Kittens Can Kill Lib/E: A Pru Marlowe Pet Noir Mystery

Pru Marlowe #5

by Clea Simon

The dead don't keep pets. So when animal behavior expert Pru Marlowe gets a call about a kitten, she doesn't expect to find the cuddly creature playing beside the cooling body of prominent local lawyer David Canaday. Heart attack? His three adult daughters angrily blame drug interactions, feline allergies―and each other. And they begin to feud over their father, his considerable estate, and that cute ball of fluff. While the cause of death is pending, each sister has an ax to grind―and the arguments escalate when Canaday's will is read.Pru's special sensitivity to animals, which caused her to flee the cacophony of Manhattan for the quiet Berkshires, adds further problems. The local vet is overwhelmed as the animal hospital's money runs out. There's a needy Sheltie and some invasive squirrels, too. But the dead man's kitten, his former partner, and his troublesome family keep drawing "wild-girl" animal psychic Pru back in.Despite the wry observations of her trusty tabby Wallis, now acting as guardian for the wrongfully accused kitten, and the grudging compliance of her cop boyfriend, this may be one time when Pru can't solve the mystery or save the kitten that she wants to believe is innocent. A single witness knows the truth about that bright spring morning, but how far can Pru investigate without risking her own hidden tale?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cats, Cozy, Paranormal, Animals

Audio CD

First published March 3, 2015

About the author

Boston Globe-bestselling author Clea Simon is the author most recently of The Butterfly Trap, a sinister slow-build "he said/she said" that will definitely surprise you.

This follows Bad Boy Beat a fast-paced amateur sleuth mystery featuring a novice crime reporter with a nose for news who is convinced a series of street-level killings are connected.

In a different mood, Clea's most recent cozy is To Conjure a Killer, the fourth in her "Witch Cats of Cambridge" series.

She is also the author of the psychological suspense novels, Hold Me Down and World Enough, both named "Must Reads" by the Massachusetts Book Awards, as well as the dystopian Blackie and Care black cat series (The Ninth Life), the Dulcie Schwartz feline/academic mysteries (Shades of Grey), the Pru Marlowe pet noir mysteries (Dogs Don't Lie), and the Theda Krakow cats & crime & rock & roll mysteries (Mew is for Murder), as well as three nonfiction books: Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings; Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads; and The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats.

The recipient of multiple honors, including the Cat Writers Associations Presidents Award, she lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, Jon Garelick, and their cat, Thisbe. Find her at Clea Simon.com

Reviews

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pru is called to take a kitten for a wellness check. Arriving she find a well known lawyer dead and the kitten playing with a button. Not wanting to leave the liken alone she takes it to Wallis who was not thrilled. The kitten suffers a compulsion and Pru is worried about it. Wallis tells her he okay. The lawyer's 3 daughters are feuding over their father's death. The County hospital is in financial difficulties and close. Pru needs,to find answers to these questions. I so enjoy my visits with Wallis and Pru I brought a book that I haven't read.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Poison Pen Press through Netgalley for an hint review. I wIshed to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.

[Bookschatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prior to even considering reading this book, ask yourself this question: "Can you cope with a jaded and nosy woman narrator who can talk to animals Dr Dolittle style and sense their traumas and presence á la "Sixth Sense"?

If the answer is no, as you think that is an absolutely ridiculous and annoying concept, you should really give this one a miss.

Also, if you are looking for a cosy novel, this isn't it.

Pru Marlowe is a typical noir character: she has baggage, bad habits and often a bad attitude.  She is very sceptical about people and she is very nosy.  She is not a private investigator and she does not work for the police; she is an animal behaviourist, with a very special talent, which is both a blessing and a curse for her: Pru does not just sense what animals think, she can actually fully understand their language, and read their minds, and they can hers.

Kittens Can Kill is the fifth instalment in the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir series, and the first one I have ever read.

It is well written and fairly engaging, even though at times I found some passages to be a bit slow and rather educational with preachy undertones about animal welfare (which is not necessarily a bad thing).

We get a reasonable insight into the main characters, who are mostly unlikeable, and what had actually happened to the deceased, Mr D Canaday, does not become clear until the very end.

Family feuds and intrigue are plentiful.

