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Magical Cats Mystery #10
The Cats Came Back
Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson often seems to gets mixed up in murder, but luckily, her very special cats always find a way to help her close a case . . .
The charming Minnesota town of Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival, and the whole place is bustling with musicians and tourists. Kathleen is looking forward to taking in some fabulous performances—and her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are looking forward to taking in some fabulous sardine crackers. But then the trio stumbles across a dead body by the river.
The victim is a close friend—who also happens to be a look-alike of a popular cabaret singer set to perform at the festival. Who could have wanted to harm this innocent girl? Was it a case of mistaken identity?
As accusations abound and suspicions swirl, Kathleen, Hercules and Owen will put their abilities—both mundane and magical—to the test, and lay down the paw.
The charming Minnesota town of Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival, and the whole place is bustling with musicians and tourists. Kathleen is looking forward to taking in some fabulous performances—and her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are looking forward to taking in some fabulous sardine crackers. But then the trio stumbles across a dead body by the river.
The victim is a close friend—who also happens to be a look-alike of a popular cabaret singer set to perform at the festival. Who could have wanted to harm this innocent girl? Was it a case of mistaken identity?
As accusations abound and suspicions swirl, Kathleen, Hercules and Owen will put their abilities—both mundane and magical—to the test, and lay down the paw.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2018
202 people are currently reading
2553 people want to read
About the author
Sofie Kelly
17 books1,114 followersSofie Kelly is the pseudonym of young adult writer and mixed-media artist, Darlene Ryan. Sofie/Darlene lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she practices Wu style tai chi and likes to prowl around thrift stores. And she admits to having a small crush on Matt Lauer.
She also writes as Sofie Ryan.
She also writes as Sofie Ryan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
September 9, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is one of my favorite cozy series. The cats remind me of my own, sans magical powers of course, but including their love of treats. In this story, Owen and Hercules are going to star in a new calendar promoting Mayville Heights. While getting ready for his close up, Hercules is distracted by something in the water. When their human counterparts investigate they find the body of a woman in town for a music festival. Because of the festival the town in full of performers and tourists opening up the suspect pool. Kathleen and the cats find themselves on the path of the killer. Her insight and the magical talents of Owen and Hercules may solve the case or put them all in danger.
With well-drawn characters, the mystery takes us on a great ride leading up to a very exciting ending. Kathleen doesn’t back down and her cat’s little powers come in handy and crack me up, even in dire situations. I love the way Kathleen handles her cats and the way Hercules and Owen handle her. Their interactions are priceless.
Kathleen and Marcus’ relationship continues to grow. She is getting close to having to tell him about the cat’s special abilities, but I think he already knows something is up. He is a detective after all. I enjoy the way he supports Kathleen’s sleuthing, they do make an awesome team.
Sofie Kelly writes a story so easy to escape right into. Being #10 in the series it is like visiting old friends, but if you are new to the series, you will quickly feel at home. This is a fun and entertaining story. I anxiously await the next book! It’s going to be a long year 😀
This is one of my favorite cozy series. The cats remind me of my own, sans magical powers of course, but including their love of treats. In this story, Owen and Hercules are going to star in a new calendar promoting Mayville Heights. While getting ready for his close up, Hercules is distracted by something in the water. When their human counterparts investigate they find the body of a woman in town for a music festival. Because of the festival the town in full of performers and tourists opening up the suspect pool. Kathleen and the cats find themselves on the path of the killer. Her insight and the magical talents of Owen and Hercules may solve the case or put them all in danger.
With well-drawn characters, the mystery takes us on a great ride leading up to a very exciting ending. Kathleen doesn’t back down and her cat’s little powers come in handy and crack me up, even in dire situations. I love the way Kathleen handles her cats and the way Hercules and Owen handle her. Their interactions are priceless.
Kathleen and Marcus’ relationship continues to grow. She is getting close to having to tell him about the cat’s special abilities, but I think he already knows something is up. He is a detective after all. I enjoy the way he supports Kathleen’s sleuthing, they do make an awesome team.
Sofie Kelly writes a story so easy to escape right into. Being #10 in the series it is like visiting old friends, but if you are new to the series, you will quickly feel at home. This is a fun and entertaining story. I anxiously await the next book! It’s going to be a long year 😀
October 4, 2018
I liked this better than the last few in the series, although is that a comment on me or the books? Maybe I was just in the right mood. The mystery was a little convoluted . . . which maybe makes it more like a real life murder!
