A Catered Cat Wedding

A Mystery with Recipes #14

by Isis Crawford

Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons run a catering business in their upstate New York town, and they're ready and willing to handle any wedding--even one where the bride and groom have tails . . .

Susie Katz is known as the crazy cat lady of Longely, New York, and goes out of her way to earn the title, right down to her cat T-shirts and porcelain Hello Kitties. She's a fanatic for anything feline. Humans, not so much.

So when she decides to put up a tent on her property and hold an extravagant wedding ceremony for her two Russian blues, she makes sure to include a few two-legged guests--primarily to raise some hackles. All her favorite enemies will be there: her bird-loving neighbor, a rival cat breeder, a local animal rights activist, and the niece and nephew who stand to inherit her considerable fortune . . . if she doesn't spend it all on cat tchotchkes first. Susie can't wait for them all to watch as Boris and Natasha slink up the aisle in their very expensive diamond-studded collars, before everyone starts digging in to the poached salmon and caviar provided for the occasion by Bernie and Libby.

But chaos erupts when a wedding gift is unwrapped and a mischief of mice jump out of the box--followed by the disappearance of all the pampered partygoers. Just a few hours later, Susie is stabbed in the back while searching for her missing kitties near the now-empty tent--and it's up to the Simmons sisters to sniff out the killer . . .

Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Cooking, Food, Cats

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2018

About the author

Isis Crawford was born in Egypt to parents who were in the diplomatic corps. When she was five, her family returned to the States, where her mother opened a restaurant in Upper Westchester County and her father became a university professor. Since then Isis has combined her parents’ love of food and travel by running a catering service as well as penning numerous travel-related articles about places ranging from Omsk to Paraguay. Married, with twin boys, she presently resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she is working on the next Bernie and Libby culinary mystery.

A pseudonym used by Barbara Block

Reviews

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It doesn’t matter how weird it may seem, if you are rich enough, it is merely eccentric. Susie Katz wants a wedding for her two Russian blues, and so, it is done. Sisters Libby and Bernie are the caterers, but the guests are the people Susie hates the most. They are compelled to be there for various reasons, known only to them and to Susie. Susie ends up dead, and the sisters are deep in the crime scene. Having contaminated it, they are threatened with arrest if they don’t solve the murder. And so they are off on a merry chase, following clues and chasing down mice, cats, and people. This cozy is romping good fun and quite entertaining. And yes, a cat wedding is a bit bizarre, but cozies need humor thrown in, and this one certainly has that and more.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book in the catered mystery series. Bernie and Libby are catering a cat wedding for Susie Katz who defines the phrase crazy cat lady. But things of course don't go as planned and Susie ends up dead. Bernie and Libby are tasked with finding out who killed her.

This was an ok book but not one of my favorites in the series . I think that Bernie and Libby are way to overprotective of their father. I might read the next book but this series is starting to annoy me so I don't know.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cat wedding, a box of mice, and murder all takes place in A Catered Cat Wedding by Isis Crawford.
I will admit I was hesitant to read this book, as the last one left me disappointed, however, this one is a pleasant surprise.
Sisters Bernie and Libby agree to cater a wedding for a rich socialite, who is determined that her Blue Russian cats have the most extravagant wedding money can buy.
Unfortunately for Susie Katz, mother of the cats, is not a very nice person and is found dead moments after a mouse mishap.
It's up to Bernie and Libby to solve the murder, especially since they are considered prime suspects.
This book is well written and the story was fast paced and exciting.
I'm glad I gave A Catered Cat Wedding a chance.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

[Melodie · Rating 1 out of 5]

First off, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to do an advance reading of this. That said, this was just bad. I hadn't read one of these in awhile. Used to really like them. I had A Catered Mother's Day at home, so read it before reading this. It didn't impress me either. Anyway, I think Ms. Crawford is in dire need of subject matter if she's writing about cat weddings now! The victim in this one was not a nice person, unless you might be cat and then she'd like you, so there's no shortage of people who wouldn't mind her shuffling off this mortal coil.. Bernie & Libby are still annoying. They didn't used to be like this, but they just get on my last nerve anymore. Glad I read this one, as between it and the other in the series I recently read let me know I need to just stay away from this series now.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good entry in the series

I totally didn’t see the ending coming. This series is a lot of fun and I enjoy sleuthing with Libby and Bernie. Recipes included at the end which I always enjoy.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better stories in this series. Although, I have enjoyed all but one of them. The cat wedding was ridiculous and humorous. The ending was a surprise. The chase and investigation were interesting. The food sounded delicious, but I wanted more of it. The characters were still likeable and entertaining.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boris and Natasha are getting married!!
Bernie and Libby Simmons who run A
Little Taste of Heaven are catering the
wedding reception at the request of
Susie Katz. Susie is a very rich woman
and has planned an elaborate ceremony
for her two Russian Blue cats.
The reception will be catered for those
people she invited and all her cats.
No one invited likes Susie but all attend
the ceremony.
After the cats are married, a wedding
gift arrives. When opened a slew of mice
jump out and chaos ensues.
While Bernie and Libby are busy trying to
capture the runaway cats chasing the
mice….Susie is murdered.
Who murdered her? Bernie and Libby
start to investigate.
A creative plot with a cast of unusual,
quirky, spiteful, underhand characters
make for a lot of suspects.
An interesting, different, catful read.

[T K Nelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series continues to go downhill. Characters are not evolving or maturing. We get it. The sisters are different as night and day. One dresses like a slob, one wears Stella McCartney attire as everyday clothes to work in a café. Readers do not need to be bombarded with the contrasts in personality and the spats caused by these differences. The bickering gets repetitive and boring.

The biggest turn off with this story was due to the Chief of Police rightfully being furious at some actions by Libby and Bernie (see above sentence regarding maturing). He gives the sisters 7 days to solve the murder or he will put them in jail for compromising the crime scene. Let me count the ways that’s completely implausible. Tampering with Evidence, yes. But even that charge has to show intent to interfere, not just being foolish and clumsy. It’s hard to be engaged when the basis of the story is completely unbelievable. And does the condition of the crime scene make it any less of the police department’s job to solve a murder?

Being the 14th book, it’s difficult to recall the beginning of the series. I remember there was a time when I looked forward to the next installment. Now I spend way too much time being distracted by…
…how the business seems to run itself since the girls are seldom there (Libby did do prep work one evening).
…trying to determine what the sound is that the author tries to invoke when the girls click their tongues on the back of their teeth or the roof of their mouth.
…the van has been falling apart since book one 15 yrs ago. It’s no longer cute when the van doesn’t start. Just another example of the girls’ poor business skills. Supposedly they run a successful catering business. That would require a reliable vehicle.

On the other hand, in this book I don’t think that even once someone got a pebble in her shoe. That’s always been an ongoing problem the sisters have. Perhaps they have learned something.

An admirable quality of the girls is they both adore their father. Which brings up perhaps the best, yet oddest, thing about this book.The completely unlikable character of Sean’s fiancé seems to have vanished. She still exists because she is mentioned briefly on page 175. No mention of her competing cafe. She's simply absent from the story. There’s also just the tiniest mention of Sean’s physical condition being in remission which allows him to take a more active role in investigating.

The series descriptor is ‘A Mystery with Recipes’. At this point that is in word only. Once again multiple delicacies from the shop are mentioned. After customer’s buying out all the delicious chocolate gingersnaps was a plot point I was hoping we might get that recipe. But readers are given two recipes that have nothing to do with the shop. The author shares her grandmother’s pancake recipe. And it’s just a plain ol’ everyday nothing special pancake recipe. Also included is a friend’s Borscht recipe. We get it. The book is about Russian Blues. Borscht is from Russia. So very clever. And one last disappointment from this book.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this new book of the series Bernie and Libby are tasked with catering a car wedding for a rich older woman. Susie Katz wants two of her cats to be married and is sparing no expense in doing so. She has hired the sisters to not only provide food for the people who are attending but also the animals. While the sisters are setting up they learn that all the people on the guest list aren't friends of Susie's but people who can't stand her. After the ceremony, when the gifts are being opened, a package is delivered that Susie immediately opens. When she opens the box mice pour out and all the cats Chase after them. Susie asks the sisters to help find her babies. When all the cats have been returned to the house Bernie and Libby look for Susie to let her know all is well. They are surprised to find her dead in her office, a letter opener sticking out of her. Who would have killed her and why? When all the other guest wall in and see what has become of Susie all he'll breaks loose. The sheriff blames the sisters for the destruction of the crime scene and gives them a week to figure out Who the killer is? Will they be able to come up with the killer or be arrested? Follow along as they talk to all the guests at the party looking for that one clue that will lead them in the right direction. The sisters are great characters who always make me think of how I am with my own sisters. I like the relationship they have with their father and always look forward to seeing what he'll get into, knowing that his daughters always find out. The plot was a fun one and the cats brought thoughts of all the cats I've ever had to mind. They are truly creatures who were out on this earth to have us serve them!!!