All in all, I did enjoy this book and I would definitely read more from this author.

[ARC received via Netgalley]


BooksChatter

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always a sucker for murder mysteries involving animals. Think Lilian Jackson Braun and Rita Mae Brown for example. So I was intrigued and delighted when I read the description of this novel. What could be better than a murder mystery involving animals and people who are able to actually communicate with them? I found the book to be a fun and easy read. I would love to see more banter between the animals and their human though :) I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that could be called a ‘cozy’ although I would not do so. This is the fifth book in the Pru Marlowe series. While some people could read this as a standalone, I would not suggest you do so. This was the first book I read in this series and found that because I hadn’t read the other four books, I was at a disadvantage.
The concept behind this series is an interesting one, although it has been done before. Pru is an animal behaviorist who can also ‘talk’ to animals and they talk to her. In this novel she sort of stumbles into, what on first glance, looks like an accidental death. A kitten that one of the deceased daughters got him is what causes Pru to be there in the first place. Confusion ensues, accusations are thrown back and forth and Pru is in the middle. Now Pru’s instincts are telling her it is murder.

I had several problems with this novel and the most difficult for me was the fact that the protagonist Pru is a difficult person to like or to feel empathy for. She may care for the animals but she sure doesn’t seem to give a darn for any humans and I have a feeling that this may have been explained in earlier books. (like why she is the *itch that she is). Her heavy drinking and bootie calls, leaves something to be desired also.

The writing and especially the dialogue is choppy and sometimes very difficult to follow, the clues are all there (some things are quite obvious right from the very start) but the characters choose not to ‘see’ them. While this pushes the book to the climax, it can make this a frustrating read.

I will admit to a curiosity that will have me reading at least the first book to see if some of my difficulties with this book and these characters had already been explained.

ARC supplied by publisher.

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free kindle copy of Kittens Can Kill: A Pru Marlowe Pet Noir by Clea Simon, published by Poisoned Pen Press from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I gave it five stars.

This mystery was a pleasant surprise that kept me guessing until the end of the book. The dynamics of a family following a death was clearly delineated. The emotional roller coaster caused by grief was on the spot. The fact that Pru Marlowe has a special gift with animals was a nice touch. Pru's relationship with Wallis her own cat & interaction with the new kitten revealed a knowledge of cats that was delightful.

Can Pru tread the waters of the emotional tsunami of the three sisters? Can she keep her own gift as a secret?

I highly recommend this five star book.

Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Kittens-Can-Kil...

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: KITTENS CAN KILL by Clea Simon
(A Pru Marlowe Pet Noir)

Pru Marlowe, who lives in a small Berkshires town, hears intuitively and speaks to animals, domestic and wild. She gets by as an unofficial (I. E., not officially trained) animal behaviorist, including dog walking and squirrel control. Pru carries a lot of emotional baggage, which makes her all the more admirable as a protagonist--she admits her imperfections, and does what she can. In this episode, she is hired to supply food and necessities for a very young pedigree kitten, to a senior citizen. Better if she had demanded payment in advance; better yet if she had refused that job. But intrepid Pru is not a quitter, so she perseveres, despite increasing dangers.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here to tell you how much I enjoy the Pru Marlowe series. This latest book Kittens Can Kill, is one of the better ones. It starts with a poor little kitty who witnesses a murder. The kitten tries to tell Pru what happened but, as usual, it is not that easy. Pru always needs help from other animals to interpret what the kitten is trying to say. Her most influential assistance is her cat, naturally. I love how Wallis drips with catitude despite an evident fondness for her human companion.
I don't want to spoil the book for you but if you have not yet read any of the series, give it a try. It is good reading for both human and feline.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pru, an animal behavior expert, is called to collect a kitten playing beside a dead lawyer. His daughters become the chief suspects. Pru can "communicate" with animals and the kitten is giving her some conflicting info about the murder. Pru, along with her boyfriend police chief need to solve the crime before someone else gets hurt. I haven't read any of the previous Pru Marlowe series but this one was entertaining and nicely written. I will long for others in the series.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

First reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf


Pru hadn’t expected to walk in and find a dead man. No, she was here simply to get a brand new kitten settled in his new home. Finding the kitten next to the body, the very dead body of David Canaday playing with a button was not in the game plan for the day.