I still want more forward motion.
I still want more forward motion.
September 27, 2018
I found and fell in love with this series years ago, another book I found when spining the rack at my local library, when one of Sofie Kelly's Magical Cat Mysteries fell from the rack, I snatched it up and checked it out. I fell in love with the series from book one and have read them all. In the most recent book The Cats Came Back, I was again enchanted with the same feelings I had when I read the first book. This book made me think, it made me cry and it made me remember. It made me love my own cats just that much more. Great characters, great friends, so much to love and a truly great read.
September 7, 2018
There is music and wedding plans in the air in Mayville Heights, Minnesota. Head librarian, Kathleen Paulson, finds herself in the center of it all. Kathleen hopes to listen to beautiful music at the festival and continue to help a dear friend plan for her long-awaited wedding, but things don’t go quite as smoothly as planned.
Kathleen, along with her two cats, Hercules and Owen, discover a dead body by the river. To make matters worse, Kathleen knows the victim. She is a singer scheduled to perform at the music festival. It’s not long before Kathleen realizes it’s not her friend. Instead, it’s a look-alike which brings up the question of whether the singer had been the original target of the killer.
In respect to her detective boyfriend, Kathleen vows not to get involved in the investigation, but we all know how vows like that go. Kathleen and her cats are right in the middle of things. Did I mention that her cats have magical powers? One disappears and the other walks through walls. Kathleen definitely has her hands full with these two.
I love, love, love this series. Cat cozies were always a particular favorite of mine and this is a long-running one. This particular book is #10. I’ve read all except one, which I plan to get to, and have loved them all.
A word about the magical abilities of the cats, it’s very subtle and only Kathleen knows about it. The cats don’t talk in human language and don’t perform tricks or anything like that. Kathleen does have full length conversations with them, but I do that with my cats and they have no magical abilities that I know of :) The cats respond, not by human talking, but by doing cat things like meowing and kneading. Somehow, this all seems natural to me. LOL
The storyline sends readers in several different directions. I was surprised at how it was all wrapped up.
It’s fun for me to re-visit a cozy town where I know all the characters, but I think new readers would enjoy it as well. The author gives plenty of background information throughout the book.
This was another quick read for me and left me wanting more.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Kathleen, along with her two cats, Hercules and Owen, discover a dead body by the river. To make matters worse, Kathleen knows the victim. She is a singer scheduled to perform at the music festival. It’s not long before Kathleen realizes it’s not her friend. Instead, it’s a look-alike which brings up the question of whether the singer had been the original target of the killer.
In respect to her detective boyfriend, Kathleen vows not to get involved in the investigation, but we all know how vows like that go. Kathleen and her cats are right in the middle of things. Did I mention that her cats have magical powers? One disappears and the other walks through walls. Kathleen definitely has her hands full with these two.
I love, love, love this series. Cat cozies were always a particular favorite of mine and this is a long-running one. This particular book is #10. I’ve read all except one, which I plan to get to, and have loved them all.
A word about the magical abilities of the cats, it’s very subtle and only Kathleen knows about it. The cats don’t talk in human language and don’t perform tricks or anything like that. Kathleen does have full length conversations with them, but I do that with my cats and they have no magical abilities that I know of :) The cats respond, not by human talking, but by doing cat things like meowing and kneading. Somehow, this all seems natural to me. LOL
The storyline sends readers in several different directions. I was surprised at how it was all wrapped up.
It’s fun for me to re-visit a cozy town where I know all the characters, but I think new readers would enjoy it as well. The author gives plenty of background information throughout the book.
This was another quick read for me and left me wanting more.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 31, 2018
I had entered a drawing for an advance paperback copy of this from the publisher and ended up winning. I voluntarily read and reviewed this and my opinions are my own. Even though I had never read any of this series, I wasn't lost at all. All the recurring characters were explained without getting redundant, so I quickly learned who everyone was and also quickly grew to love the town of Mayville Heights, MN. I managed to get this read in just one day.