I received an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I am a cat lady. But I'm not a crazy cat lady like Susie Katz (she changed her last name), who hires sisters Bernie and Libby to cater the wedding of two of her cats. As much as Susie loved her cats, she hated people, so it probably is not surprising that she ended up violently dead. The two sisters are in trouble with the unpleasant local police chief for letting the crime scene be contaminated by wedding guests fighting with each other, and are under orders to solve the murder in a week or face arrest themselves. The relationships between the sisters and with their retired ex-policeman father are interesting, but the other characters are not really very interesting.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are cat people and there are CAT PEOPLE. Suzie Katz is the latter. She hires Bernie and Libby to cater a wedding for her cats. Things don’t go as planned

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other books in the series were better. Susie is the crazy cat lady and hire Bernie and Libby to cater a wedding for two of her cats. Someone delivers a present, when it is opened several mice run out and chaos starts. later Susie is found dead and Bernie and Libby are determined to find out who killed Susie.

[Cheyenne McCoy]

we were given this book as a wedding gift & ultimately i did need to read it. let me know if anyone is planning a wedding for their cats...after reading this book, i think i could really throw an exquisite party.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: I often have difficulty with cozies where the supposedly intelligent heroines go way beyond the pale to solve the murder. Unless the story line is intentionally straddling the absurd, things have to make sense even in a fictional world. That is why I have trouble with the police chief insisting the two sisters investigate and solve the murder of a client or he will toss them in jail.
Yes, their father was his predecessor; yes, they are both very good at finding things out; yes, they stupidly destroyed the crime scene. It does not make sense. Which is a shame as there are some good parts to the book.
This is a book where the supporting cast is stronger than the leads. The murder victim is a truly reprehensible character who deserves a horrible end. Needless to say, there are plenty of people with understandable grudges against her. Her one redeeming feature is her total love for her cats -Champion Russian Blues. In fact, it is the “marriage” of two of them that bring our heroines into the story and gives us the title of the book. I liked the kitties better than the humans.
There is a nice twist at the end but it cannot overcome my biggest objection. No cop would enlist civilian help in solving a crime and threaten arrest if they did not comply. It stretches credulity too far.
I give it three purrs and one paw up.

[Fluff Smut & Murder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley.com and the publisher for a ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, this one was not my absolute favorite of the series..Maybe the cat wedding concept is a little bit of a stretch, maybe the way that they got to the end was a little convoluted, maybe I'm getting a little sick of Libby and her whining..There was only 1 or 2 scenes where she shoves chocolate in her mouth in this book - I guess she's finally cutting back.

The 2 (why only two??) recipes didn't sound all that great - beets aren't a favorite so I won't be making that dish and almost everyone has either a recipe for pancakes already or some easy pancake mix in the pantry. I was hoping for the peach and apricot pie recipe, or maybe the shortbread recipe - even the perfectly poached salmon with the new potatoes sounded absolutely amazing. Maybe next time..

Would either Brandon or Marvin finally get off the pot and propose to one of them? Their non-romance romances are getting old - about as old as Matilda.

Overall Grade - B-

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

It may be time to put a series to bed when the only events featured is a cat wedding. As far as character development, this fell completely flat for me. The mystery part was actually well done and kind of clever (with boxes of mice being sent out for distractions, etc). The recipes here are a complete afterthought. It's getting harder for me to accept Bernie and Libby as detectives (and as actual people) with their lives so stagnant. I'd really like to see one of them get engaged, or move on a little, with her life. It's making the series a little too much of a reach for me. The best relationship in this book is that between Sean and Clyde.

If you're familiar with the series, the whodunit part of this is worth checking out. Otherwise, unless you're an incredible cat love, I'd pass.

