Scaredy Cat

Second Chance Cat Mystery #10

by Sofie Ryan

Secondhand store owner Sarah Grayson and her affectionate rescue cat, Elvis, will scare up a few leads to find a killer in the newest installment of this captivating New York Times bestselling series.

After a long, cold, and snowy winter, it seems as though spring may be arriving early in Maine. Sarah Grayson is busy at her store, Second Chance, and she’s looking forward to an afternoon break from the hustle and bustle, tagging along to the North Harbor Spring House Tour with her friend Detective Michelle Andrews.

But it turns out one of the houses has a haunted history, and when a ghost hunter is found dead on the premises, Sarah knows the best way to uncover the killer/to solve the mystery is by investigating the not-so-dearly departed. With help from Elvis and Charlotte’s Angels, the crew of senior citizen private detectives who work out of the store, she’ll close the case on this creepy crime.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Cats, Animals, Audiobook

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 4, 2023

About the author

Pseudonym for Darlene Ryan. Also writes under Sofie Kelly.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars — The tenth book in the Second Chance Cat Mystery series finds secondhand shop owner Sarah, her rescue cat, Elvis, and a group of senior sleuths, investigating the murder of a ghost hunter. While on a spring house tour, Sarah finds the deceased inside a supposedly haunted B&B. It’s up to Sarah and friends to dive into the history of Gladstone House and figure out what the victim was up to before he died.

I couldn’t resist a mystery involving a haunted house and a TV ghost hunter. Sarah’s investigation was tough as there were lots of viable suspects with believable motives. I enjoyed how she was able to put the pieces together, and also learning the background of the mysterious ghost girl.

I’ve read a couple of the previous books, and still I felt like I couldn’t keep the large cast of characters straight. I also thought things veered off track when so much time was spent on refinishing furniture for the secondhand shop. I wanted more haunted house, and more ghostly stuff.

SCAREDY CAT is a solid, clever mystery with likable, sincere characters, and a surprising ending. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a digital copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series but this was my least favorite one (it’s still good but it was missing something). There was paranormal aspect to this one that I wish they had explored more but it seemed to take a back seat to furniture refurbishing, which is what the series is about so I guess that’s OK. The characters were fun, as usual, but Sarah seemed a little off in this one and it was distracting. I enjoyed this and look forward to the next in the series.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment in the Second Chance Cat Mystery series. I enjoyed the mystery involving the past, and how the characters managed to unravel a tale from local history.

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Latest book in this successful and worthy cozy series chockful of engaging and endearing characters, including Charlotte's Angels, a group of senior investigators. Not to forget, Elvis, a small black cat with an uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying. Always on my must read as soon as published list.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This was overall a very relaxing read. Sarah owns a second hand store and helps with her grandmother’s friends’ detective agency. Sarah finds a body with one of her friends while doing a house tour and the detective agency is tasked to find out who killed the man.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It had exactly what I wanted it to have with the exception that I sort of forgot what happened at the start bc I was so relaxed. I thought the characters were charming. I thought the plot was just intricate enough to make my brain work a little. I honestly had such a pleasant time that it helped get me out of this weird reading slump where I only wanted to read Harry Potter because it’s relaxing for my brain.

Overall I highly recommend this book to people who want to relax. However, I would definitely start with the first in the series because there is very little recap in this book. The books all accomplish what the author intended that’s why I rated it so high.

[Randee · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite cozy series!

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Elvis!

This is such a fun cozy mystery series and this book is no exception.
Sarah and Elvis find themselves wrapped up in another murder investigation and this one involves a paranormal investigator set on debunking anyone he can. Someone apparently had enough of him, so its up to Sarah, Elvis and the Angels to capture a killer.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Sofie Ryan/Kelly books because of the great dialog and camaraderie between the characters. The plots are good, don't get me wrong, but it's the characters who bring me back time and again. Part of it is that Sofie doesn't depend on mean characters to drive the plot as many cozies do. The mean characters are just that, mean, and serve to hinder the protagonist out of pure spite. These books are blessedly free of those characters. This isn't to say all is sweetness and light but to indicate that disagreeable characters are more fully developed so that aspect isn't the sum total of their being.

Another good entry in the series.

[Kimber Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun Cozy Mystery distracted me from the story I was planning to review this past Saturday and, as a result, did not get this posted until yesterday, but it was worth it! Just a fun group of friends who get swept up in crime solving. The heroine owns a second hand store, which I love. This is a great fictional universe and you can start reading it knowing there are NINE others, so it’s worth the emotional investment. Pop over to my blog for the full review.







https://cozysuspensefulandsweet.wordp...

[Chaitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are good people. Who make people mistakes - they trust random souls because they've got no reason not to, but in this case, they take something on faith that they shouldn't have - a star less for that. I love that Elvis is such a strong personality, but he also doesn't do much of anything except eat, sleep and be cute. He can detect lies supposedly but it sometimes helps and sometimes doesn't (he never gets tested on the killer in this one, for example). I also adore Mac, which almost never happens with cozy mystery love interests. It helps that he's just there to make the coffee and be a chauffeur to the older ones and almost never has to rescue Sarah or the Angels. (I like Michael from the Meg Langslow series for the exact reason, they're just eye candy and out of the way).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome mystery for the Angels...OH..Elvis, I wish you could talk!!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun cozy mystery. Great for beach reading

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah has a second hand store that she runs with the help of her friends and cat Elvis. Her senior friends also run a detective agency Charlotte’s Angels out of a back room of her store. Sarah always seems to get involved in their cases despite her better judgment. When Sarah goes on the North Harbor Spring House Tour with her friend Detective Michelle Andrews they never expected to find a dead man. When Charlotte’s Angels are hired to look into the murder they seem to find a lot of suspects but all with alibis.

This is a fun read with plenty of mystery and engaging characters. I highly recommend this series.

I received this book from netgally in exchange for an honest review

[Samantha Fraenkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this series and will read more! I like the secondhand store and the senior sleuths and of course, Elvis the cat :)

ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Sarah Grayson agreed to go on the spring house tour with her friend Michelle, she thought they were trying to find ideas for Michelle’s first house. She’s still trying to find the right place and to get her offer in before everyone else. Sarah didn’t think that the tour would lead them to a murder victim.

It was at the second stop on the tour, Gladstone House, that they stopped entire house tour. The house had ben turned into a bed and breakfast by Annie Hastings, who ran it with her granddaughter Emily. It was rumored to be haunted, that the ghost of Emmeline Gladstone can occasionally be seen in a bedroom window, as she waited for her love, Captain Joseph Phillips to come home to her.

Only two of the upstairs bedrooms had been open to those on the tour, and the dead man was in neither of them. But as Sarah looked down the hall, she noticed a foot where there shouldn’t have been a foot. Michelle, a detective, went past the barrier to investigate and found that the man was dead. She immediately calls the station, and while Sarah stands at the bottom of the stairs, keeping anyone from going upstairs, police start arriving in minutes.

By the time Sarah gets back home, Rose already knows that a man was murdered at Gladstone House. Rose had been cooking, with the help of Sarah’s cat Elvis as taste-tester, and had already been called. Rose is Sarah’s tenant, works part-time at Sarah’s store Second Hand, and is a member of Charlotte’s Angels, a private detective firm. As an Angel, Rose has contacts everywhere, so she gets information quickly.

The news spreads through the town, that the man was Mark Steele, the host of the ghost debunking show Night Moves, where he chases down those who use ghost sightings as a way to draw in tourists. He had heard about the sightings at Gladstone House, even though Annie had never advertised it. She had refused to be on the show, but the man refused to take no for an answer and kept coming back. Finally, someone convinced him that filming there was not going to happen, but it cost him his life.

Delia Watson, his executive producer, shows up in town and hires the Angels to find out what happened to the man. Sarah doesn’t trust the woman, but she is convinced by Mr. P., Rose’s boyfriend, that Delia will hire someone, and if it’s the Angels, then they’ll have more control over how the story is told. Everyone who is a part of the Angels agree, over Rose’s coffee cake, and they get to work.

Sarah isn’t officially an Angel, but she’s close enough to keep an eye on them, as they operate out of her shop. But when Mr. P.’s research on the history of the Gladstones and on the story of Emmeline and Captain Joseph turns up some family secrets, she starts to worry about him and Rose getting too close to a killer. Will she be able to keep them safe, or will the Angels get too close to danger?

Scaredy Cat is the tenth book in the Second Chance Cat Mystery series. Author Sofie Ryan has created a community of characters in these books that makes reading them feel like coming home. It seems like everyone around her have several roles around the shop, around town, and in her found (and actual) family. Each of these people seem fully formed, with the murder mystery being a side note to their story.

Honestly, I would be happy with these books just following these characters, without the murder mysteries. I just love spending time in North Harbor, Maine with this group. But the mysteries are well plotted, and I really loved this one with the television show debunking ghost sightings at the center of it. I am a big fan of Elvis, but almost all the humans are pretty amazing too. This is a fun series, a comforting place to spend time, and a fantastic story. I just wish I had a frozen cake in my freezer to pull out too.

Egalleys for Scaredy Cat were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fabulous and fun mystery! Opening this novel was like coming to visit old friends who are sorely missed in between novels. The Maine setting sounds delightful! This time I am especially partial to one of the older homes featured on the North Harbor Spring House Tour. The history of the home and the family, and the mystery surrounding the “ghost” that might be in residence add to the appeal.

Sarah and one of her friends, Michelle, a detective, went on the tour when Sarah’s grandmother had extra tickets. The Gladstone house, currently in use as a B & B by a descendent of the original owner, is maintained much the same as it was then with the exception of a small apartment on the back where Annie and her granddaughter Emily live. Part of the second floor was closed to the public, but Sarah and Michelle eagerly went anyway. Sarah saw a foot in a cordoned-off room. It was the very recently-deceased body of a man who Annie said didn’t look familiar as either someone on the tour or a guest. Michelle’s investigation was underway and the home taken off the tour.

Sarah had spent summers with Gram when she was growing up, and had the added blessing of Gram’s closest friends, Liz, Charlotte, and Rose. These women were some of the best friends, family, and mentors a girl could ever have, as all were professional and loving women who were young at heart, then and now.

“Family are the people you love who love you back. You don’t have to have a biological connection.” Sarah says it perfectly about those in her life. She has her sassy, black cat, Elvis, her family, the Angels, Liz’s granddaughter, Avery, Mac, her right-hand man, and other long-time friends.

The three women and Rose’s gentleman friend, Mr. P., make up Charlotte’s Angels, an investigative firm. The ladies also work for Sarah’s repurpose shop, Second Chance; the Angels have an office there. Between all the people they know around town and Mr. P.’s computer and research skills, there is little that gets by them. Sarah also helps with their cases, as does the furry, one hundred percent accurate lie detector, Elvis. They have often taken cases as a result of someone they know being police suspects but are innocent. They have helped bring several murderers to justice.

Mark Steele had been trying for weeks to get Annie to allow her home to be in an episode of his reality TV show but she refused. There were many rumors of the ghost of one of the original inhabitants at the B & B, and the show was about disproving the existence of ghosts in people’s homes. In the past year, Mark had become insulting and belittling to homeowners, very different from earlier seasons. The only reason she wasn’t a suspect is that her crippling arthritis limited her to the main floor. Emily was not home at the time and had an alibi. Mark’s producer met with the Angels about the murder, as they were friends and he deserved justice.

After many hours of research and talking to people around town, it seemed the seniors, Sarah, and Elvis hit one dead end after another. I was certainly stumped, and they are tenacious, so I watched them do their thing. Whodunit shocked and saddened me, yet I was very satisfied overall with the end of the novel. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written cozy mysteries that includes senior sleuths, how furniture and other household or musical items get new life, cats, and a healthy dose of humor.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

I was very happy to see Sarah, her rescue cat Elvis, her friends, and Charlotte’s Angels again! Sarah owns Second Chance, a repurpose shop in North Harbor, Maine. I enjoyed reading about the items that she and Mac, her right-hand man and more, give new life to merchandise in creative ways that keep locals and tourists coming back.

Elvis, a black cat, is an amazing feline lie detector. He has never been wrong, especially about the clients that Charlotte’s Angels take on in their private investigations business. Elvis is spoiled, loving, and loyal, with the ‘tude of rock-n-roll royalty. He loves Jeopardy! and the music of Elvis Presley.

Charlotte’s Angels came into being when one of their friends was accused of a crime they didn’t commit. It is made up of Rose, Charlotte, and Liz, and Mr. P – Alfred or Alfie – who is Rose’s beau. All except one of these wonderful seniors is a long-time friend of Sarah’s grandmother, with whom Sarah spent many summers when growing up. Gram has remarried, and she and John are often traveling.

Charlotte, Liz, Rose, and Liz’s granddaughter work at Second Chance. Charlotte’s Angels rent the enclosed sun-porch at Second Chance, in part so Sarah can keep an eye on them for Michelle and for Nick, Charlotte’s son. The Angels know that as seniors, most people don’t pay attention to them and would never imagine them as investigators. Sarah and Elvis have also been involved in their cases.

Sarah and Michelle were going to the North Harbor Spring Home tour, of which the proceeds go to help the local animal shelter. It may help Michelle with ideas for the home she hopes to purchase, as the best she can hope for is a fixer-upper. The Gladstone House might be Sarah’s favorite. In the family for over 200 years, the family line ends with Emily, granddaughter of its current owner, Annie. They run it as a B & B while keeping the charm and accuracy of the era it was built in. Reputed to be haunted, some people on the tour might be looking at more than its historical elegance.

They were on the second floor, where some of the rooms are cordoned off, when Sarah saw what looked like someone lying on the floor in one of the blocked off rooms. Michelle, a detective, went to check on the man, who she found to be dead. He looked like someone Sarah saw recently, and finally recalled where. Michelle’s day off turned into a new case.

The man, Mark Steele, was from a TV reality show. In this show, he and his co-host went to places reputedly haunted and tried to prove there were no ghosts. He had talked with and harassed Annie many times, as he wanted this home on his show. Why he was so insistent, his executive producer Delia, either didn’t know or wouldn’t say, other than that he was like a dog with a bone, and refused to take no for an answer. The police department had its hands full with the murder of this very well-known man, as do the very persistent Charlotte’s Angels.

The characters are very well defined, and I learn something new about them with each installment. Elvis and Sarah are my favorites, as well as the Angels as a whole. They are engaging and loyal, and each have a unique sense of humor and skills from their lives in business and teaching. The Angels could stay home and put up their feet, but they prefer to help their friends and community.

It was initially hard to come up with a suspect, since the man only knew Annie and Emily. Annie had severe arthritis and had been unable to climb the stairs to the second floor for a couple years. Emily, her granddaughter, had gone out on an errand for Annie, got a flat tire, and had not been at the house when he died. Delia had not attended the tour with him, and nobody else had been to the second floor. Plot twists revealed new suspects and motives, and in tracking his movements and what he was researching, a picture took shape. Just as fast as the suspects were added, one by one were eliminated. I was very surprised at who the killer was! This mystery was, as others in the series, plotted and executed well. I highly recommend this cozy mystery and series, and look forward to seeing Sarah and Elvis again!

[Lali & Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

In #10 in the Second Chance Cat series, Sarah is on a house tour with her police detective friend Michelle when she discovers the body of a reality show ghost debunker in an upstairs room of a local B&B. The victim had been trying to convince the owner and her granddaughter to allow him to film an episode on the ghost that was rumored to haunt their home. The producer of the show hires the Angels, the elderly detectives who work out of Sarah's shop, to figure out who done it. The mystery had plenty of suspects, was well plotted and the resolution was fine, if not my favorite. Thus the deduction of 1/2 star. But otherwise the book was A+ as always with Sofie Ryan/Sofie Kelly.

It is always such a pleasure to revisit Sarah and her close-knit group of friends and family. One of my favorite things about this series is the diversity of characters, including the elderly Rose and Charlotte, who work at Sarah's second-hand shop, Mr. P, Liz and Sarah's grandmother. Then there is Avery, the teenager who also works at the shop and uses her artistic talents to repurpose many of the items in the shop and Mac, Sarah's other employee and now boyfriend, who is the perfect balance for her--with no dramatics, just loving support. And he is Black which is a nice change from the complete whiteness of many cozies. Finally, Elvis. Sofie Ryan/Sofie Kelly creates the best cat characters and while Elvis isn't as clearly magical as Owen and Hercules in the Magical Cats series, he still provides help in solving the cases since he can detect when someone in lying. I also really enjoy the parts of the books which focus on the refurbishing of items that come into the shop. Overall, one of my favorite series and this is another fun addition.

[The Captain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys!  Though this log’s focus is on sci-fi and fantasy, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. So occasionally I will share some reads that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi or fantasy).  This series was brought to me attention by Matey Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits .  It consists of 12 books.  I bought them all from Audible during their summer sale.  At this time, there is no indication that the author will write more in this series.  So another series done!  Of course, if that changes and other books are written, then I will likely read them too.

Sarah Grayson owns the store Second Chance, a secondhand and thrift shop in the (made-up) coastal town of North Harbor, Maine.  Sarah has a group of elderly friends of her grandmother who are like family.  These friends run an investigative agency called the Angels.

Where does the cat come in?  Elvis was a stray wandering around the waterfront.  "The big black cat with a scar across his nose turned up at a local bar when the band was playing the King of Rock and Roll’s music and [then one day] hopped in Sarah’s truck. Since then, he’s been her constant companion and the furry favorite of everyone who comes into the store."  And aye, Elvis does play a part in helping solve crimes (in a mostly realistic way).

I didn't really like this one at all.  It involves a haunted bed and breakfast.  A ghost hunter dies upstairs.  The mystery was annoying and the reasons for the killing were stupid.  I hated the twist involving a disability.  Sarah finds out the truth because she sees a book on a table.  Blech.  I am not talking more about this. Arrrr!

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate thinking this series has run out of steam but it IS the tenth installment. Sigh. I love Elvis and I usually love Sarah and her crew but this time around it felt very blah, like the writer was putting this together for the paycheck and not the readers. I had the murder figured out about 1/4 of the way into the book, WAY too early to make this a good read. I was able to determine the culprit for 2 reasons: a weapon that pretty much no one uses anymore, and protesting too much. Enough said.

There were plot lines that felt unfinished, others that seemed to be very important and then turned into absolutely nothing (Nick & Jess? Really?), and finally, SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much shop talk. I get that Sarah runs a business, and maybe the author wanted to put her at work more to show she was trying to "stay out" of this particular investigation, but the scenes felt like filler. I have come to believe that they might have indeed been just that when I realized the last chapter/end pages were actually an excerpt from the writer's Magical Cats series - making Scaredy Cat clock in at just 246 pages. Mighty short, in my opinion.

Overall, a big disappointment. Thankfully, quite a bit of Elvis in the book, which is probably why I finished it.

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah is looking forward to a fun afternoon touring historical homes in North Harbor with her friend, Michelle. While the two of them are exploring Gladstone House, a local B&B, they come across a dead body. The victim was Mark Steele, a television personality whose forte was exposing hoax hauntings. Gladstone House is rumored to be haunted, although the owner, Annie Hastings, has never advertised it. Steele had been jonesing to feature Gladstone House in an episode of his show and been turned down. Repeatedly. That leaves Sarah wondering what the man was doing in the house and more importantly, who killed him there? Steele's producer hires Charlotte's Angels, the group of senior citizen investigators, to look into the matter. Since the Angels operate out of her store, Sarah gets dragged into the drama as well. She's just as eager to solve the mystery as the rest of them are.

This was an interesting premise. We didn't even meet the victim until he was dead, which was unusual. I enjoyed reading about how the Angels used their combined talents and contacts to put the puzzle together. I also liked that a good portion of the book was dedicated to Sarah's work and recreation; it wasn't all about the investigation. Some authors focus on the investigation to the exclusion of everything else, leading me to wonder how the main character can keep her (or his) job.

