, after calming herself down some, she calls the police. Her childhood friend Andrew is the cop who shows up.
Andrew doesn’t want Kat to get involved in searching for clues but she can’t stop herself. The murderer is caught with the help of the cat. It surprised me when I found out who dunnit.
I really enjoyed this quick read, the story was interesting and the characters believable. There was a bit of clean romance and the violence was tame.
Kat opens her apartment door and see’s her neighbor’s (Mrs. Tinsdale) cat siting there. Since she knows Mrs. Tinsdale doesn’t like Matilda roaming around inside the apartment building, Kat decides to take her back to Mrs. Tindale’s apartment. When she gets to the door she see’s it’s open a bit. She goes inside and finds her neighbor laying on the floor dead, after calming herself down some, she calls the police. Her childhood friend Andrew is the cop who shows up.
Andrew doesn’t want Kat to get involved in searching for clues but she can’t stop herself. The murderer is caught with the help of the cat. It surprised me when I found out who dunnit.
I really enjoyed this quick read, the story was interesting and the characters believable. There was a bit of clean romance and the violence was tame.
May 23, 2019
Fun Kitty Cozy
A nice length cozy murder mystery with Matilda as the feline witness. Great plot, good characters and plenty of the quirkiness a good cozy should have
A nice length cozy murder mystery with Matilda as the feline witness. Great plot, good characters and plenty of the quirkiness a good cozy should have
May 13, 2022
“Murder in Cherry Hills” is a quick, cozy mystery novel composed of thirteen chapters.
Katherine “Kat” Harper is 32 years old and has recently moved into an apartment complex after returning to her hometown of Cherry Hills, Washington after fifteen years. As she is leaving to go grocery shopping, she is stopped by her next door neighbor’s cat sitting on her welcome mat. During her attempt to return the cat Mathilda aka Matty, Kat discovers that her neighbor Mrs. Hilda Tinsdale, has been murdered.
When police officers arrive at Mrs. Tinsdale’s apartment, Kat has a surprise impromptu reunion with friend and former fellow foster kid Andrew Milhone. Kat is surprised to discover that Andrew is now a police detective. Andrew is happy to see Kat but is surprised that she has moved back to Cherry Hills when she vowed to never return due to her experience as foster kid being bounced from home to home.
Andrew assumes Kat will adopt Matty but initially, Kat is unsure since she’s never owned a pet before. When Andrew suggests calling animal control if Kat doesn’t adopt Matty, Kat decides to take in the homeless cat.
Kat is temporarily working at local diner until she can find a job working with computers. Kat uses her waitressing job to get info from friend and fellow animal lover Emma Jean Little President of Furry Friends Foster Family aka 4F.
After questioning Emma Jean, Kat decides to question other 4F members Willow Wu and Greta Opheim.
Over the course of thirteen chapters, Kat and Matty slowly get used to each other while Kat and Andrew bump heads regarding Kat’s amateur detective work. Kat meets Mrs.Tinsdale’s estranged daughter when she’s in her deceased mother’s apartment looking for life insurance paperwork. Matty eventually brings Kat a clue that helps her find Mrs. Tinsdale’s murderer.
Kat is surprised and annoyed by her excitement over seeing Andrew since she hasn’t experienced romantic for him before. Kat has suspicions regarding Gone of the 4F members and invites her to her home and then confronts her. Kat exposes the motive for killing Mrs. Tinsdale, the murderer confesses, and is then arrested.
Kat and Andrew have celebratory dinner after the murderer is jailed. Emma Jean asks Kat if she would like to become treasurer of 4F. Although Kat doesn’t have treasury experience, due to a shared love of animals, she decides to volunteer in the group. The novel ends with Kat being optimistic about her future in Cherry Hills.
While this was a quick and light read, to me, the novel seemed awkward at times considering how quickly Kat goes from being traumatized to becoming an amateur detective determined to find Mrs. Tinsdale’s murderer. In addition, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t more of an angry confrontation between Kat and the murder.