And so begins the newest addition to the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir series by Clea Simon. As with any mystery, I need to be very careful as to how much I reveal about the story. I believe you have the basic set up in the cover/story blurb.

I bounced around among the various suspects in this mystery. For about 15 minutes one person would be my solid pick, then a few chapters later.. no, it just has to be this person – until finally I just threw up my reading hands and settled in to let the story tell me who did it. And I really didn’t see it until the end – oh sure looking back I can see tons of clues scattered about – but isn’t that the level of a good mystery? The job of an excellent mystery is to keep me guessing until the last page, and Kittens Can Kill did a very good job at that.

Since this is the first Pru Marlowe novel I’ve read, (it certainly won’t be the last) I was fascinated with Pru’s abilities. I so often wish I knew what my pets really wanted instead of trying to guess. Pru has no magical abilities really, just for some reason she can hear animal’s thoughts. Considering how many animals there are in this world – that could be deafening.

I simply adored Wallis. Since one of my cats is almost 18 years old, and with a kitten in the house (now a terrible 2 year old) – I can so imagine my Charlie looking at me with the same distain that Wallis looked at Pru. Humans – do they understand nothing! :) Maybe we should pay more attention to what our pets are trying to tell us.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Kittens Can Kill. The story moved along at a steady pace, the suspects acted a little more guilty as time went on and when the guilty party is finally revealed – it all makes perfect sense. What I really respected is that the one “who did it” really is in the story the entire time – I cannot stand when an author tosses in someone totally never in the book, out of the blue as the killer. To me that is such an insult. Nope, we just have to figure out who it is.

I would recommend Clea Simon’s Kittens Can Kill to anyone who remotely enjoys a mystery. From diehard mystery fans to those just dabbling their toes in the genre. It’s a very good story and a satisfying mystery. I’d give it a 4 outta 5 on my rating scale. Go check it out for yourself.

*I received an e-ARC of Kittens Can Kill from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our local libraries clear out their stock every year with a big, epic sale. This was one of my finds. I go through looking for specific books but then I also judge books by their covers and titles, and this one looked so cool - Kittens Can Kill, the title alone was intriguing. But then a super cute kitten? Sold.

I needed to read the first four books in the series to fully get this book. I'll admit that. That affected my reading score for this book but I did enjoy it. It's a fairly easy read and flows nice enough. It didn't have me pulled in super well and I wasn't binging, but it was a nice, no effort read.

Pru being able to talk to animals was cool. I want to read the whole series just to see that. It's a unique presence.

The drama and mystery in this book was good, won't lie. Definitely an author I want to read some more from since we got off on the wrong foot.

Three out of five stars.

[Victor Gentile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clea Simon in her new book, “Kittens Can Kill” Book Five in the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir series published by Poisoned Pen Press gives us another adventure with Pru Marlowe.

From the back cover: The dead don’t keep pets.

So when animal behaviorist expert Pru Marlowe gets a call about a kitten, she doesn’t expect to find the cuddly creature playing beside the cooling body of prominent Beauville lawyer David Canaday. Heart attack? His three adult daughters angrily blame drug interactions, feline allergies—and each other. And begin to feud over their father, his considerable estate, and that cute ball of fluff. While the cause of death is pending, each sister has an axe to grind—with arguments that escalate when David’s partner reads out the will.

Pru’s special sensitivity to animals, which caused her to flee the cacophony of Manhattan for the quiet Berkshires, adds further problems. The local vet is overwhelmed as the animal hospital’s money runs out. There’s a needy Sheltie and some invasive squirrels, too. But the dead man’s kitten, his former partner, and his troublesome family keep drawing “wild-girl” animal psychic Pru back in.

Despite the wry observations of her trusty tabby Wallis, now the wrongfully accused kitten’s guardian, and the grudging compliance of her cop lover, this may be one time when Pru can’t solve the mystery or save the kitten she wants to believe is innocent. A single witness knows the truth about that bright spring morning. How far can Pru investigate without risking her own hidden tale?

