Crafts, Cat Burglars, and Murder

Craft Circle Mysteries #4

by Stacey Alabaster

A new cozy mystery from #1 Best Selling Author Stacey Alabaster
Georgina starts volunteering at the local animal shelter in an effort to find balance in her life. When cats start disappearing, she takes it upon herself to find out what’s going on. When she tracks down the cat burglar, events take a deadly turn. Can Georgina find the killer before he lands on his feet and gets away?

Crafts, Cat Burglars, and Murder is part of the Craft Circle Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast paced mysteries full of interesting characters and unexpected twists, you’re going to love Crafts, Cat Burglars, and Murder.

Download Crafts, Cat Burglars, and Murder and start solving your next mystery today!

Read all of the Craft Circle Cozy Mysteries
Each book in the series is a stand-alone story, but your enjoyment of each story will be increased if you read them all.
* Book 1: Steps From Death
* Book 2: Arts, Crafts, and Murder
* Book 3: A Finely Crafted Murder
* Book 4: Crafts, Cat Burglars, and Murder

And be sure to check out Stacey Alabaster’s other series: the Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery Series
Each book in the series is a stand-alone story, but your enjoyment of each story will be increased if you read them all.
* Book 1: A Pie to Die For
* Book 2: Donuts, Antiques and Murder
* Book 3: Death by Chocolate Cake
* Book 4: Rest, Relaxation and Murder
* Book 5: Til a Death Do Us Part
* Book 6: The Mud Pie Murderess
* Book 7: Catering and Kidnapping
* Book 8: The Pumpkin Killer
* Book 9: Wined, Dined and Dead

Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2017

About the author

I have always loved a good mystery. From my early years watching Murder She Wrote to more recent shows like Monk, Psych, and my absolute favorite BBC show ever, Sherlock, I have studied what it takes to make an entertaining mystery. I am truly blessed to be able to write and share my own mysteries with you. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing them :)

If you want to keep up with all my new releases, be sure to sign up for my mailing list at FairfieldPublishing.com/cozy-newsletter

Reviews

[Meegy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one made me cry!!!

[Lisa Denn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crafts, Cat Burglars and Murder, the fourth book in Stacey Alabaster's Craft Circle Mystery series, is a quick read that can be read as part of the series or on its own as the author does provide what I like to call "catch up" information to readers who may not have read previous books.

I'm still not a huge fan of the main characters - Georgina and Brenda. The author's ability to conjure up vivid images into the reader's mind from her written descriptions and dialogue between the two doesn't always preserve the story's believability. I've said it before and I'll say it again. In the real world these two woman would not be caught in the same room together let alone in the same workplace. I've hoped some character tweaks would occur over time to correct the believability issues I have and lo and behold the author has softened some of Brenda's rough edges in this book eliminating some of my doubts.

The author has once more come up with a moderately difficult crime thanks to a perfectly placed plot twist here and there.

I found this book much more enjoyable than the others in the series. I still feel the characters haven't topped my likeable meter but there were moments in the book when I was able to relate better with their thoughts, feelings or actions. I'm glad I've stuck with the series in spite of my dislike of the main characters and yes I look forward to the next installment.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, fast paced cozy mystery with lots and lots of CATS! A must read.

