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Kill All Cats
Ron Black is a 35-year-old night security guard living a moribund existence. Past deeds need to stay buried for him to remain a free man. When the elderly cat lady next-door dies along with her thirty-eight cats, Ron feels the investigative heat from Detectives Moore and Porter. His alibi: “I was at work.”
The police disrupt Ron’s life, which he shares with Brisbane, his cockatiel. He squawks surprisingly relevant quotes learned from watching crime show reruns 24/7—some of which don’t help Ron’s situation. Ron picks up clues about what happened next-door from conflicting comments by his odd neighbors: “She was popped.” “Poisoned.” “Chopped up.” The neighbors include Ron’s estranged great-uncle Kirk, a disgruntled scientist, who had worked at the pharmaceutical company where Ron is the night guard.
When Ron’s only friend, Jean, disappears, the police double-down on him as a suspect for this crime, too. The next day, the police infer his arrest in twenty-four hours for the crime at his neighbor’s house. Despite the pressure to save himself, he is compelled to find his friend.
Sprinkle a bit of an Agatha Christie closed-room mystery with the situational humor of Evanovich for a high-level concept as Ron tries to “…control what he can control.” And just when you think it’s all over, another layer of horror reveals itself, and Ron didn’t even see it coming.
The police disrupt Ron’s life, which he shares with Brisbane, his cockatiel. He squawks surprisingly relevant quotes learned from watching crime show reruns 24/7—some of which don’t help Ron’s situation. Ron picks up clues about what happened next-door from conflicting comments by his odd neighbors: “She was popped.” “Poisoned.” “Chopped up.” The neighbors include Ron’s estranged great-uncle Kirk, a disgruntled scientist, who had worked at the pharmaceutical company where Ron is the night guard.
When Ron’s only friend, Jean, disappears, the police double-down on him as a suspect for this crime, too. The next day, the police infer his arrest in twenty-four hours for the crime at his neighbor’s house. Despite the pressure to save himself, he is compelled to find his friend.
Sprinkle a bit of an Agatha Christie closed-room mystery with the situational humor of Evanovich for a high-level concept as Ron tries to “…control what he can control.” And just when you think it’s all over, another layer of horror reveals itself, and Ron didn’t even see it coming.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 8, 2016
Provocative title - wicked cover - what is this author's agenda? Surely he jests!
He jests. It's one of the things I like best about Rick Bylina's prose. I picture him in real life saying shocking things with a straight face, just to see how people will react.
I vowed never to 5-star anything by this author because of what happens to Phil in the first Rick Bylina novel I ever read. Then I vowed never to read another book of his again, yet I find my Kindle has every book he's ever written. Okay. How does a guy con me into reading things I swear I don't even want to read?
He casts his hook. Carol bites.
The prologue (third person, not first, but hey, who even reads these boxes we reviewers check) shows a mad scientist in the midst of an experiment, which is quite the hook for this reader. Chapter One opens like a police procedural (a genre I avoid), but, but, they awaken the protagonist because of his neighbor, Mrs. Katz. Yes, he knows her. “Crazy old lady has thirty-eight cats. Can’t you smell them?” And, "As if choreographed, both detectives nodded like kittens tracking a bouncing light." Ron Black, 35, works nights as a security guard and doesn't like being awakened. Least of all by local cops at his door. Not thinking about his Fifth Amendment rights, he allows them to walk into his home, look around, and ask questions that seem vaguely threatening.
Then the bird starts talking: "Turning to look at the crowd in his living room, Brisbane fluffed his wings. As clear as if Steve McGarrett had risen from the grave, the gray bird with clownish-red cheeks said, 'Book ’em, Danno.'”
This cockatiel steals the show, chapter after chapter, with his antics. I've never met a more authentic character in fiction, human, feathered, or furry.
There are extended scenes with friends in a bowling alley. I have no interest in bowling. The characters kept me turning pages anyway.
The police dig up more dirt on Ron Black, security guard, than the situation with Crazy Katz warrants. The more Ron talks, the deeper the hole he digs himself into.
I've been accused of spoilers in my reviews, so I'll stop here, but the surprise twists in this story are right up my alley, and rare, all too rare, in the thriller/whodunnit genre. That, in combination with the cockatiel who should star in his own crime drama on TV, is why I'm forced to cancel my vows, shake hands with this Yank-Your-Chain author, and concede, at last, five stars for making Carol laugh.
Just don't remind me of Phil.
Or the dead cats. (In real life, no cats were harmed in the writing of this story. All right. All right.) Still, if I think about it too long, I'll be yanking stars back, saying How DARE you, Rick, how DARE you!
He jests. It's one of the things I like best about Rick Bylina's prose. I picture him in real life saying shocking things with a straight face, just to see how people will react.