Kathleen Paulson had been living in Mayville Heights for several years now with her two cats, Owen and Hercules. They weren't just your everyday cats. Owen could appear and disappear, and his brother, Hercules could walk through walls. They were very intuitive too. Kathleen could tell them what to do and they completely understood her, and most of the time they did what she said, most being a keyword here ;)
When the summer music festival was in full force, a damper was put on things when a body showed up on the Riverwalk while Kathleen and Ruby were out having a photo session with the cats. The cats were going to appear in a calendar promoting the town. Ruby was the one to discover the body, and it appeared to be that of a singer who had come to perform in the music festival. Since Kathleen was dating Detective Gordon, he knew her penchant for solving mysteries and he also knew he wasn't going to change that part of her, so he mainly warned her to be careful while investigating.
There were plenty of suspects, and while I had my suspicions about someone that did turn out to be the killer, I still wasn't really sure until it was revealed. The showdown was really exciting as Kathleen worked to avoid the killer in the basement of the theater. I loved what she ended up doing to the person too. Everything was wrapped up as the final concert of the music festival was soon, as was Kathleen's veterinarian friend Roma's wedding. The ending was very sweet and now I want to start at the beginning and see just how much Kathleen got on Marcus's nerves in the beginning lol. I've been collecting the series, but I hadn't gotten a chance to read any of them yet. I got the first book out of storage and am planning to read it very soon!
Thanks again to Berkley Publishing for the giveaway and for picking me to be one of the recipients of this advance copy of the book.
Kathleen Paulson had been living in Mayville Heights for several years now with her two cats, Owen and Hercules. They weren't just your everyday cats. Owen could appear and disappear, and his brother, Hercules could walk through walls. They were very intuitive too. Kathleen could tell them what to do and they completely understood her, and most of the time they did what she said, most being a keyword here ;)
When the summer music festival was in full force, a damper was put on things when a body showed up on the Riverwalk while Kathleen and Ruby were out having a photo session with the cats. The cats were going to appear in a calendar promoting the town. Ruby was the one to discover the body, and it appeared to be that of a singer who had come to perform in the music festival. Since Kathleen was dating Detective Gordon, he knew her penchant for solving mysteries and he also knew he wasn't going to change that part of her, so he mainly warned her to be careful while investigating.
There were plenty of suspects, and while I had my suspicions about someone that did turn out to be the killer, I still wasn't really sure until it was revealed. The showdown was really exciting as Kathleen worked to avoid the killer in the basement of the theater. I loved what she ended up doing to the person too. Everything was wrapped up as the final concert of the music festival was soon, as was Kathleen's veterinarian friend Roma's wedding. The ending was very sweet and now I want to start at the beginning and see just how much Kathleen got on Marcus's nerves in the beginning lol. I've been collecting the series, but I hadn't gotten a chance to read any of them yet. I got the first book out of storage and am planning to read it very soon!
Thanks again to Berkley Publishing for the giveaway and for picking me to be one of the recipients of this advance copy of the book.
February 19, 2022
Review coming soon
December 16, 2018
Kathleen is a small town librarian and looking forward to the town’s music festival along with her two magical cats. The cats find a dead body, who turns out to be a close friend to te well-known singer, she also looks a lot like the singer. So was the one killed the right one. Kathleen sets out to find out why the friend was killed, was she the intended victim and who did it.
June 30, 2018
This is an adorable cozy series featuring ” Hercules and Owen” two feral yet magical cats and their caretaker Kathleen who happens to be this little towns, Librarian.
They are in the process of putting on the annual musical festival when Kathleen and the ”boys” stumble upon a murdered body that happens to be one of the out of town guests. They find themselves in the thick of the investigation and nothing about this murder makes sense to Kathleen, and several other of the performers of the festival.
I love the warm characters of this series as well as the picturesque setting. There are also several other subplots going on so there isn't a dull moment.
I would like to thank Read-it-First for the opportunity to read and review adorable series.
They are in the process of putting on the annual musical festival when Kathleen and the ”boys” stumble upon a murdered body that happens to be one of the out of town guests. They find themselves in the thick of the investigation and nothing about this murder makes sense to Kathleen, and several other of the performers of the festival.
I love the warm characters of this series as well as the picturesque setting. There are also several other subplots going on so there isn't a dull moment.
I would like to thank Read-it-First for the opportunity to read and review adorable series.
September 4, 2021
The body was on the front seat of my truck, about halfway between the passenger door and the cloth grocery bag I'd left in the middle of the seat.
It is always a pleasure to catch up with Kathleen, Hercules and Owen. Mayville Heights is hosting the annual music festival that introduced us to Kathleen. A popular singer slated to perform has an assistant that could be her twin sister. When the assistant is found dead there is a question as to whether it is a case of mistaken identity.
