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Psycho Cat and the Landlady Mysteries #3
Nine Lifelines
The elevator won’t go to the tenth floor, someone is breaking into condos, and the well-heeled Ukrainian renter isn’t paying the rent. Beth and husband, Arnie, have retired to the building where Beth’s last rental unit is located, and Beth, the klutzy landlady, has declared herself through solving mysteries. Then, her renter is arrested for the murder of the neighbor who fell (was pushed?) from the tenth-story balcony and the dead neighbor’s grandchildren are left with only their wheelchair-ridden, perhaps senile, Peruvian grandmother to care for them. Beth feels compelled to help out.
Are Sylvester’s psycho-cat behaviors providing clues? Is the renter actually the killer? Do the break-ins and elevator problem have anything to do with the murder? Even Arnie, who has always told Beth to keep her nose out of police business, gets involved—for the sake of the children. Dealing with immigration issues as well as a murder takes some complicated and dangerous maneuvering.
Are Sylvester’s psycho-cat behaviors providing clues? Is the renter actually the killer? Do the break-ins and elevator problem have anything to do with the murder? Even Arnie, who has always told Beth to keep her nose out of police business, gets involved—for the sake of the children. Dealing with immigration issues as well as a murder takes some complicated and dangerous maneuvering.
ebook
Published July 3, 2016
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About the author
Joyce Ann Brown
4 books30 followersJoyce Ann Brown is a former library media specialist, now a freelance writer, a short story author, and a published author of CATastrophic Connections, FURtive Investigation, Nine Lifelines, and Tailed, a charming mystery series called "Psycho Cat and the Landlady Mysteries. Her short stories have been published in several online magazines and in an anthology of mysteries, Noir at the Salad Bar: Culinary Tales with Bite.
Joyce considers herself first and foremost a story teller. She remembers telling a story almost every night before her younger sister would fall asleep. She told stories to her children, too, and to her students. Later, she became a professional story teller and used stories to teach and to entertain when she was a school librarian. Now Joyce writes books and short stories, plays tennis, and walks the trails of the Kansas City Metro with her walking buddies.
Joyce considers herself first and foremost a story teller. She remembers telling a story almost every night before her younger sister would fall asleep. She told stories to her children, too, and to her students. Later, she became a professional story teller and used stories to teach and to entertain when she was a school librarian. Now Joyce writes books and short stories, plays tennis, and walks the trails of the Kansas City Metro with her walking buddies.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 2, 2016
I absolutely love the feline nickname of 'Psycho Cat', and think I chuckled nearly every time it came up. He needs to keep Ms. Helper company for a few days...but that probably wouldn't be fair to ole' Psycho!
Having gotten that out of my system, I can say that I felt a rather immediate kinship with Beth. She is 'of a certain age' and a little klutzy...and that sounds so familiar! I can understand her desire to have a quiet life, that getting involved in solving mysteries is not conducive to so living. But, in this, the third installment of the "Psycho Cat and the Landlady Series", things hit home. Just about literally. Not only does she have the concerns on a personal level, that one of her neighbors is murdered and another is suspected of the deed, but there is also a business aspect. She is the landlady and renters dying and other renters being arrested does not have a positive effect on the bottom line.
But there is a third concern, that really pushes her into active investigation mode. The victim's grandchildren have no one to care for them but their wheelchair-bound grandmother, who has just become a widow herself. I've got to admire that she will step in, when many people would back away from the pall of death that surround the surviving members of a family.
From the first few lines, I was drawn into the story by Ms. Brown's writing. How many times have people said, "Wow...I'd like to be a fly on that wall," meaning that you would like to be there in the room to hear and see what is going on without being heard or seen yourself. More so than a number of books I've read, I felt almost part of the action in Nine LiFelines. And having neurotic animals myself, whom I nonetheless love as furry members of the family, I hope Psycho and Beth are around for the whole nine lives...and then some!
(Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.)
Having gotten that out of my system, I can say that I felt a rather immediate kinship with Beth. She is 'of a certain age' and a little klutzy...and that sounds so familiar! I can understand her desire to have a quiet life, that getting involved in solving mysteries is not conducive to so living. But, in this, the third installment of the "Psycho Cat and the Landlady Series", things hit home. Just about literally. Not only does she have the concerns on a personal level, that one of her neighbors is murdered and another is suspected of the deed, but there is also a business aspect. She is the landlady and renters dying and other renters being arrested does not have a positive effect on the bottom line.
But there is a third concern, that really pushes her into active investigation mode. The victim's grandchildren have no one to care for them but their wheelchair-bound grandmother, who has just become a widow herself. I've got to admire that she will step in, when many people would back away from the pall of death that surround the surviving members of a family.
From the first few lines, I was drawn into the story by Ms. Brown's writing. How many times have people said, "Wow...I'd like to be a fly on that wall," meaning that you would like to be there in the room to hear and see what is going on without being heard or seen yourself. More so than a number of books I've read, I felt almost part of the action in Nine LiFelines. And having neurotic animals myself, whom I nonetheless love as furry members of the family, I hope Psycho and Beth are around for the whole nine lives...and then some!
(Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.)
August 25, 2016
This has all the required elements for a cozy mystery, including characters you will care about and want to read more about, plus one large and in-charge cat.
This book also goes deeper giving us extra mysteries and puzzles to solve.
The added material goes into political intrigue, family dynamics, deep deception and on a lighter note
visiting grandchildren who often seem wiser than their years.
You can read this and enjoy a quick paced cozy mystery about a clue finding cat or you can take your time and appreciate a well written full fledged mystery novel. Be prepared for your pulse to quicken when you think all is safe!
I did receive this book as part of a Great Escapes blog tour.
This book also goes deeper giving us extra mysteries and puzzles to solve.
The added material goes into political intrigue, family dynamics, deep deception and on a lighter note
visiting grandchildren who often seem wiser than their years.
You can read this and enjoy a quick paced cozy mystery about a clue finding cat or you can take your time and appreciate a well written full fledged mystery novel. Be prepared for your pulse to quicken when you think all is safe!
I did receive this book as part of a Great Escapes blog tour.
February 9, 2023
As mentioned in a prior review, at Joyce Brown's funeral I promised myself that I would re-read or read all four of her Psycho Cat and the Landlady Mysteries. I re-read the first two. I am sorry to say that I had not read the final two. The third book is the best so far! I almost hate to start reading the fourth since I know there will not be any more by Joyce - but I'll do it. I thoroughly recommend this one. It was a good mystery and, once again, had fun references to places I know here in Kansas City.
June 8, 2017
If you want to read something light, then this cozy mystery will be right up your alley. The mysterious brother-in-law, the screaming neighbor as he fell from the penthouse and the strange markings on doors leads amateur sleuths Beth, her husband Arnie and Psycho Cat to figure out what the heck is going on. Reading Author Brown's other reviews on this and the other books in the series shows that she is a favorite among many readers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews