When a body is found in the hydrangeas at Moorecliff manor, certain members of the family fall under suspicion. Inspector Ivan Hershey is starting to wonder why dead bodies keep cropping up at the mansion. Especially since this particular body belongs to a member of a local organized crime gang and there are a lot of unanswered questions.
Who is Daisy's secret admirer? Why did the victim have a picture of Daisy? Why have people been lurking around the grounds at night? Who is in the limo that watches the house? Why did the killer return to the scene of the crime?
Sasha, Arun and Aunt Araminta must put themselves in danger as they travel to the seedy underbelly of the city to solve the crime. That's okay though, because this time, solving the case is personal.
USA Today bestselling author, Leighann Dobbs, discovered her passion for writing after a twenty year career as a software engineer. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty.
Her book "Dead Wrong" won the "Best Mystery Romance" award at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention.
Her book "Ghostly Paws" was the 2015 Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem First Place category winner in the Animal Mystery category.
While Araminta and her family are enjoying breakfast in the Solarium, the two Siamese cats, Sasha and Arun, are exploring the garden. At first they only looked slightly interested, but then their tails are standing straight up in the air. This made Araminta wonder what caused the change. Upon closer inspection, she discovered a body in the hydrangeas, but nobody seemed to know who the deceased was. One item found near the body was a matchbook from the Lantern Lounge, a somewhat risque establishment.
It turns out that the corpse was Joey Tuccinelli, with connections to organized crime. Joey was also known to have connections with the Lounge. To add to the mystery, Daisy has been receiving flowers almost daily, but doesn't know who is sending them.
Why was Joey at the Moorecliff Manor? Why was Joey killed in the garden? Who killed Joey and why was he killed? Why does Detective Hershey think a Moorecliff is involved? Can Araminta and her cats solve the mystery?
Leighann Dobbs has another wonderful mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued clear to the end. The characters and situations are very realistic.
Moorecliff Manor is the scene of another murder. In this third book in the Moorcliff Manor series Araminta's Siamese cats, Sasha and Arun, discover a body in the hydrangeas. Unlike the previous people who died at the manor, this person is not known to anyone living in the house, or so they all claim. When the body is identified as someone associated with organized crime, the hunt for the killer leads Araminta and her niece Stephanie to the seedier part of town. It's all hands on deck as Reginald and Stephanie join their Aunt Araminta (and Sasha and Arun) to prove their stepmother, Daisy, had nothing to do with it.
It's a good thing Minta is there to help bring some clues to the attention of Detective Hershey because it seems he's determined to arrest Daisy for a murder, although I keep getting the feeling he kind of likes her. Thankfully Minta gives the detective enough proof to doubt Daisy did it, and he sets his sights on someone else.
I like that a lot of the detective work in this story is done outside of Moorecliff Manor, although that means we don't see that much of Sasha and Arun. We also get see more of one of the family's employees, and find out how much the family appreciates and takes care of those who work for them. The mystery of Daisy's secret admirer(s) may have been solved too.
I enjoy these cozy mysteries, and like to read them sometimes after I've read an intense suspense book to help ease me into a different genre. This is the shortest of the series at only 98 pages, but I feel the story was complete and I didn't feel cheated.
Araminta Moorecliff and her two cats, Sasha and Arun, are already solving a new murder when they discover a body in the hydrangeas. They have several suspects, but when the murderer is found out, it surprises several people. I believe this book to be the best in the series. I highly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
This is the third book in Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozies. Leighann Dobbs has written another great series. When Araminta Moorecliff notices her cats, Sasha and Arun, sniffing aroutTnd the hydrangea bushesm she suspects they have found another dead body. When Detective Ivan Hershey comes to the manor he is sure one of the family has killed this man. Daisy has a secret admirer (or is it two)? She has been receiving roses one day and wild flowers the next. Everyone claims they do not know the man. The dead man is Joey Tuccinelli, a member of the mob, who works for mob boss, Tony "The Fist" Romano. Moorecliff Manor is gearing up for their annual Moorecliff Cat Competition.She visits Tony asking for donations for the Cat Competition and questions him about Joey. This series is well written. I have enjoyed watching the characters develop. This series is a must read. I received an advance copy of this book. This is my honest review;
I’m really enjoying this new series. I like watching the family relationships change and grow. This book was very involved. I love the “cat detectives”! They are almost the best part. There were lots of ups and downs and red herrings, with a surprise ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cozy mysteries with interesting characters, multifaceted storylines and a little investigative help from two very wise cats.
When Araminta disrupts her breakfast because her cats are acting suspiciously. The rest of the Moorecliff gang complain, until they find the body.
Apparently, Daisy, the new widow at the manor has a secret admirer. She has been receiving flowers practically every day.
And it's possible that one of her admirers is the deceased.
As this is one body too many at the manor for inspector Hershey, he is out to prove that Daisy is a murderer.
Once again it's up the manor felines to point Araminta in the right direction to find the clues she needs to put the correct person in Detective Hershey's line of sight.
This is the third book in the Moorecliff Manor series. There are defined characters, some humor, and a bit of misdirection. As is standard with Leighann Dobbs stories, the main mystery is satisfactorily solved, while leaving some questions open so you know to look forward to the next coming book in the series.
More murder & mayhem @ the Moorecliff Manor!! Just when Minta and the rest of the family thought things had finally settled down, the cats sniff a corpse in the Hydrangea bushes. Why was a local mobster lurking outside the manor, and who put a bullet in his brain?? Minta, the cats, and the family are all on the case!! Great characters, and a fast, engaging story will keep you guessing "Whodunnit" until the end!! Absolutely loved it, and can't wait to see what kind of Cat-astrope is bound to befall the upcoming Charity Cat Show at the Manor.
The Moorecliff family is once again under suspicion of murder when a man's body is discovered in the Manor's hydrangeas. Araminta and her kitties are on the case, which involves some shady characters not related to the family, but who might be the recently widowed Daisy's secret admirer. She is receiving fresh flowers daily from an anonymous sender. This is book 3 in the series. The characters are interesting and nicely developed, and the mysteries provide lots of twists and turns. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!
It was an interesting mystery. I am unclear what happened that caused such an infatuation with Daisy. I like where it is slowly going with Araminta and Jacob. And I like the little snippets of their past involvement in mysteries of long ago.
Homicide in the Hydrangeas (Moorecliff Manor Cat #3) — Leighann Dobbs/Narrator: Hollis McCarthy (18 chapters) June 11, 2023
These stories follow the semi-serious cozy mysteries of the Moorecliff clan, with the matriarch, Araminta, the head protagonist.
In this story, a local gang member is killed in the bushes at Moorcliff Manor, and Inspector Hershey is starting to wonder if one of the clan members is responsible for all the recent dead bodies appearing at the manor. And Daisy is getting anonymous flowers delivered every day. Was it the murderer, a stalker, or someone else?
As always, awesome narrator; quick listen, quirky plot by one of my all-time favorite authors.
And…. CATS! Cats with solving crimes! Cats are conversing with each other. And did I mention…. CATS?
A truly wonderful series with fantastic cats and human characters. I adore Arun and Sasha! I'm enjoying the fact they have major parts in the mysteries with speaking parts. I sincerely hope there will be more mysteries in this series. If course, it mentions a cat show at the end as sort of a cliff hanger. I hope it comes our soon!!!!!! Phenomenal series!!!!!
This is the 3rd murder at Moorecliff Manor but at least it's not family this time! Aunt Araminta, along with her cats Arun & Sasha, once again work to find clues to solve the case before a family member is suspected! Looking forward to what happens in the next book!!
I really love the Moorecliff Manor series! They're such a pleasure to read. They aren't crazy long, they move along very well all throughout the story and aren't bogged down with a lot of unnecessary wordiness. Oh, and I adore Sasha and Arun the cats! Keep them coming! I'll read every single one.
This series is a light, enjoyable, predictable group of novels for summer reading or resting your psyche during this chaotic season our nation and world is in. I love the cats! The cast of this somewhat dysfunctional family is enjoyable and along with the hokey ‘guys and dolls’ portrayal of italian mafia members, just easy to read.
This is another book in the series that is easy to read but very hard to put down and has a senior as the main character. Needless to say I ended up buying the entire series and am on book 4 now although I'm hoping for book 6 to come out soon because I may need an Araminta fix shortly after I finish with book 5.
Who knew that Daisy could become a stalker's obsession and not just one man. She actually had 2 secret admirers. At least Araminta found the real culprit.
Ariminta is the family matriarch. Daisy was married to Minta's late nephew, and Reginald and Stephanie are Daley's stepchildren. A man Daisy knew in the past is found murdered in their bushes. Minta and Daisy set out to solve it before the police.
Leighann Dobbs latest Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy mystery was a clean well written book. While each book can stand alone, the main characters are the same. Knowing their background does add to the story.
Best plot sequences yet! The cats take a more active role, and the plot is entertaining and tight! Moorecliff Manor is starting to get a reputation, what with all the bodies showing up…
Things were just settling down when Sasha and Arun (the Siamese cats) go for their morning frolic in the gardens and find a dead body in the garden. But who is the person and why was that person in the garden. How could this happen, again?
I really have been enjoying this series, enough clues given without being a slam dunk to solve. Just enough discription to envision the story without going on to distraction. Loved the story line!
Fun cozy with a murder. This is a quick read with like able characters. The house cats lend their sleuthing abilities to their mistress to help solve the case.
Book #3 was as entertaining as the first two. I am amazed at the imagination of these cozy mystery writers. I hope to see #4 — where there will be a murder at the cat show???