Another fun installment of the Craft Circle mysteries. This is a fast, fun read with lots of twists and turns and Cats, lots and lots of cats! The characters are fun. Our protagonist, George, owner of the craft shop seems to always finds dead bodies and of course she has to stick her nose in it and try to solve it herself! Then there is Brenda, the irrascible manager of George's craft shop. Love the back and forth between George and Brenda! And then her ex-husband Adam shows up after all the years, he decided he wants George back...she doesn't want to get into it with him again. There is also Ryan the detective who has this, could it be called a crush on George or a strange fascination? And she does return those feelings although she doubts herself since she is older than him. And then her new friend Caroline. I love that she was introduced into the series again. Needless to say, I loved this 4th book in the series and recommend it to anyone who wants a fast, fun cozy mystery! I received an ARC copy of this book but the opinions here are strictly my own.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first couple of books in the series even though they were light fluff with little substance. I was interested enough in the main character to read the entire 4 book series. However by the 4th book her silly approach to amateur sleuthing was getting a little old. Failing to share information about a murder with the police is really not something to laugh about. I had also hoped that later books would reveal something about her past, but other than introducing her first ex-husband in one of the books, we never really learn about her. What did she do before moving to a new town and opening a craft store? What was she running away from? What was she doing when she lived in Paris? Why does she have no friends from her former life? We also never learn how she really supports herself. She bought a house and opened a shop, but her only contribution seems to be letting her dog destroy the store inventory every time she shows up there. The first couple of books were entertaining for light reading, but I guess I like my mysteries to have a little more substance and be a bit more believable with a main character I can relate to instead of just a silly caricature of a bumbling amateur sleuth.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgina - George, runs a crafts and sewing store. She also volunteers at the local shelter. It is at the shelter, one day when she is alone because the manager called in sick, that she sees someone stealing cats! George tracks him down by a drawing she did of him and goes to his house. There she finds about 12 cats and Andrew Combs dead on the floor. She takes all the cats to her store, which upsets Brenda, her helper. Oh and her ex-husband is back in town, staying in her extra bedroom. He wants to get "back together". George doesn't want any part of Adam, the ex. As she keeps looking into the stolen cats and Andrew, George finds out things she can not believe is actually going on! What you may ask? You will need to read the book to find out. Can George find out who killed Andrew without getting killed herself? Again, you must read the book. What about all those cats? What will happen to them?

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing about author Stacey Alabaster is that you will always enjoy her books. They are sweet, simple, and also has a mystery added in. I know when I’m going to read her I’ll carve out the time to set down because I generally end up reading it all at once.

This story is about Georgina who has her own craft store and also volunteers at the local shelter One day she saw someone leave the shelter with a bunch of kittens in a crate. Of course, she can’t let it go and is determined to find out who took the kittens. Them a person is found dead and the mystery gets even more interesting to Georgina to solve. One of the things about the characters in the book is that they are all well described. They are all normal sounding people that you could become friends with. It is odd though that Georgina’s ex-husband still lives with her.

[Nancy Tuttens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author as a giveaway and am voluntary writing a review of the book. The story’s main character is Georgina who owns a craft store, but who also volunteers at a local animal shelter to keep her busy and away from her ex who is back in town. She discovers on her first day of work that there is a cat burglar and discovers a murder. Will she find the culprit before there’s another murder and more cats disappear? This is a fun and quick read. The author developed some interesting characters and holds you in suspense until the end before the killer is revealed. The author describes many events that you can actually picture happening in front of you. I definitely will pick up more books from Stacy.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was really fun. I could see myself working in a shelter as a volunteer, however, I would probably end up adopting far too many animals that can't find homes. George is very relatable in this book while she is trying to hide away from her problematic ex-husband. I would be able to relate if I was trying to not be anywhere near one of my exes.

This book entailed 2 different mysteries that are also connected together. We do get to find out more about the shelter that George got her dogs from, and learn a bit more about Brenda. George definitely takes a more aggressive approach to this investigation. Even though this character was never really a passive investigator really.

Over all this was a really fun book, and I enjoyed it.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacey Alabaster is rapidly becoming one of my favourite Cozy Mystery authors, and this one doesn't disappoint. The characters are great, I particularly love Brenda, Georgina's long-suffering and gloriously grumpy manager of her craft store. The animal characters are great as well, the border collie manages to create mayhem nearly everywhere, and gave me a lot of laughs.
The plot is a bit different as well and does manage to conceal the culprit almost to the end, and there are quite a few red-herrings thrown in for good measure.
I read this in one sitting, it engrossed me so much, Very highly recommended.

[Barbara Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book of this delightful series finds George (Georgina), craft store owner and amateur detective, doing volunteer work at the local animal shelter. She quickly finds herself in the middle of burglary, theft, murder and more cats than she can handle.