[Jenna Loder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read had a different flow than I expected! I appreciate the twists. Libby and Bernie's characters were quirky and fun. They kept me engaged. I especially loved Bernie's saucy side because she reminded me of myself. Overall, it was a slow burn in my opinion. It wasn't nearly the worst thing I have ever read, but I had difficulty connecting to the story and caring about it. The ending reveal was mediocre. It did not excite me at all!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really getting frustrated with this series bc they never tie up the loose ends of the side stories. Sean is suddenly dating n engaged to this idiot, Michele. Where did she come from? What happened w inez? For like 3 books we r hearing how Michelle is tormenting Libby n Bernie but their dad just ignores it? It doesn't sync up. N the endless interviews r getting tiresome. I may have to walk away from this one.

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 32%. A bit too quippy for me. Like the two sisters are looking at a dead woman and making corny puns. Other people (and potential suspects) arrive at the scene, a fight breaks out that turns the scene into a farce, and the sisters respond with more jokes. The detective threatens to arrest them for screwing up the crime scene, and when they discuss with their dad and their boyfriends, they keep making more lighthearted quips. Like, I get that the author was going for a lighthearted, comedic tone, but it's hard to feel like there are any stakes to care about when the main characters themselves don't seem to take anything seriously.

I was curious about who the killer was, so I skipped to the last few chapters just to find out their identity and motive. In the scene I read, the sisters and some other characters were in mortal danger, yet again, responding with quips. At least I got my curiosity satisfied, but I also confirmed that I made the right decision DNF-ing.

There are lighthearted and comedic cozies that I enjoy, especially Laura Levine's Jaine Austen series. But for me, a main source of the amusement from that is that Levine creates all these ridiculous disasters for Jaine to somehow find her way out of. As readers, we have the comfort of knowing that Jaine will figure a way to untangle herself, but as the main character, Jaine doesn't have that foresight. So for her, the events are serious, and as a result, her equally ridiculous attempts to try to fix things (that inevitably end up in landing her in even hotter water) make sense.

In this book, the characters seem as in on the jokes as the reader, and that just lowers all the stakes for me. I remember reading an earlier book in this series and enjoying it, so maybe it's just that the characters and their responses to murder have evolved over time, to a style I no longer enjoy as much.

[Myra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have definitely NOT found a new cozy mystery series.

The things wrong with this book so far out-weigh what is right. The mystery itself is okay. I'm not really sure that there is enough support for who the killer was, but it wasn't totally unrealistic or totally unexpected. That's what's fine with the book.

The bad with the book.

-Everything about the two main characters - from their reaction to finding the dead body to their total lack of following police procedures to their almost total lack of involvement in their own business.
-The main detective - who does NOTHING to help solve the mystery and basically tells the amateurs to figure it out or go to jail.
-Characterization of cats and cat breeders and cat shows - I work with cats (not pure-breds or in breeding, but I'm quite familiar with that side) and almost none of that was anywhere near accurate.
-The recipes - that have NOTHING to do with the foods mentioned in the book.
-The gender-nonconforming names - just irritating and make it hard to figure out who everyone is.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Catered Cat Wedding by Isis Crawford is a novel filled with humor, cats, and murder. An older woman is obsessed with her cats. She ends up spending a fortune on a cat wedding for two of her most prized cats. Yet just as the weirdest wedding is about to unfold, everything goes wrong. From there, the two sisters catering the wedding are taking care of a mice problem only to find the cat owner stabbed to death. This novel was full of laughs and utter chaos. I found the cat owner strange and her murder interesting. I loved the niece and nephew of the crazy cat lover. And the two main cats made this story even more fun to follow. I did not like Suzie, the cat owner, at all. Her personality and way with spending made me dislike her. The sisters catering the wedding, Bernie and Libby were kind even to Suzie. The plot was crazy but the murder inside caught my full attention. I enjoyed reading this new mystery. 

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[dnsyl57 · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Catered Cat Wedding is the 14th in the Catered Mystery Series by Isis Crawford.
To be honest, had this been the first book of the series, I would never have read it as the whole concept of a cat wedding is rather absurd to me - sorry cat lovers. I also considered skipping this book and going to #15 but since some storylines carry over from book to book, I decided to suck it up and read it - well that and I'd gotten this one on a deeply discounted Kindle deal.