Katherine “Kat” Harper is 32 years old and has recently moved into an apartment complex after returning to her hometown of Cherry Hills, Washington after fifteen years. As she is leaving to go grocery shopping, she is stopped by her next door neighbor’s cat sitting on her welcome mat. During her attempt to return the cat Mathilda aka Matty, Kat discovers that her neighbor Mrs. Hilda Tinsdale, has been murdered.
When police officers arrive at Mrs. Tinsdale’s apartment, Kat has a surprise impromptu reunion with friend and former fellow foster kid Andrew Milhone. Kat is surprised to discover that Andrew is now a police detective. Andrew is happy to see Kat but is surprised that she has moved back to Cherry Hills when she vowed to never return due to her experience as foster kid being bounced from home to home.
Andrew assumes Kat will adopt Matty but initially, Kat is unsure since she’s never owned a pet before. When Andrew suggests calling animal control if Kat doesn’t adopt Matty, Kat decides to take in the homeless cat.
Kat is temporarily working at local diner until she can find a job working with computers. Kat uses her waitressing job to get info from friend and fellow animal lover Emma Jean Little President of Furry Friends Foster Family aka 4F.
After questioning Emma Jean, Kat decides to question other 4F members Willow Wu and Greta Opheim.
Over the course of thirteen chapters, Kat and Matty slowly get used to each other while Kat and Andrew bump heads regarding Kat’s amateur detective work. Kat meets Mrs.Tinsdale’s estranged daughter when she’s in her deceased mother’s apartment looking for life insurance paperwork. Matty eventually brings Kat a clue that helps her find Mrs. Tinsdale’s murderer.
Kat is surprised and annoyed by her excitement over seeing Andrew since she hasn’t experienced romantic for him before. Kat has suspicions regarding Gone of the 4F members and invites her to her home and then confronts her. Kat exposes the motive for killing Mrs. Tinsdale, the murderer confesses, and is then arrested.
Kat and Andrew have celebratory dinner after the murderer is jailed. Emma Jean asks Kat if she would like to become treasurer of 4F. Although Kat doesn’t have treasury experience, due to a shared love of animals, she decides to volunteer in the group. The novel ends with Kat being optimistic about her future in Cherry Hills.
While this was a quick and light read, to me, the novel seemed awkward at times considering how quickly Kat goes from being traumatized to becoming an amateur detective determined to find Mrs. Tinsdale’s murderer. In addition, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t more of an angry confrontation between Kat and the murder.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2025
Catherine Harper (Cat) left Cherry Hill Washington after years spent in the foster care system and needing to get out of her place of most bad memories, but now for some reason 15 years later she has come back and has found an apartment and is working at the local diner. One morning she goes to her door and finds her next door neighbors, Mrs Tidsdale's, cat Matty outside her door. She goes next door to find the cats owner to return the cat, and finds the door open. Walking inside she goes though the the neighbors apartment and find her dead in the bedroom.
This bring her back into connection with an old friend that had been in foster care with her, Andrew, who is now a local police office. This is his first murder, this being a tiny fairly peaceful town with low crime. She is delighted to see him again, but it irritates her when he tells her to stay away from the investigation. She continues to look for evidence, taking the offer of the 4 Pet Rescue Organization to get Matty checked out and picks the vet that is married to one of the leaders of the group.
Along the way, she obviously finds clues and sets up a trap with Andrew to get a confussion out of the murderer and solves the case. She also gets a new volunteer job in addition to her gig at the diner. She goes on a date and probably have a big part in 4 Paws Pet rescue sooner than she thinks.
It is a cosy mystery which means that while there is a murder, I would have enjoyed perhaps a little more violence but for those like it low key and cosy, there will do the trick.
This bring her back into connection with an old friend that had been in foster care with her, Andrew, who is now a local police office. This is his first murder, this being a tiny fairly peaceful town with low crime. She is delighted to see him again, but it irritates her when he tells her to stay away from the investigation. She continues to look for evidence, taking the offer of the 4 Pet Rescue Organization to get Matty checked out and picks the vet that is married to one of the leaders of the group.