Very good, with lots of surprises. Five stars.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: I have enjoyed this series from the get-go. Elvis the cat is a peach. Sweet, funny and an excellent judge of character, he is often the key to whether his human friends either accept or dismiss the honesty of a possible suspect. I have enjoyed the Second Chance store where he holds court with his human Sarah and her friends and family. I always get some great ideas for repurposing things, should I ever tire of using my floofs for decorations.

This time a ghost investigator gets a chance to join his prey when he is murdered in a historical home that he wants to debunk. He is a bully who uses his camera as a means to earn ratings through humiliation. But is the fact that there is or is not a ghost in the house cause for murder. And if that is not the motive, who else might want to see his run end. The seniors are hired by the producer of the program to find out who killed her star.

That is another thing I like about the series. There is a great combination of younger and older characters who are neither too quirky nor disrespectful of others. They work together as a seamless team, headed by Elvis of course. They are all intelligent, caring people whom the reader can admire.

Good mystery with an excellent twist at the end. Great summer read. Five purrs and two paws up.

[Darla Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spring is on the way in Maine and Sarah Grayson, along with Elvis (her rescue cat), has been busy with her store, Second Chance. So, she's thrilled to have some time off as she and her friend, Michelle, take the North Harbor Spring House Tour. Everything's going well until Sarah finds the body of a ghost hunter in a house that is rumored to be haunted. Sarah and the Angels dive into the investigation. Can they catch a killer?

I love this series and this book is a prime example of why. Sarah and Elvis are great. After all, who doesn't love a cat and this one has a special skill. The Angels are also great. I think it's awesome that the investigation team is made up of senior citizens. The book's well-written with well-rounded characters and a fun, fast-paced plot. I was drawn into this captivating story and kept hooked from beginning to end. Only a strict bedtime due to health issues kept me from reading this in one day. The mystery is intriguing with lots of twists and turns. Sofie is a wonderful author and storyteller who has kept each book in this series fresh and leaves you wanting more. I really enjoyed this book and am beyond ready for the next one. I highly recommend both book and series. While each book could technically be read on their own, I recommend reading the series in order to get the most enjoyment and benefit.

[gwen_is_ reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books for the characters- you get to know the town, Sarah, Elvis and the Angels pretty well. Like most good long running series, there’s a sense of returning home when you open the book after a few. The characters themselves are amazing. I love our geriatric dectective agency and the full grown adults trying to keep them safe without getting in trouble with them. Throw in a charming cat, and who could resist?

Sarah and Mac are a couple now, and they’re sweet. I like how this relationship is moving along- of course, the best relationship in the series is still Rose and Mr. P. While there is a lot going on here, it’s done well with neat plot lines. You have Liz’s side story of trying to get her charity back together, the main mystery of why someone killed a tv show host, and a long buried secret that might shake the town up. Written with Ryan’s customary charm and light humor, this is a great story. It isn’t one of those action packed thrillers, though. This is a cozy mystery, so everything while it exists, is less explicit, less explosive. Honestly, though, I love them for this reason.

As far as adult content, there is some allusions to romantic moments, maybe a kiss but it is extremely tame. There’s also language and violence but neither are too over the top. I would say this is acceptable for any age.

[Stephanie Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The host of a TV ghost hunter show turns up dead in a “haunted” bed and breakfast whose owner has repeatedly declined being featured on his show. Sarah and her friend Michelle find the body during the North Harbor Spring House Tour. While Michelle’s investigation is official, she is a police detective, the dead man’s co-host hires Charlotte’s Angels, a detective agency staffed primarily by senior citizens, to find out who killed him. The agency is based in Sarah’s Second Chance antique-second hand store and she and her cat Elvis are part of the team. As they investigate the murder they find themselves delving into the past of Gladstone House and the Gladstone family as it becomes more and more likely that the roots of the current murder lie in a historic murder at Gladstone House.
The characters are all likeable and the setting is attractive. In this tenth outing in the series we have seen our characters and their relationships grow. The action moves along at a good pace, not too fast or slow, and the investigation is believable. I came to the conclusion about the murderer at the same time our sleuths did which is the hallmark of a well plotted cozy mystery. Elvis, the cat, is so very well portrayed it is clear the author must live with cats. Recommended