So, I started reading and was instantly underwhelmed. The first 10 chapters (about 23%) read like a really bad screwball comedy/farce. Once you got past the story setup, the murder scene and the immediate aftermath, the story did improve slightly but the suspects were almost as unlikeable as the victim!

In the end, I was only mildly surprised at "who done it". Will read the next two books in the coming weeks and hopefully they will be better than this one.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this, I'm convinced the Murder Mystery Novel Guild requires at least two recipes to be included in every book, even if (as in this one) the characters don't even eat the foods the recipes are for (borscht and pancakes, for a book where they mostly eat the leftovers from the cat wedding [salmon and caviar] and bakery goods).

That or whoever is stocking the local little libraries with these only buy the recipe novels.

I think this one is pretty good, but it's stupider than the wedding planner one I read earlier (not because cat wedding, but because many Bad Decisions were made)... I don't know if I'd get another book in the series; depends on if I see any and feel like I can squeeze one in the quota for the day when I buy books (self-limiting to one "bag" per visit).

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is number 14 in the series and can be read as a standalone story. The author gives the reader plenty of information.

Bernie and Libby are catering a cat wedding for Susie Katz who you could find in Who’s Who under “Crazy cat lady.”

But things of course don't go as planned and Susie ends up dead. Bernie and Libby are tasked with finding out who killed her. They discover Suzie wasn’t a nice or well-liked person unless you are a cat.

There were plenty of laughs. The cats added immensely to the story.

I thought the box of mice was an effective means to clear the event.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the Kensington and NetGalley.
Recipes included.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really light classic cozy featuring sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons. I haven't read all of the books in this long running series but that was ok because Crawford, a veteran in the genre, knows how to immerse newbies right away. In this installment, the sisters cater a CAT Wedding for Suzie Katz (the name was a bit much but ok), who ends up dead. Of course, Suzie is a rat and while the sisters are initially considered suspects, they investigate to find the real culprit. Their friends (and their dad- love dad) assist. This one gets close to the top but it's genuinely funny in spots. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sisters Libby and Bernie have another catering gig, this time a marriage ceremony for felines by their crazy rich owner. On the day of the celebration however, the owner Susie is dead. Unfortunately one of the dynamic duo stumbles into the scene and Police Chief Lucy is not happy with a compromised crime scene and issues a challenge to the amateur sleuths. Libby and Bernie get to business trying to find out who did it before they get slapped with obstruction of justice. I have read all in the series and this one wasn't my favorite, but still cute.
*Netgalley provided this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters, Bernie and Libby, are back in book 14 of A Mystery with Recipes series. Animal lovers will enjoy this story, especially those who enjoy the feline cozy. The ladies are catering a wedding for two Russian Blue cats for an eccentric, not well liked resident of Longely, New York. Someone sends a box of mice and during the disruption, Susie is stabbed in the back. Lots of suspects since everyone who comes in contact with her would like to see her dead. Well written mystery and some great cat treats available at the end of the book. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the local crazy cat lady, decides her two kittens need to be married, she hires Bernie and Libby to cater the elaborate affair. However, when the furry guests are kidnapped and Susie is killed, it is up to the sisters to solve the crimes.

This is the 14th book in Isis Crawford’s series and it is filled with delicious desserts and intricate details. Readers will laugh at the crazy antics that occur in this small, New York town. A Catered Cat Wedding is a must read for fans of animals and cozy mysteries!


Note:
This review was originally posted on the Ariesgrl Book Reviews website.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was browsing the public library when I ran across this book. I knew it was in the middle of a series but that usually doesn't seem to make a difference in a mystery series. I didn't make a difference in this reading. (I don't think!)

I like cats. I'm not a crazy cat lady but i know some although no one as crazy as this lady. A cat wedding? For reals? And the amount of money that must have been spent! Crazy!

This isn't a series I'm interested in but I enjoyed the book itself. It was perfect for recuperating from a bout of pneumonia.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the worst books in this series. I used to love this series. But the stories seem to keep going downhill with each new publishing. I have to be honest and say after reading half the book and being bored and frustrated out of my mind. I did a lot of skimming and speed reading to get this book done. Not sure if I will be reading any more of Isis Crawfords books. Too bad, these books started out so good.