Along the way, she obviously finds clues and sets up a trap with Andrew to get a confussion out of the murderer and solves the case. She also gets a new volunteer job in addition to her gig at the diner. She goes on a date and probably have a big part in 4 Paws Pet rescue sooner than she thinks.
It is a cosy mystery which means that while there is a murder, I would have enjoyed perhaps a little more violence but for those like it low key and cosy, there will do the trick.
April 19, 2020
Kat is horrified to find her elderly neighbour has been murdered. She wants to help find out who is responsible and to her surprise the detective on the case is an old friend. Upon attempting to solve this case, Kat finds more than just the murderder.
Paige has written a lovely short story. The POV is in third person with the focus on the protagonist. I feel this was an excellent choice for this novel as it supported the main characters to be multi dimensional.
I really like how the elderly neighbour's cat is involved in the story. This is done in an adorable and realistic way. Paige has excellently shown how pets can positively impact a person's life. This story is written clearly and concisely. There is no over showing or over description.
I believe it is slightly unrealistic upon how the murderder was discovered. I feel this could have been done better.
The Audio is clear and I could mostly disguise between characters. Unfortunately, I feel the narration did not caption emotion well and it appeared robotic at times. I believe it may have been a mistake to have called the protagonist 'Kat', when the narration mentions 'the cat' often - it was confusing at times.
Triggers - Violence and Murder.
In conclusion I really enjoyed this story and I will be purchasing the additional books in this series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.
Disclaimer: My Book Reviews are based on my own opinions and experiences only.
Paige has written a lovely short story. The POV is in third person with the focus on the protagonist. I feel this was an excellent choice for this novel as it supported the main characters to be multi dimensional.
I really like how the elderly neighbour's cat is involved in the story. This is done in an adorable and realistic way. Paige has excellently shown how pets can positively impact a person's life. This story is written clearly and concisely. There is no over showing or over description.
I believe it is slightly unrealistic upon how the murderder was discovered. I feel this could have been done better.
The Audio is clear and I could mostly disguise between characters. Unfortunately, I feel the narration did not caption emotion well and it appeared robotic at times. I believe it may have been a mistake to have called the protagonist 'Kat', when the narration mentions 'the cat' often - it was confusing at times.
Triggers - Violence and Murder.
In conclusion I really enjoyed this story and I will be purchasing the additional books in this series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.
Disclaimer: My Book Reviews are based on my own opinions and experiences only.
July 9, 2023
Katherine Harper, Kat, had recently moved back to a town that, when she was younger, she couldn’t wait to get away from. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Matty sitting in front of her door, Mrs. Tinsdale’s tortoiseshell cat. Kat picked the cat up to return it to her next-door neighbor, but the door was ajar. So Kat searched and found Mrs. Tinsdale’s body in the bathroom, devoid of all life. She picked up Matty and made a B-line for her apartment to call the police. When the police arrived, her old BFF also showed up, as he was a detective of Cherry Hills. Andrew Milhone, like Kat, grew up in the foster system, and they were the best of friends fifteen years ago, and after their hug, she admired how well he filled out and wore his clothes.
This is the first of many volumes in this series, thirty-five at this time. The physical world-building was vague at best. The ethereal world-building, at best, was implied. The character interaction is done well, and natural feeling, for the most part, because the character’s background is filled in. Then fiddlesticks. LOL
This series starter has a lot going for it. To begin with, it is a cozy mystery, but I don’t see what the genre of foreign language study or English as a second language has to do with this read. I give this tale four stars out of five stars.
This is the first of many volumes in this series, thirty-five at this time. The physical world-building was vague at best. The ethereal world-building, at best, was implied. The character interaction is done well, and natural feeling, for the most part, because the character’s background is filled in. Then fiddlesticks. LOL
This series starter has a lot going for it. To begin with, it is a cozy mystery, but I don’t see what the genre of foreign language study or English as a second language has to do with this read. I give this tale four stars out of five stars.