Kathleen and her boys have been involved in enough investigations that people close to the singer ask for her help. I'm pleased that Kathleen and Marcus have a relationship that she can now share that with him without him going ballistic. She still puts herself in harm's way with her questioning. Hercules and Owen often come to the rescue.
You know I'm a sucker for cats. I don't find it odd at all that Kathleen has conversations with her boys. That is what it sounds like at my house every day. I hope that she will soon share their secret with Marcus. Particularly since his kitty Micah is showing some of the same magical qualities.
I love the idea of the cats being featured on a calendar for the town! I would buy it. The photo sessions are great!
The addition of Roma's wedding to Eddie is a great plot to the story. I love all the family dynamics that occur around this event.
There is so much to love about this series in addition to the cats. The townspeople and Kathleen's friends are wonderful I always feel right at home with them. I'm very happy that I have the next two books in the series available and hope to read them soon.
This is a series that I highly recommend.
It is always a pleasure to catch up with Kathleen, Hercules and Owen. Mayville Heights is hosting the annual music festival that introduced us to Kathleen. A popular singer slated to perform has an assistant that could be her twin sister. When the assistant is found dead there is a question as to whether it is a case of mistaken identity.
Kathleen and her boys have been involved in enough investigations that people close to the singer ask for her help. I'm pleased that Kathleen and Marcus have a relationship that she can now share that with him without him going ballistic. She still puts herself in harm's way with her questioning. Hercules and Owen often come to the rescue.
You know I'm a sucker for cats. I don't find it odd at all that Kathleen has conversations with her boys. That is what it sounds like at my house every day. I hope that she will soon share their secret with Marcus. Particularly since his kitty Micah is showing some of the same magical qualities.
I love the idea of the cats being featured on a calendar for the town! I would buy it. The photo sessions are great!
The addition of Roma's wedding to Eddie is a great plot to the story. I love all the family dynamics that occur around this event.
There is so much to love about this series in addition to the cats. The townspeople and Kathleen's friends are wonderful I always feel right at home with them. I'm very happy that I have the next two books in the series available and hope to read them soon.
This is a series that I highly recommend.
July 14, 2018
Kathleen Paulson is the head librarian for the
Mayville Heights Free Public Library in Minnesota.
She is the owner of two special cats, Hercules
and Owen. These cats aide Kathleen with murder
investigations.
Both cats were feral cats. They followed Kathleen
home.
Hercules can walk through walls and helps Kathleen
find certain websites on her laptop.
Owen can become invisible whenever he wants
with a habit of finding and taking things he can
carry away in his mouth.
The annual festival in about to take. The town is a
buzzed with a lot of non-locals.
While down by the harbor taking pictures for a cat
calendar, Hercules gets restless. Then Kathleen, her
cats and the photographer find a dead body.
Who is dead? Was it a robbery gone wrong, an
accident or foul play?
The story drew me in immediately. It takes off very
quickly keeping an invigorating pace right up to the
end. A very well plotted adventure with interesting
sub plots and several twists and turns.
The characters are complex, colorful, well defined
and ones you would like to meet. The cats were a
great addition to the story!!
A magical, entertaining read!!
I volunteered to read The Cats Came Back. Thanks
to Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the
opportunity. My opinion is my own.
Mayville Heights Free Public Library in Minnesota.
She is the owner of two special cats, Hercules
and Owen. These cats aide Kathleen with murder
investigations.
Both cats were feral cats. They followed Kathleen
home.
Hercules can walk through walls and helps Kathleen
find certain websites on her laptop.
Owen can become invisible whenever he wants
with a habit of finding and taking things he can
carry away in his mouth.
The annual festival in about to take. The town is a
buzzed with a lot of non-locals.
While down by the harbor taking pictures for a cat
calendar, Hercules gets restless. Then Kathleen, her
cats and the photographer find a dead body.
Who is dead? Was it a robbery gone wrong, an
accident or foul play?
The story drew me in immediately. It takes off very
quickly keeping an invigorating pace right up to the
end. A very well plotted adventure with interesting
sub plots and several twists and turns.
The characters are complex, colorful, well defined
and ones you would like to meet. The cats were a
great addition to the story!!
A magical, entertaining read!!
I volunteered to read The Cats Came Back. Thanks
to Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the
opportunity. My opinion is my own.
February 5, 2019
Kathleen is again on the trail of a killer. In the midst of winnowing out the clues, she is also helping with the wedding plans of a friend. And as usual, her magical cats are not opposed to getting into mischief. But they also prove to be a lifesaving asset. This delightful tale has everything a reader would want in a cozy and then some, and it is topped with magical cats. It’s entertaining and intriguing from the beginning to the end.
November 13, 2018
What a wonderful series, one of my favorite.
October 8, 2022
This gets 3 stars instead of 4 because:
1. I knew who the perpetrator would turn out to be as soon as the murder happened, complete with motive and everything. That NEVER happens (especially not so early on) and so I was - perhaps irrationally - annoyed that I wasn't proven wrong.
2. Kathleen *still* hasn't told Marcus about the cats and ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THAT.
3. There was far too much drama packed into the final two chapters. I had no patience for the Olivia/Roma drama at all and that was before the confrontation with the killer, which I knew was also definitely still coming.
I hope I'll enjoy the next one more. The cats are still charming as ever.
1. I knew who the perpetrator would turn out to be as soon as the murder happened, complete with motive and everything. That NEVER happens (especially not so early on) and so I was - perhaps irrationally - annoyed that I wasn't proven wrong.
2. Kathleen *still* hasn't told Marcus about the cats and ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THAT.
3. There was far too much drama packed into the final two chapters. I had no patience for the Olivia/Roma drama at all and that was before the confrontation with the killer, which I knew was also definitely still coming.
I hope I'll enjoy the next one more. The cats are still charming as ever.
October 19, 2018
Magical Cats was the first cat cozy series I ever read. I have had cats, myself. since I was 19 and can't imagine life without them. I love dogs and all animals, but cats are a special kind of challenge. Like an ancient Egyptian, I admire and respect cats a great deal (and yes, I do feel that anyone that kills a cat should be executed even as that ancient civilization did...lol.) I thought a 'cat cozy' would be very cheesy, corny or too sweet for consumption. I was wrong. I enjoyed, with surprise and relief, the first book in this series. Owen and Hercules were completely believable and reminded me as a composite of my own cats. Cats are a bit magical in their own way. I've always liked series (Nero Wolfe was my first a a teenager) and this was the beginning of a new genre that I've continued to expand upon: the cat cozy. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes mysteries, cozies, cats and small town characters that are vividly portrayed.
March 26, 2022
Nearly caught up with this series, just down to a few books I missed (apparently!) here and there. I liked this one but it felt a bit unfocused and meandered a bit but it was chock full of Hercules and Owen so it was pure delight. (I may have a book crush on Hercules)
September 28, 2021
For once, I figured out whodunnit quite early in the book.
September 13, 2020
Dang it, I realized I read the last two in the wrong order. I hate when that happens, especially because at the end of A Night’s Tail, Kathleen had told Marcus about the magical powers of Micah, Owen & Hercules, and I was expecting to see his reaction.
Instead, in The Cats Came Back, Kathleen and her friends are preparing for Roma’s wedding and enjoying the annual Wild Rose Music Festival. Mayville Heights is overflowing with both performers and tourists. Ruby has become acquainted with a cabaret singer from Chicago, Emme Finley, her sister, Nora, and her best friend, Miranda. Oddly enough, it’s Emme and Miranda who look enough alike to be sisters.
So a few days later, when Ruby is photographing Owen and Hercules for the now-annual Mayville Heights calendar, the cats become distracted by something down by the water. Finally, Ruby and Kathleen give up and go looking for the cause of the boys’ distraction, and find a dead body. At first, they think it’s Emme, because the body is wearing a dress and sweater belonging to Emme. But later, Kathleen remembers the shoes Miranda had been wearing a few days ago and realizes it’s actually Miranda; Marcus tells Kathleen she had been shot.
Of course Kathleen gets involved in solving the crime, along with Hercules, who is more interested in detecting than his brother. Ms. Kelly does a good job of showing their separate personalities; as someone who is owned by 3 dogs and even more cats, I can attest that each one does have a unique personality, just like humans.
Another fun story, and NOW I get to see Marcus’s reaction to the fact the cats have “superpowers!” Book 12, A Case of Cat and Mouse, was just released on September 1, although it’s not available in paperback yet, so I bought the Kindle version — I’ll get the paperback later.
