Bookstore owner Willa Chance had no idea that a magical key was hidden in the old recipe book that she sold to food blogger Mary Ashford. Luckily the key is now safely tucked away in a box high on a shelf in the bookstore.... or is it?
Feline sleuth Pandora needs Willa's help to make sure that key doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This time she’ll have to take drastic measures to break through the barrier that has stopped her from communicating with her human... even if she has to take a chance on one of Pepper St. Onge’s enchanted teas. The teas are known to have unpredictable results, but Pandora is desperate and what could be worse than the threat to Mystic Notch?
The results of drinking the tea are worse than Pandora could have ever imagined. But not worse than murder. Which is exactly what happens to Mary Ashford. And if Pandora and Willa don’t figure out who is behind this, Mary won’t be the only one who ends up dead.
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.
How can and old cookbook, a magical key, and a charmed tea help Willa and Pandora save Mystic Notch from evil forces? You'll find out in the latest addition to this cozy series.
Willa comes to own an old cookbook but she doesn't know a magical key is hidden inside. Pandora knows about the key, but she's still trying to connect psychically with Willa, so Pandora can't tell her how important that key is. Desperate to be able to talk with Willa, Pandora drinks a charmed tea made by Willa's friend Pepper, and amazingly it works! But as usually happens with Pepper's teas there's an unforeseen side effect--Pandora can no longer communicate with the Mystic Notch cats in Elspeth's barn. Looks like Willa and Pandora are on their own.
Willa sold the cookbook (minus the key) to Mary Ashford who turns up dead shortly thereafter! Who would kill for an old cookbook? Did the killer know about the key? Of course Willa's top suspect is Felicity Bates and her cat Fluff. But something's happened to Felicity. Is something really wrong with her or is it one of tricks? Should Willa trust her?
This is a fun read and poor Willa gets a lot thrown at her at once as far as learning that magic does exist in Mystic Notch. We see the usual characters that join Willa at the bookstore along with the store's resident ghosts--one of which plays an important part in the story. I was surprised by the reveal of the guilty party, it was someone I didn't suspect at all.
I thought once Willa could talk with Pandora she might've gone to Elspeth's to see if she knew how to help Pandora, or at least Willa would let Elspeth know she now knows magic is real. Elspeth was friends with Willa's grandmother and they shared secrets of the magic in Mystic Notch and Willa goes over there often. I was a little surprised that Willa is unsure of her relationship with Sheriff Eddie Striker, I thought their relationship was moving right along in the last book.
I'm happy it all worked out in the end and Pandora and Willa saved Mystic Notch. The mystery isn't over yet as there are still items in the Notch that need to be collected. Until then...
Willa Chance finds a book that looks old, but the printing inside looks more modern. Unfortunately, the book is not exactly what it seems, especially when a magical key hidden in it falls on the floor. Willa had recently left for a date, but returned when she realized she had forgotten her phone. Spotting the book on the floor, she thought Pandora had made the mess, Then seeing the key Pandora was trying to hide, she picked it up and put it in a box on a high shelf that Pandora could not reach, thinking it was safe. Willa sells the book to Mary Ashford, whose name was first on a list of people interested in old books. Several people are very upset that they were not called first.
Willa's friend, Pepper St. Onge, had dropped off a jar of her special tea to steep in the bookshop's window. The down side is that Pepper's special teas usually have unwanted side-effects. When Pandora drinks the tea, there are both good and bad side effects. The good is that she can now communicate with Willa. The bad is that she can no longer communicate with the other Mystic Notch cats!! When Willa and Pandora learn that Mary Ashford has been killed, the book and the key take on new importance.
Who killed Mary? Why was she killed? What is so important about the key? Is the key still in a safe place? Can Pandora regain the ability to talk with the other cats? Can Willa and Pandora solve Mary's murder and save Mystic Notch?
Leighann Dobbs has a wonderful story with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
I like this series but it’s taken Ms Dobbs a very long time to move the underlying story forward. Finally in this book Willa recognizes the magic around her and she’s a able to communicate with Pandora, her cat. If she ends the series here, it would be a satisfying conclusion. Mystic Notch is a special place with special people. It was rewarding to see them come together for the good of the town and to catch a murderer.
Why do I love it so much? Well, the magic for one. And Willa, who has always been fighting that; magic can’t be real, can it? She’s very rational, but you know what? Magic IS real! And I also love this series because of cat Pandora. She has an important role in this book! And then the surprises! Well, I am not going to say any more, just read for yourself!
Willa Chance, owner of Last Chance Books, has a recipe book that looks very old. When she opens the book an old key falls out. She is not sure what it unlocks so she puts it in a box on the shelf behind the counter. She looks at the list that wanted an old recipe book. Mary Ashford is first on the list and Willa sells it to her. She then had two more customers who felt like their name was first on the list. Mary is then found dead in her home. Pandora talks with the barn cats at Elspeth's and lets them know about the key and the recipe book. I have grown to love the cats and the human characters in this series. Leighann Dobbs has done a wonderful job keeping us guessing until the end. I cannot wait until the next book. I received an advance copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
Claw and Order is Book 8 in the AMAZING Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery series by Leighann Dobbs. I was so excited to read this book ! This was the very first cozy mystery series I ever read, and it totally hooked me on cozy mysteries.