This is a highly intriguing mystery. I think Pru Marlowe not only has a highly interesting job, animal behaviorist, but is one of the most interesting characters to come along in quite a while. We all have relationships with our pets, she more than others, and I think it is a lot of fun. When humans witness a murder there is trauma involved. Well guess what there is trauma for the animal as well, especially if the animal is a kitten. The suspects will keep you going in circles as Pru, with the help of her cat and the kitten, tries to sort through all the clues. “Kittens Can Kill” is quite an engrossing book. Don’t start this book late at night as it will cost you sleep as you try to finish it before you go to bed. I am looking forward to more from Ms. Simon and this wonderful series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The dead don’t keep pets. So when animal behaviorist expert Pru Marlowe gets a call about a kitten, she doesn’t expect to find the cuddly creature playing beside the cooling body of prominent Beauville lawyer David Canaday. Heart attack? His three adult daughters angrily blame drug interactions, feline allergies—and each other. And begin to feud over their father, his considerable estate, and that cute ball of fluff. While the cause of death is pending, each sister has an axe to grind—with arguments that escalate when David’s partner reads out the will. Pru’s special sensitivity to animals, which caused her to flee the cacophony of Manhattan for the quiet Berkshires, adds further problems. The local vet is overwhelmed as the animal hospital's money runs out. There’s a needy Sheltie and some invasive squirrels, too. But the dead man’s kitten, his former partner, and his troublesome family keep drawing “wild-girl” animal psychic Pru back in. Despite the wry observations of her trusty tabby Wallis, now the wrongfully accused kitten’s guardian, and the grudging compliance of her cop lover, this may be one time when Pru can’t solve the mystery or save the kitten she wants to believe is innocent. A single witness knows the truth about that bright spring morning. How far can Pru investigate without giving out her secret.”

This was a delightful story to read! Once I got started with it, I couldn’t put it down! The characters were so real and could be anyone living near you. Then with Pru (and her ability to understand animals) –just amazing! The plot was interesting, intriguing, confusing and fun! Clea Simon writes a GREAT mystery. 5 stars can’t possible rate this story, worth so many more!

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pru Marlowe is an animal psychic and behaviorist—she also happens to be an amateur sleuth! Together with her furred and feathered friends, Pru investigates the crimes in her sleep Berkshire town. This time the victim is a prominent lawyer, and the only witness is a small, white kitten.

"Kittens Can Kill" is the fifth book in Clea Simon’s Pet Noir series. I have not yet read the other titles, but still found this book enjoyable. In this one, Pru is hired to help a kitten adjust to his new home. Upon arrival she finds the kitten…and a dead body! When little Ernesto becomes the prime suspect, Pru races to solve the puzzle before the kitten is put down.

I enjoyed the protagonist; she has a bit of an edge to her, like someone who’s been through too much. Between her “gift,” and (what might be) a painful past, she’s very self-protective. Personally, I found the character’s “flaws” made her more a more believable character. I also enjoyed the way the author combined basic animal behavior knowledge with mental-picture images to create the language Pru uses to communicate with the animals around her. Simon goes so far as to show how Pru’s special sensitivity is often painful for her as she experiences events from the animal’s point of view.

I received an e-copy of "Kittens Can Kill" in exchange for an honest review. In my opinion, it is a light cozy. There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing, although the alert reader might have a good hunch for who the murderer is. Even so, the characters are fun—especially for animal lovers.

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kittens can Kill by Clea Simon is a cozy mystery. The title made me curious and the cover is so sweet, I couldn’t resist it. Do you think a cute little kitty kat could be a killer? Maybe the murderer is not the four legged kind of kitty kat.

Pru Marlowe could be called a critter whisperer. She is able to communicate with animals. She is a loner, unless you count her talking to cats and all the other animals she can converse with, until…

A murder brings a white fluffy ball of fur into her life. I loved the humorous conversations with Wallis, her cocky, snarky, cat.

I don’t think the household kitty kat can kill, at least not on purpose, but I’ sure people do, especially when there is a large inheritance involved.

Kittens Can Kill starts off with the murder and the action continues at a steady pace.

The storyline is predictable, but that’s okay. I love cozy mysteries and most of them are predictable. I enjoyed the story and the humorous writing style of Clea Simon. I loved the “sensitive” issue, the paranormal addition to the murder. The suspects were all suspicious to me and Clea kept me guessing until near the end. That is unusual for me and a big KUDOS to her for pulling it off. I would highly recommend adding Kittens Can Kill to your reading list. It is a purr-fect summer read.