I vowed never to 5-star anything by this author because of what happens to Phil in the first Rick Bylina novel I ever read. Then I vowed never to read another book of his again, yet I find my Kindle has every book he's ever written. Okay. How does a guy con me into reading things I swear I don't even want to read?
He casts his hook. Carol bites.
The prologue (third person, not first, but hey, who even reads these boxes we reviewers check) shows a mad scientist in the midst of an experiment, which is quite the hook for this reader. Chapter One opens like a police procedural (a genre I avoid), but, but, they awaken the protagonist because of his neighbor, Mrs. Katz. Yes, he knows her. “Crazy old lady has thirty-eight cats. Can’t you smell them?” And, "As if choreographed, both detectives nodded like kittens tracking a bouncing light." Ron Black, 35, works nights as a security guard and doesn't like being awakened. Least of all by local cops at his door. Not thinking about his Fifth Amendment rights, he allows them to walk into his home, look around, and ask questions that seem vaguely threatening.
Then the bird starts talking: "Turning to look at the crowd in his living room, Brisbane fluffed his wings. As clear as if Steve McGarrett had risen from the grave, the gray bird with clownish-red cheeks said, 'Book ’em, Danno.'”
This cockatiel steals the show, chapter after chapter, with his antics. I've never met a more authentic character in fiction, human, feathered, or furry.
There are extended scenes with friends in a bowling alley. I have no interest in bowling. The characters kept me turning pages anyway.
The police dig up more dirt on Ron Black, security guard, than the situation with Crazy Katz warrants. The more Ron talks, the deeper the hole he digs himself into.
I've been accused of spoilers in my reviews, so I'll stop here, but the surprise twists in this story are right up my alley, and rare, all too rare, in the thriller/whodunnit genre. That, in combination with the cockatiel who should star in his own crime drama on TV, is why I'm forced to cancel my vows, shake hands with this Yank-Your-Chain author, and concede, at last, five stars for making Carol laugh.
Just don't remind me of Phil.
Or the dead cats. (In real life, no cats were harmed in the writing of this story. All right. All right.) Still, if I think about it too long, I'll be yanking stars back, saying How DARE you, Rick, how DARE you!
June 10, 2016
Brilliant! Rick Bylina has written a masterful tale of mystery, suspense, paranoia, and wit. In Kill All Cats, when the bodies of Nedra Kratz and her thirty-eight felines are discovered, everyone in the cul-de-sac neighborhood of Apex, North Carolina is suspect, especially the protagonist, Ron Black. But, Ron has an alibi…or does he? The suspense begins on page one and doesn’t let up through thunderstorms, bowling alleys, haunted research labs, and Ron Black’s locked house. Brisbane, Ron’s pet cockatiel, seems better at solving the mystery than the detectives. A real page turner and a shining FIVE Stars!
I have to admit that, as a cat lover, I didn't want to read this book due to the title and cover. But this story is sympathetic to cats so please don't be afraid to read it if you are as well.
I have to admit that, as a cat lover, I didn't want to read this book due to the title and cover. But this story is sympathetic to cats so please don't be afraid to read it if you are as well.
June 10, 2016
No one does *whodunnit* like Rick Bylina. This book is a masterful mix of suspense and human drama that will keep you reading late into the night. The characters are vibrant, the animal welfare theme poignant, and the story goes beyond entertainment to a depth one rarely finds in this genre. It’s a jewel which I'm proud—and honored—to have had the opportunity to read it as an ARC, and which deserves a wide and diverse audience.
December 8, 2016
Ron Black has a problem: he returned home from his job as a night security officer to find that his neighbor was dead - along with her 38 cats - and he's the prime suspect. Never mind that he was at work, and sick for many of those hours due to food poisoning. Never mind that his neighbors keep dropping hints about the case, which has been sealed and they have no right to know. Never mind that even his pet cockatiel, Brisbane, is hiding evidence of the crime in his own playbox that shouldn't be there. Ron hates cats, Ron had a difficult history with the woman, and Ron is the prime suspect. Despite it all, Ron finds himself in the center of a bizarre investigation where everybody had motivation to murder the woman, and yet the one person not present is the biggest suspect. What's worse, Ron has a past that he's carefully buried, and he fears that it will be unearthed in this investigation. Kill All Cats by Rick Bylina is a classic mystery novel with twists and turns that will keep you guessing right until the end.
Kill All Cats is a brilliant mystery novel. I love the characters, especially Brisbane, the perky cockatiel, whose penchant for repeating lines from the mystery shows he watches on television add mystery, intrigue, and a great amount of humor to the novel. Nothing is as it seems as poor Ron keeps stumbling into trouble through a series of unfortunate events and slips of the tongue that don't help his case. Will he and Brisbane get to the bottom of this, while battling random cats that keep crossing their paths? You'll have to keep reading, and you'll want to. This is a great novel. Rick Bylina has crafted a wonderful mystery here that you won't be able to put down.