It was so nice to visit with Willa Chance and her cat Pandora and the bookstore that she runs.
This mystery involves a magical key, murder and lots of cat fun!
Pandora, Willa's cat has been trying for so long to communicate with Willa but now with the magical key missing she takes desperate measure that results in some hilarious moments.
The romance between Willa and Sherriff Striker is coming along nicely and I really enjoy that aspect of the story. It is the perfect balance of mystery and romance.
The mystery kept me guessing until the very end, I was so shocked at who had done it!
This is a well written mystery with fantastic well developed characters, both human and feline.
I highly recommend this book and the entire Mystic Notch Series!
Another wonderful book in the Mystic Notch series! In this installment, Willa comes across an old Cookbook, and has way too much interest in it after she sells it. When the new owner is murdered, and still has Willa's business card, Gus comes calling to the bookstore in usual fashion!! Things, and people are not always what they seem. Willa, Pandora, along with the store ghosts and the barn cats have try to figure out what was so important about that book. I loved it, and couldn't read it fast enough!!
Willa receives a cookbook from an estate sale, and all of a sudden several people, including longtime enemies are signing up to be notified if she comes across an old cookbook.
An old key is discover in the cookbook, The key once belonged to poet Robert Frost. This key is more than just a key that belonged to a famous poet. It may be the literal key to keeping Mystic Notch from turning evil.
Meanwhile, Pepper comes up with a new tea. and thing go really crazy for Willa after Pandora drinks it. All of a sudden, Willa is faced with the fact that magic really does exist.
This is the eighth book in the Mystic Notch series. There are developed characters, a solid plotline, and a complete turn (Suspiciously) turnaround in attitude for some of the characters in the book.
When I first started this series, I was not 100% impressed. I'm not sure why. It was a long time ago. However, I love everything I've read from Leighann (and I think I've read about half of what she's published) and I decided to give it another go. I'm really glad that I did. This book was adorable, hilarious, intense, worrisome and heartwarming in several different spots. I found it intensely hilarious when Willa was FINALLY able to hold conversations with Pandora. I love Pandora and her snark and how much she cares for Willa and still remembers and cares for Willa's grandmother. I wished we'd have had a little more Pepper in this book as I also find her amusing, but the other characters made up for her absence. The ghosts are a hoot, Felicity & Fluff are extremely interesting characters who were originally evil and horrible and now have turned into something entirely different. I'm just not sure what. The end of the book left them a little endearing. The mystery itself was also well written and I had no idea who the culprit was until the story revealed them. And I find Stryker to be the perfect love interest for Willa also. I've not yet seen him be a total ass like some love interests you find. I really can't wait for the next book. Especially now that Pandora and Willa can actually communicate and Willa knows about magic and the other felines and witches around town!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is another great book in this series. The characters are well done and continue to develop. The mystery is well executed and not easy to solve until it is revealed at the end. Keep it up Leighann Dobbs - I can't wait for more!
Amazon synopsis: Bookstore owner Willa Chance had no idea that a magical key was hidden in the old recipe book that she sold to food blogger Mary Ashford. Luckily the key is now safely tucked away in a box high on a shelf in the bookstore.... or is it?
Feline sleuth Pandora needs Willa's help to make sure that the key doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This time she’ll have to take drastic measures to break through the barrier that has stopped her from communicating with her human... even if she has to take a chance on one of Pepper St. Onge’s enchanted teas. The teas are known to have unpredictable results, but Pandora is desperate, and what could be worse than the threat to Mystic Notch?
The results of drinking the tea are worse than Pandora could have ever imagined. But not worse than murder. This is exactly what happens to Mary Ashford. And if Pandora and Willa don’t figure out who is behind this, Mary won’t be the only one who ends up dead.
Claw and Order (Mystic Notch #8) — Leighann Dobbs/Narrator: Hollis McCarthy (25 chapters) April 6-7, 11, 2022
Another book that got started and put on hold but I picked it up sooner than the last book.
It is always weird for me that once I have started to read a series and then pick up an audiobook to listen to a book right in the middle of the series. It can be off-putting, especially once I have words and voices in my head for the characters.
But this didn’t turn out to be that way. I listen to audiobooks at a higher rate and Hollis McCartney’s voice did not diminish at all. What a relief, as I love this series so much. It has cats that talk to each other and humans that see ghosts.
In this book, humans and cats are finally able to speak to each other, but unfortunately, this leads to other disastrous events that make the plot entertaining while at the same time left hanging as to where the thread will pick up in the next book.
I had the fortunate opportunity to read the first several books altogether and it spoiled me. Now I want them all!
Bookstore owner Willa Chance had no idea that a magical key was hidden in the old recipe book that she sold to food blogger Mary Ashford. Luckily the key is now safely tucked away in a box high on a shelf in the bookstore.... or is it?
Feline sleuth Pandora needs Willa's help to make sure that key doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This time she’ll have to take drastic measures to break through the barrier that has stopped her from communicating with her human... even if she has to take a chance on one of Pepper St. Onge’s enchanted teas. The teas are known to have unpredictable results, but Pandora is desperate and what could be worse than the threat to Mystic Notch?
The results of drinking the tea are worse than Pandora could have ever imagined. But not worse than murder. Which is exactly what happens to Mary Ashford. And if Pandora and Willa don’t figure out who is behind this, Mary won’t be the only one who ends up dead.
This is book 8, in Leighann Dobbs, Mystic Notch series and, I think, is the last book in the series, based on the story line. It’s a fantastic book, and I wish the series would go on forever. The only problem I have with books by Leighann Dobbs, is doesn’t sell books on Kobo anymore. I have all the other books, on Kobo, so it would be annoying to have one book on Amazon, that’s why I’ve borrowed this from the library. If she ever starts selling books on kobo again, I’ll resume buying them again. Enjoy!
There hasn't been one Mystic Notch story of yet that I haven't enjoyed. This one sees Pandora come up on a major issue and also sees her owner Willa having another issue.... One she's not sure she's ready for. Of course the Notch cats are in attendance but they are not the focus this time. Felicity and her cat Fluff become indebted in a way that no one expected and and the potential murderers were a few, but once it's revealed, it's probably not who you suspected! Great story! I really hope there's going to be another one!
So happy with the return of Pandora and Willa! Pandora is a cat with attitude and a lot of responsibility resting on her to keep Mystic Notch safe from evil.
This is an installment not recommended for new readers to drop in without having read the series before. But for existing fans who know the cats and their special powers, and want to see where Striker’s relationship with Wills is going, this one is a fulfilling read.
Pandora has long wished that she could communicate with Willa. One of her fellow cats has suggested that maybe the problem was that Pandora was emotionally blocked. In desperation, Pandora drinks one of Pipers special teas, that supposed to remove blocks to communication. The tea worked, but there were side effects……. Intrigued? Buy the book and find out what happens!
I liked the story lines. The author was very good at keeping me in suspense of "who done it". I read all eight books and found on!y one typo. There wasn't any gratuitous bad language or sex which is refreshing. Every time my cat jumped up on me for a little loving I expected her to say something. Guess I was getting into the stories a little too much!
It was super cute. I loved how pandora finally broke threw the fourth wall to Willa. Striker and Willa 💛
Idk how I feel about Willa being friends with felicity. I hope there's more books so we can see what happens. If anything, I'm kinda hoping felicity isn't actually bad and was a secret good guy. And they become friends. I felt so bad for her when Willa didn't want anything and felicity was so sad.
And fluff! The come back! The horror! And pandora! 🥺💔💛
The continuing saga of Mystic Notch is always entertaining, and get ready for some changes in this latest installment in the series involving a mysterious key that garners the attention of too many in town. Willa is in for some surprises - plural.
This was not actually in my reading interest range, but I was intrigued by the cat aspect. Being a huge Cat lover ,I tried the first book in the series and was captivated by the characters and story line. Couldn't resist and picked up the entire series. Binge read them. Look forward to reading more about Mystic Notch and exploring other stories by Ms. Dobbs.
I'm a fan of the Mystic Notch magical cats. Mystical Notch is a magical place. Leighann Dobbs continues to create stories that hold my interest. Her characters are well developed and her plots have twists in them that keep you guessing throughout the book.
This is one of my favorites so far in the series. I read it in one sitting. Fast paced and moved the entire series storyline along so satisfyingly. There were a few really good plot twists involving reoccurring characters along with Willa and Pandora. I really loved this book. Can't wait for the next in the series!!!!
It was a nice read! Enjoyed that Willa and Pandora can finally communicate; however, it was a bummer that Pandora couldn't communicate with the Mystic Notch cats. Willa and Pandora must join forces with Felicity and Fluff to keep Mystic Notch safe and help Felicity and Pandora break their curse via Robert Frost's special poet box. Is it possible to join forces?
So fantastic that Pandora can now communicate with Willa! Love it! This story line was extremely riveting and so enter- taining! I absolutely loved it! Once I started I couldn't stop! Just had to keep reading to the end. Lost some nighttime Z's with this one! 😃
This is another quick, easy, and fun read in the Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series. Pandora drinks some weird tea, and now she and Willa can talk to each other! And a resident is murdered and Willa and Pandora get caught up in helping catch the killer. And thank goodness for the ghost of Robert Frost!
Pandora has been so frustrated that Willa doesn't hear her that she takes a chance and drinks a special tea. Sometimes those teas have consequences. There is another murder in Mystic Notch and Willa and Pandora do there part to help solve the crime. Fun read.
Love my Mystic Notch cats and the adventures they have. Good reading fun and no dull sluggish parts to these mysteries. Just fun chilling and getting away from everyday life. Now that I seem to be caught up with the cats it must be time to try another Leighann Dobbs series. What will it be????
I loved the revisiting of all the characters, all relationships progressed and the 'wild' cats delighted me with their changes. Best of all was Fluff and he sounds as though he has an interesting future! I did worry about the changes in his owner.