I received an ARC of Kittens Can Kill in return for an honest review.

[Crittermom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pru Marlowe is an animal behaviorist with a unique gift, the ability to hear the thoughts of animals. While it is a great help in her career, the ability leads her to isolate herself from others. When an assignment leads Pru to discover a dead body next to a young kitten, she is reluctantly drawn into investigating. Unveiling the secrets of the dead lawyer's feuding daughters forces Pru to face aspects of her own past in order to catch a killer.

Pru is not the most likeable protagonist, but she is very real and the author makes her behaviors and motivations easy to understand. Pru's flaws add dimension to her character. Her love for and connection with animals is clear throughout. Clea Simon does a fantastic job with her characterization of animals. The animals within the book are not simply humans with fur. They behave in a recognizably species specific manner.

The mystery keeps the reader guessing until close to the end. I would highly recommend this novel to animal lovers and to anyone who enjoys a well crafted mystery.

I received an advanced reader copy from Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Pru goes to check up on a kitten, she finds much more than she'd bargained for! The kitten is playing with a button beside the dead body of the man who was supposed to be its owner. This starts the tale - is is murder or natural causes. The man had three daughters and all seem to take sibling rivalry to the extreme, each seeming to blame the others for his untimely demise. Pru has little option but to investigate further and makes great use of her hidden talent and secret supporter to help her do so. Her talent is her ability to communicate telepathically with animals and her secret supporter, her Doctor Watson, is Wallis - her cat.

This is a great story set in small town America. The character - both animal and human - are superbly portrayed and there are lots of surprises as the story unfolds. This is another great story in the series and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to the author and publishers, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.

[A Holland Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery for me. I have not read any of the other books in this series or by this author and I did just fine and did not feel lost. There is murder, mystery, romance and animals all in one place – what more can you ask for in a good book. The characters are very well developed and likeable. It was fun learning a little about each of them as the story went along. One of my favorite things was how Pru could “communicate” with the animals. This brought a little humor to the story. It was also kind of neat how the animals would give her clues to try and help her solve the mystery. The author did a good job of keeping me guessing until the end of the story. I will be looking for the rest of this series to enjoy.

[CoffeeTimeRomance andMore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pru is most certainly not the sweet cuddly type. In fact she is about as prickly and standoffish as her four-legged housemate. What is confusing is why she involves herself in a situation that is completely none of her business, except for the well-being of a kitten who nobody wants. I cannot say that I enjoy her attitude or her personality, and really think that less liquor and more laughter would do her and her stories a world of good.
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Amber Polo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first in the series I read. Perhaps that's why I couldn't connect with the flawed character of Pru. There have been several before but Pru doesn't seem to have come very far along in her life. I had no clue how she started hearing animals and if her obsessive interest in alcohol and sex with a police officer is based in her past. Talking and hearing to animals was well done and not over invasive. The mystery was light even for a cozy.

[Excalibur Snape · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me a lot of the ghostwhisper the only difference is that the main character talks to animals not ghosts.
This is an adult read and like the last few books I have read it has to do with murder.
There is also sex.
This was an enjoyable read.
It is the sixth book in the series.
I would like to read the other five.
I recommend this book you won't be sorry.

[Emilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true treat for cat lovers!! :)
Really good one, interesting plot, vivid characters, and to top it all - the way Pru (the protagonist) can communicate with animals - really puts a spin on everything! :)
Human relationships as well as the owner-pet ones described in a fun (but to the point ) way.
great read!!!!!

[Erunyauve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was rather disappointed with this book. I shelled out the $13 after the scene in which the kitten calls out to his 'mama', but unfortunately, it turned out to be less a book about cats than about a self-obsessed alchoholic in denial. Pru barely interacts with the kitten she is trying to save - she's too busy trying to get money for caring for him, or gossipping about the sisters, or drinking to do the most basic things, like take him to the vet for his shots.