May 20, 2017
Kat Harper wakes to find a cat at her apartment door. Meaning to return Mathilda to her neighbor, she walks into her open door only to find her neighbor fallen on the floor of her bathroom, quite dead. Although Kat grew up in Cherry Hills, Washington, she has been away for 15 years and has just recently returned. Therefore she is pleased when one of the policemen she summons is an old friend.
With no one to care for Matty the cat, Kat takes her in and becomes involved in the cat rescue organization for which her neighbor was treasurer. She pieces together the clues, learning about cats along the way. In short order she has discovered who the murderer is, the motive, and confronts her.
This was an enjoyable story - a mystery with a cat, a favorite of mine. It did feel as if the middle of this story were missing, investigation and discovery, but it did occur, just quickly. At just 112 pages, the action didn't have any more space to expand. That doesn't dilute the fact that this was an enjoyable, light read. I will go on to the second in this series featuring Kat Harper and Mathilda.
With no one to care for Matty the cat, Kat takes her in and becomes involved in the cat rescue organization for which her neighbor was treasurer. She pieces together the clues, learning about cats along the way. In short order she has discovered who the murderer is, the motive, and confronts her.
This was an enjoyable story - a mystery with a cat, a favorite of mine. It did feel as if the middle of this story were missing, investigation and discovery, but it did occur, just quickly. At just 112 pages, the action didn't have any more space to expand. That doesn't dilute the fact that this was an enjoyable, light read. I will go on to the second in this series featuring Kat Harper and Mathilda.
August 21, 2019
Cute idea but too easy...
While the idea for this story was cute, everything was a little too convenient for the heroine to discover about the murder. There was very little misdirection and things just sort of seemed to “happen” with little actual investigating on Kat’s part. The kitty cat finds the murderer’s earring (which somehow the forensic team completely missed when they surveyed the scene??) Then she just “happens” to see the murderers torn earlobe the next day. Too convenient with no other suspects or Investigating! Then, to top it all off, Kat confronts the murderer who confesses to everything without a fight at all! There was a perfectly logical explanation she COULD have given to explain her presence at the murder scene, but she doesn’t even try! She just confesses!
On the plus side, the characters were interesting and had a good backstory. The descriptions of the cat’s behaviors were spot on, which was cute, especially to other cat lovers!
Overall, I would not recommend this book unless you are looking for a super simple, super short “mystery” that isn’t really too much of a mystery.
While the idea for this story was cute, everything was a little too convenient for the heroine to discover about the murder. There was very little misdirection and things just sort of seemed to “happen” with little actual investigating on Kat’s part. The kitty cat finds the murderer’s earring (which somehow the forensic team completely missed when they surveyed the scene??) Then she just “happens” to see the murderers torn earlobe the next day. Too convenient with no other suspects or Investigating! Then, to top it all off, Kat confronts the murderer who confesses to everything without a fight at all! There was a perfectly logical explanation she COULD have given to explain her presence at the murder scene, but she doesn’t even try! She just confesses!
On the plus side, the characters were interesting and had a good backstory. The descriptions of the cat’s behaviors were spot on, which was cute, especially to other cat lovers!
Overall, I would not recommend this book unless you are looking for a super simple, super short “mystery” that isn’t really too much of a mystery.
August 22, 2021
If you want a quick and easy read that takes less time to read than a Hallmark movie, then this is the book for you. Nothing too gory, too involved, or too drawn out. Kat's neighbor is murdered and she takes in the cat, Maddy. She also sets out to solve the murder. Kat returned to Cherry Hills after being away for a dozen years or so. She grew up in the foster system her memories are mixed. However, she shared many good memories with Andrew the police officer, who was also in the foster system. With the help of Maddy, she uncovers the murderer and all is well. It is a series, and unlike some series, the author doesn't spend too much time on character development in the first book. She sets the stage and I am sure more will be revealed as you read other books. The question is, will I read the other books? They aren't on the top of my list, but sometimes I need a really quick read and this might be the answer.
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