I enjoy this series very much. It's a cozy mystery in every sense - quick, clean and fun to read. Georgina is a bit older than some cozy heroines. She has an attitude and a snarky sense of humor to boot. Give this series a try. You'll enjoy it.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions my own.

[Neera Sawhney · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, enjoyable book. Georgina's life just seems to go haywire- from an ex-husband who moves in, and she feels the need to stay out just to avoid him. Then the second day of voluntary work at the pet shelter has her involved in a case of cat kidnappings which lead to her finding a murder victim. She comes across as a soft,impulsive, eccentric woman who follows her heart and gets all entangled up. The twists and turns just add to the confusion, and she brings all 12 of the cats that she rescues into her craft shop. What mayhem. I look forward to the next book in this series, it's sure to be a riot.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

George is back at solving another murder after she sees a young man stealing cats from the animal shelter where she is volunteering. One thing leads to another and George has her hands full of men, cats and murder. This is another very enjoyable book by Stacey Alabaster. I love her books and this series is fun to read. Hoping to read the next in the series soon. Recommend this book to any cozy mystery lover, you will not be disappointed.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one from start to finish in a day. Couldn't put it down, I wanted to know the usual things- who, what, where and why but it was the cats that pulled me in. A plot filled with Stacey's colourful characters, twists and surprises. Stacey's style of writing allows you to visualise the scenes as you read them, some of the funniest involve her border collie. Another enjoyable cosy mystery read.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

George is at it again. While volunteering at the local animal shelter she discovers someone stealing cats. She starts her investigation only to find her suspect murdered. As with all of our adored cozy mystery books, this is a fun fast read.

[Anne Schendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I worried soooo much about the kitties in this book.
Beyond that, it's an interesting mystery, with compelling characters.
Reading it, time flew by, couldn't put it down!
Anything more would be a spoiler!

[Ella Portera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read with several roadblocks, some a little obvious. A few of the characters were well rounded. Some could use some help. All in all, it was a good afternoon read. I would recommend giving it a try.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into this book. It didn't grab my attention right away and although the storyline was ok, the characters seemed to just "be there". Not enough interaction between them. Pretty much one dimensional.

[Kandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun cozy mystery by Stacey Alabaster. I love cats and mysteries and this book has both. What a great combination.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun cozy

Was a quick enjoyable read. I have enjoyed getting to know the characters. I will be waiting for the next one to come out.

[Kitten Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cats galore

Someone is stealing cats and murdering people. The cat shelter needs help, some dogs and cats don't get along and someone has to solve the murders.

[Linda Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair

This story had great potential but it seemed to fizzle out at the end. George needs to pay attention to her craft store

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun cozy mystery by Stacey Alabaster! I really enjoy her mysteries!

[Diane Ritter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it’s just because I’m an animal lover, but I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! Plus, it had a quirky little ending that I liked—could George and Brenda actually become friends??

[ALISA RASMUSSEN · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled a lot with all the lying in this book. I couldn’t see the reasoning behind a lot of it. The story was okay but I’m also not a cat lover.

[Elizabeth Douville Giorno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly- another stinker. How is it possible the local animal shelter can’t adopt a single cat but George can adopt 9 in one day? Just absurd writing again.

[Jennifer Blackburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great read to the series. This time it messed with my emotions. There were times i wanted to go into the book to rescue the cat. Times when it brought tears to my eyes. In the end brought a smile to my face. I am so glad Georgie came to Carrot the cats rescue and Brenda had love in her heart to give him a home. If i could jump into the book and take him i would have for i love cats . Yes dogs too. I think because my love for animals this book touched me the most. That’s why i love this series because it sucks me in from the beginning to the very end. Once again i thought i knew who done it but ended up being someone I didn’t suspect. Got to love it that its not the obvious but the one you never have guessed. Now onto the next book 5.

[Caroline Woodhall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome read by Stacey alabaster. I love these fun reads they never disappoint.
George owns a craft shop but also likes to help out at the animal shelter. One day when she is on her own she see, s a young man stealing some of the cats but she isn't fast enough to catch up with him. That night she sketches his face and starts her own investigation. I'm not giving any spoilers away just read it you won't be disappointed.