4 stars.
Instead, in The Cats Came Back, Kathleen and her friends are preparing for Roma’s wedding and enjoying the annual Wild Rose Music Festival. Mayville Heights is overflowing with both performers and tourists. Ruby has become acquainted with a cabaret singer from Chicago, Emme Finley, her sister, Nora, and her best friend, Miranda. Oddly enough, it’s Emme and Miranda who look enough alike to be sisters.
So a few days later, when Ruby is photographing Owen and Hercules for the now-annual Mayville Heights calendar, the cats become distracted by something down by the water. Finally, Ruby and Kathleen give up and go looking for the cause of the boys’ distraction, and find a dead body. At first, they think it’s Emme, because the body is wearing a dress and sweater belonging to Emme. But later, Kathleen remembers the shoes Miranda had been wearing a few days ago and realizes it’s actually Miranda; Marcus tells Kathleen she had been shot.
Of course Kathleen gets involved in solving the crime, along with Hercules, who is more interested in detecting than his brother. Ms. Kelly does a good job of showing their separate personalities; as someone who is owned by 3 dogs and even more cats, I can attest that each one does have a unique personality, just like humans.
Another fun story, and NOW I get to see Marcus’s reaction to the fact the cats have “superpowers!” Book 12, A Case of Cat and Mouse, was just released on September 1, although it’s not available in paperback yet, so I bought the Kindle version — I’ll get the paperback later.
4 stars.
July 1, 2018
I received a copy of this book through the First to Read program. I haven't read any of the other books in this series but it didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying The Cats Came Back. The writing is well paced and twisty enough to keep me turning the page. The characters were very relatable and humorous. I always enjoy cats anyway but Hercules and Owen have the personalities and powers to keep the reader entertained throughout.
September 3, 2024
I like this series more for the continuing characters than for the actual mysteries, but this one was rather twisty. Even though I had a hunch who the murderer was, I wasn't sure until the end. Honestly, every community event in Mayville Heights seems to involve a death. I'm not sure if it's some sort of weird cult ritual or just really bad luck. This one involves the best friend of singer. Seriously, I was much more invested in the cats than in the person who died or the singer. With Roma's wedding, the murder seemed to be flying under everyone's radar.
September 13, 2025
GOOD BOOK BUT SADLY THE MYSTERY WASN'T FOR ME THIS TIME.
SERIES PREMISE: In this series we follow Kathleen Paulson, a Librarian from Mayville Heights, Minnesota and her two master-sleuth cats Owen & Hercules.
In this book: Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival, and the whole place is bustling with musicians and tourists. Kathleen is looking forward to taking in some fabulous performances—and her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are looking forward to taking in some fabulous sardine crackers. But then the trio stumbles across a dead body by the river.
THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed the mystery of book 9. Sadly that was not the case with book 10, so I docked a star. I thought the reveal was good, but the investigation just didn't intrigue me. In saying that, I love Owen and Hercules so much that there was no way this book was getting 3 stars. At the end of the day 'you win some, you loose some' and this book was a loss on the mystery side, but a gain on the cozy theme side.
4 Stars.
SERIES PREMISE: In this series we follow Kathleen Paulson, a Librarian from Mayville Heights, Minnesota and her two master-sleuth cats Owen & Hercules.
In this book: Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival, and the whole place is bustling with musicians and tourists. Kathleen is looking forward to taking in some fabulous performances—and her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are looking forward to taking in some fabulous sardine crackers. But then the trio stumbles across a dead body by the river.
THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed the mystery of book 9. Sadly that was not the case with book 10, so I docked a star. I thought the reveal was good, but the investigation just didn't intrigue me. In saying that, I love Owen and Hercules so much that there was no way this book was getting 3 stars. At the end of the day 'you win some, you loose some' and this book was a loss on the mystery side, but a gain on the cozy theme side.
4 Stars.
February 29, 2020
Another cracking story from Ms Kelly, I keep thinking they cannot be topped and yet they are!
Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival and everything seems to be running smoothly, at the same time Ruby is taking photographs of the two hams, sorry cats!, Owen and Hercules in the hope of getting enough pictures in different settings to be able to do a fundraising calendar, it is during one of these photo sessions that things start to unravel, Owen and Hercules keep being distracted by something and when Ruby goes to look she finds a body! At first they (Kathleen and Ruby) think it is the singer Emme Finley, but it turns out to be Emme's best friend (and current assistant whilst she is between jobs) Miranda Moore, that would be bad enough but then Emme goes missing, now two Magical Cats and one Librarian (oh and Mayville Heights finest) need to figure out what happened to Miranda, find Emme and let the show go on!
Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival and everything seems to be running smoothly, at the same time Ruby is taking photographs of the two hams, sorry cats!, Owen and Hercules in the hope of getting enough pictures in different settings to be able to do a fundraising calendar, it is during one of these photo sessions that things start to unravel, Owen and Hercules keep being distracted by something and when Ruby goes to look she finds a body! At first they (Kathleen and Ruby) think it is the singer Emme Finley, but it turns out to be Emme's best friend (and current assistant whilst she is between jobs) Miranda Moore, that would be bad enough but then Emme goes missing, now two Magical Cats and one Librarian (oh and Mayville Heights finest) need to figure out what happened to Miranda, find Emme and let the show go on!
June 29, 2022
This was a nice cozy mystery! I just needed a quick read to get caught up with my reading goal, and this worked. There are so many cat related mysteries out there, it seems like. I've been curious but also cautiously concerned about which ones to try since I'm worried they'll be dumb....but this series has great reviews and this one was free on Audible Plus so I decided to try it. I enjoyed it! It wasn't a high stress thriller and I almost didn't care THAT much about the mystery itself, but it was a nice story to listen to while I was working and I had warm fuzzies for the characters (and the cats, of course). The audiobook narrator also has a very soothing voice. I'd listen to another one when I'd like a book, but don't want to put my brain on the treadmill. This is more like a recumbent bike.
August 9, 2024
Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson often seems to gets mixed up in murder, but luckily, her very special cats always find a way to help her close a case . . .The charming Minnesota town of Mayville Heights is hosting a music festival, and the whole place is bustling with musicians and tourists. Kathleen is looking forward to taking in some fabulous performances--and her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are looking forward to taking in some fabulous sardine crackers. But then the trio stumbles across a dead body by the river. The victim is a close friend--who also happens to be a look-alike of a popular cabaret singer set to perform at the festival. Who could have wanted to harm this innocent girl? Was it a case of mistaken identity? As accusations abound and suspicions swirl, Kathleen, Hercules and Owen will put their abilities--both mundane and magical--to the test, and lay down the paw. Magical Cats #10
February 2, 2020
Kathleen and everyone else in Mayville Heights is excited for the annual music festival. Things go sour, however, when Hercules discovers a body down by the river. The victim was a close friend of popular singer Emme Finley, and the two young women looked enough alike that they could pass as sisters. Kathleen can't help but wonder if Emme was the target, and someone mistook Miranda for her. Nevertheless, she is determined to stay out of it and let the police, including her boyfriend, Marcus, do their jobs. What Kathleen hadn't counted on was so many friends coming to her and asking her to investigate in her own, unique way. Kathleen reluctantly agrees to do so.
In addition to her unscheduled sleuthing, Kathleen is trying to help her friend, Roma, prepare for her upcoming wedding, she's transporting her cats here and there for another friend, Ruby, to photograph them, and she still has her job at the library to tend to. Fortunately for her, both Owen and Hercules lend their own, peculiar talents to the investigation, and between the three of them, they may end up solving this murder after all.
I was pleased that I was able to suss out the murderer fairly early in the book, but I still enjoyed the process of seeing Kathleen work it out. As I've mentioned with this series previously, I appreciate that Kathleen is still doing "normal" things, and that the entirety of the book isn't devoted to her investigation. The only thing that annoyed me was the fact that, once again, Kathleen ended up in mortal peril. You know, it's exciting when it happens to the main character now and then, BUT EVERY SINGLE TIME?! Eventually, it becomes tedious.
This was headed towards an automatic five stars, but I'm knocking one off for that lather, rinse, repeat ending.
In addition to her unscheduled sleuthing, Kathleen is trying to help her friend, Roma, prepare for her upcoming wedding, she's transporting her cats here and there for another friend, Ruby, to photograph them, and she still has her job at the library to tend to. Fortunately for her, both Owen and Hercules lend their own, peculiar talents to the investigation, and between the three of them, they may end up solving this murder after all.