Kill All Cats is a brilliant mystery novel. I love the characters, especially Brisbane, the perky cockatiel, whose penchant for repeating lines from the mystery shows he watches on television add mystery, intrigue, and a great amount of humor to the novel. Nothing is as it seems as poor Ron keeps stumbling into trouble through a series of unfortunate events and slips of the tongue that don't help his case. Will he and Brisbane get to the bottom of this, while battling random cats that keep crossing their paths? You'll have to keep reading, and you'll want to. This is a great novel. Rick Bylina has crafted a wonderful mystery here that you won't be able to put down.
July 25, 2016
Kill All Cats is a masterpiece of dark humor...
When Ron Black’ uncle found him a job at the pharmaceutical company at which he worked he should have run away screaming and stayed away. But then, how could he have known that his uncle, with a little help from his neighbors, was setting him up to be charged with the murder of his eccentric (and crazy) neighbor and her entire community of thirty-eight cats. The setup is simple enough, except for the number of people involved, but Ron’s personal paranoia complicates and interferes with the deductive process. His mental fumbling marks him as a ‘person of interest’ for the cops who tighten the noose hoping he will lead them to the killer. Of course Ron, who has spent time in a mental institution for killing his father (his uncle’s brother) at the tender age of seven, is sufficiently paranoid of the attention of the police to cover the tracks of the entire dysfunctional neighborhood.
Kill All Cats is a tongue-in-cheek romp through a community of odd-balls. Ron and his friend Jean are relatively well developed multi-dimensional characters and despite their personal eccentricities are likeable. The other characters are developed to a sufficient degree to benefit the story, although little is ever really known about them. None of them are especially likeable. The story is generally well written with few editing errors.
Kill All Cats is a masterpiece of dark humor that is sure to cause the reader to snicker, roll their eyes and mutter “No, I can’t believe he did that!”. An entertaining read for anyone who loves dark humor, dysfunctional people and revenge plots. It also helps if you hate cats!
When Ron Black’ uncle found him a job at the pharmaceutical company at which he worked he should have run away screaming and stayed away. But then, how could he have known that his uncle, with a little help from his neighbors, was setting him up to be charged with the murder of his eccentric (and crazy) neighbor and her entire community of thirty-eight cats. The setup is simple enough, except for the number of people involved, but Ron’s personal paranoia complicates and interferes with the deductive process. His mental fumbling marks him as a ‘person of interest’ for the cops who tighten the noose hoping he will lead them to the killer. Of course Ron, who has spent time in a mental institution for killing his father (his uncle’s brother) at the tender age of seven, is sufficiently paranoid of the attention of the police to cover the tracks of the entire dysfunctional neighborhood.
Kill All Cats is a tongue-in-cheek romp through a community of odd-balls. Ron and his friend Jean are relatively well developed multi-dimensional characters and despite their personal eccentricities are likeable. The other characters are developed to a sufficient degree to benefit the story, although little is ever really known about them. None of them are especially likeable. The story is generally well written with few editing errors.
Kill All Cats is a masterpiece of dark humor that is sure to cause the reader to snicker, roll their eyes and mutter “No, I can’t believe he did that!”. An entertaining read for anyone who loves dark humor, dysfunctional people and revenge plots. It also helps if you hate cats!
June 28, 2016
Kill All Cats by Rick Bylina is an intriguing novel. This crazy tale about an elderly lady owning thirty-eight cats has been found dead. But that's not all. So were her cats. All were found dead. Who did it and how are left unknown, until the ending. I found the beginning dragging behind a bit until more suspicious events occur like his friend gone missing. The writer has brilliantly incorporated humor into his writing. The bird inside this story will keep you turning the pages....but so does Ron's troubles. Ron seems like the average guy. A guy who happens to pull himself deeper into hot water with the police than pulling himself out of it. Every page kept me wondering if and when they police would arrest Ron or if something horrendous would happen to Ron. Kill All Cats is similar to a cozy mystery that keeps readers held in suspense as the plot unfolds. Steady paced, and packed with crime and mystery, and a peculiar set of characters. I enjoyed reading this novel. Overall, I recommend Kill All Cats by Rick Bylina to readers everywhere.
October 16, 2016
Kill All Cats is about Ron Black who is a security guard at a pharmaceutical company where his uncle used to work. Ron has a past that he doesn't want any one else to know about. When one of his neighbor's is killed and all her cats are also killed, the police come after him since everyone else in the neighborhood tells them about all his problems with the dead neighbor. There are some rather quirky people in the neighborhood and the ending will surprise you! Not everything is as it seems in this book....trust me.
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July 22, 2016I loved this story. I never knew what was coming and was surprised with the actions of the characters. This was definitely a good read for me!
June 1, 2018
Scary title...good plot. Lots of plot twists and turns and with an amazing hero...Brisbane. Yep. The cockatiel was my hero. Very good read.
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