Everyone in the book speaks in non-sequiturs, and this is partly because Pru can't focus on any person or animal but herself for three minutes. There are a few genuine moments - I shared her heartbreak over the squirrels, and there is one lovely bit near the end, but frankly, this character and this novel are just completely disorganised. She can hear the thoughts of animals, but she doesn't listen to them, and too often, a person or animal will drop something that appears to be important, and instead of focusing on that, she's running off to do something else.

I loved Wallis (her cat), but Pru is just too annoying for me to read any other books in the series.

[Baroness Ekat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually a 2.5 but goodreads won't let me do half stars and it wasn't so bad it needed to round down.

This is the only Pru Marlowe book I've read (having picked it up at a used book sale because of the title). Honestly, you don't need to have read the first 4.

Pru is an animal behaviorist... sorta. More of a woman who walks dogs, helps pets get settled into new homes, deals with ousting nuisance animals. But she's able to have a "way with animals" because she's able to hear their thoughts. (yeah I know)

She gets called to help one of the bigwigs of her town settle in a new kitten. When she arrives, she find the man dead. She then gets embroiled in the dispute between the man's three adult daughters over the estate, who killed him and all that.

Frankly, I found there was very little redeemable about Pru. She drinks too much, is rather mean and rude to her love interests, does not seem to have an empathetic bone in her body and doesn't treat the animals with the care and such that I expect someone who does what she does for a living with her abilities to do.

Cannot say I will be looking for any others in this series or others by the author.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you can talk to animals, I mean really talk with them you life takes turns never before thought of. While this is the 5th book in the series this was a first for me. Pru Marlowe finds herself taking home a little kitten left in the mess of a death. Her life gets all tangled into the death, the family behind it all and of course the animals and a little romance on the side, with the law of the land.

A fun cozy mystery.

[Kristine & Cassie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Seriously. I hate trying to read books that I don't care about. I stop reading instead of stopping that book. This was that kind of book. I couldn't even get past 50 pages. 37 and I just DGAF. I didn't like anyone or anything about it.

[Kim Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery may be a bit loose, but this is a fun romp, especially if you like cats/dogs, etc. The character of Pru is gritty and real, as any detective character should be.

[Suanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, Clea Simon has a very interesting take on the world.

[JA J · Rating 2 out of 5]

cute premise that became tiresome when explained over and over and over again.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cute kitten on the cover. The book is slow and boring.
Pg 162, 2nd paragraph, 3rd sentence should say "... and WILKINS was saying just the wrong ..." Not Canaday.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pru Marlowe can talk to animals and they can talk to her. Comes in handy as she’s an animal behaviorist. She helps pets and their humans to understand each other.

When lawyer David Canady is found dead, Pru doesn’t buy it that a kitten, the cute little fluff ball, Ernesto, had anything to do with his masters death.

Taking the traumatized kitten home with her, Pru becomes enmeshed in the mystery. Cause of death is pending and everyone is scrambling to cover their butts and cast blame on others.

Likely suspects are the lawyers three daughters. There’s no love lost between them, and the reading of the will just makes this worse.

Between dealing with pesky squirrels, trying to decipher her cat Wallis’s cryptic clues, and trying to coax info out of her sexy cop boyfriend, Pru’s secret ability may be revealed.

I don’t envy Pru’s ability to communicate with animals. They aren’t very good at making themselves clear. I’d get a headache trying to figure them out. Her ability as an animal behaviorist helps her with this. Sometimes for the good and sometimes it’s sad.

I think I liked the animal characters in this book more than the humans, except for Pru, her lover, Jim Creighton, and the humble town veterinarian, Dr. Sharpe.

I couldn’t warm up to Pru’s loser ex-boyfriend, or to the three sisters. They all seemed self-centered and greedy. And some of her clients were so ignorant of their pets needs. I pity some of those animals.

Pru’s cat, Wallis, was my favorite. I tried to picture him as a human. He’d be portly, partly balding, and have a British accent. He really was a sarcastic one.

Little Ernesto was a sweetie, but very young. He couldn’t get his messages across to Pru, but he was coming around to it.

As much as I wanted to know if the lawyer was truly murdered, and if so, who did it, I wanted to know who ended up with little kitty, Ernesto, even more. What can I say, I love all furbabies.

Give me a cozy mystery with plenty of suspects, a bit of the paranormal, and animals, and I’m a happy camper.

I received this book for my honest review.