I was pleased that I was able to suss out the murderer fairly early in the book, but I still enjoyed the process of seeing Kathleen work it out. As I've mentioned with this series previously, I appreciate that Kathleen is still doing "normal" things, and that the entirety of the book isn't devoted to her investigation. The only thing that annoyed me was the fact that, once again, Kathleen ended up in mortal peril. You know, it's exciting when it happens to the main character now and then, BUT EVERY SINGLE TIME?! Eventually, it becomes tedious.
This was headed towards an automatic five stars, but I'm knocking one off for that lather, rinse, repeat ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2025
I've said it before, I'll say it again: I just love Owen and Hercules. knowing how troublesome two regular cats can be (is there such a thing as a normal cat?), I can't imagine trying to deal with two magical ones. Kathleen seems to have almost given up and is just using it for the greater good, which is fine. a little disappointed there wasn't more with Fred the funky chicken but nothing's perfect. 😆. and Kathleen's family is so normal and realistic, it's a nice change from all the dysfunction that is popular. the mystery was good although I saw the end almost from the beginning, largely from having read a similar solution just a couple months ago. I loved Roma and Eddy's wedding and feel it's about time Marcus and Kathleen got engaged. really hope the author gives us the reveal to Marcus of the cats' abilities and doesn't do it between books or otherwise off page.
September 30, 2019
4 stelle e mezza
All'inizio questa serie mi aveva un po' "sconcertata" per le strane capacità dei due gatti, ma ora ci ho fatto l'abitudine e, oltretutto, l'autrice non esagera l'aspetto magico, quindi riesco a godermi la lettura dei vari libri. Mi sono, anzi, innamorata dei due gatti e di Marcus...
In questo libro il giallo era ben congeniato, ma l'istinto (non altro) mi ha portato ben presto a sospettare della persona giusta. La mia attenzione è stata, comunque, tenuta viva fino alla fine: un plauso all'autrice.
All'inizio questa serie mi aveva un po' "sconcertata" per le strane capacità dei due gatti, ma ora ci ho fatto l'abitudine e, oltretutto, l'autrice non esagera l'aspetto magico, quindi riesco a godermi la lettura dei vari libri. Mi sono, anzi, innamorata dei due gatti e di Marcus...
In questo libro il giallo era ben congeniato, ma l'istinto (non altro) mi ha portato ben presto a sospettare della persona giusta. La mia attenzione è stata, comunque, tenuta viva fino alla fine: un plauso all'autrice.
November 16, 2018
The publisher sent me this book free or charge in return for an honest review. This is book 10 in a series, although it isn't necessary to read these in order. What sets this cozy mystery series apart from others, is the two magical cats owned by the amateur sleuth. The cats really overshadow the librarian turned sleuth and indeed help her solve crimes. This would be a great book to gift your favorite cozy mystery fan, or better yet, cat owner!
December 27, 2018
Roma and Eddie get married - but not without childish pre-wedding behaviour from Roma's adult daughter, Olivia.
Although Kathleen says that it is past time to tell Marcus about the cats' special abilities, she does not! Why on earth not? He has one of the Wisteria Hill cats himself (and helps care for the ferals on Wisteria Hill) and even acknowledged in this book that there is something special about the cats when Lucy came seeking help after the barn loft collapsed. Secrets are seldom good, and this one, especially, should be shared and celebrated with her partner.
Although Kathleen says that it is past time to tell Marcus about the cats' special abilities, she does not! Why on earth not? He has one of the Wisteria Hill cats himself (and helps care for the ferals on Wisteria Hill) and even acknowledged in this book that there is something special about the cats when Lucy came seeking help after the barn loft collapsed. Secrets are seldom good, and this one, especially, should be shared and celebrated with her partner.
May 24, 2020
The festival is coming to town. There's singers, musicians, and craftsmen. One of the singers is famous, and has a lookalike assistant.
A body is found, and it's not immediately clear whether it's the singer or the assistant who is dead. Our sleuth and the cats investigate.
Not bad, a bit slow.
A body is found, and it's not immediately clear whether it's the singer or the assistant who is dead. Our sleuth and the cats investigate.
Not bad, a bit slow.
August 22, 2018
Who doesn't love this charming series. The title is a bit misleading - it should be "The Cats Came Back to Help Kathleen Solve Another Mystery". Cant' wait until Kathleen finally reveals their "superpowers" to Marcus. Am hoping that might be soon. :)
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