[T K Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series to look forward to, this is the 10th and yet to be a clunker. Even if this one does seem at a bit slower pace. Rather than giving us a story featuring our regulars, this is a story that seems to concentrate a bit more on the work at the shop – selecting table décor, cleaning and refurbishing furniture, making coffee and tea.

Liz is all but missing. There was a weird side story about her brother mishandling funds but after being brought up it was left dangling for forensic accountants to figure out. It was an odd plot point to highlight then seemingly drop. Also Avery’s appearances are brief which is a shame because as the youngest of the crew she generally adds a bit of spunk and enthusiasm to the group.

The author’s attempt to base the murder on a several generations deep family tree, is risky and I’m not sure she pulled it off. It was laid out but who was related to whom became a bit convoluted. And if ratings were based on the culmination of figuring out whodunnit, this would have one star.

Since the author does faithful readers the favor of not recapping in detail the history of all the continuing characters, this is a series that should probably be read in order.

[Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this follow-up to this cozy mystery series, we have the same cast of characters that we met in each of our previous books. Following Sarah, the owner of Second Chance, an antique shop and a way for Sarah to take something old and create something new. She has her trusty cat Elvis, a feline lie detector who seems to know more than any cat should. Along with these two characters, there are a slew of other side characters. Including the Angels Detective Agency members who have taken up residence in Second Chance to use as an office for cases about town. The Detective Agency is full of retired women and one man who enjoy finding purpose in solving crimes.

I can not believe that there are only two more books left, so far, in this series. I feel like there needs to be some more romance between Sarah and Mac, and I will say it again: this tiny town has a lot of dead bodies. Though North Harbor sounds like an idyllic town, there are more murders per capita than in the big city, it seems. In this book, we have a ghost story, a centuries-old love story, and some house tours. I love that we get to see Elvis's lie detector in action in this book. I feel that we have heard about it a lot, but haven't come across many dishonest people. I do feel that we are seeing less action from the Angels and more from Sarah, and I love the Angels. They are still there, but I just need more of them. Overall, this is still the same cozy world we are used to with the detectives, Sarah saying she isn't going to get involved, and the Angels helping to investigate an active police investigation.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Scaredy Cat" is a cozy mystery. It's the tenth book in the series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This book didn't spoil any of the previous mysteries. The main characters were nice, engaging people. More time was spent describing refurbishing furniture and eating food than on doing actual detection. The amateur detectives asked questions and looked into various alibis. They solved both the mystery from the past and the current murder. Everyone had an alibi, so they kind of ran out of steam. Off scene, Mr. P. tracked down all of the information uncovered by the murder victim, who was determined to expose the ghost story as a fraud. I actually did spot whodunit, but the motive seemed really weak to me. Also, I doubt many people even own an ice pick anymore, and it's not going to be in a bedroom if they do. Why debate if it was possibly an accident or crime of the moment? It's too obviously premeditated.

There were no sex scenes. There was only one use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery, but it's my least favorite of the series.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Liz Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Grayson is surrounded by people who love her and who have known her all her life. She has a business repurposing old furniture and housewares to give them restored life. Occasionally murder gets in the way. This time, the host of a ghost debunking tv show is found in a house he was determined to feature. When the producer asks Sarah’s best friend to convince her and the elderly PI renting space from her to help ensure that the killer is brought to justice, neither Sarah nor her friends can say no.
I think what I love most about this series is its warmth. It’s multigenerational, not in the least condescending, and the way each character values their friends and family shines through in each page. They trust each other, and each other’s capabilities. There is a nice mix of normal life and of gathering information, with a modicum of actual risk.
This is the tenth book in the series. You could read this as a stand-alone, but I hope you’ll decide to read them all. They’re well worth the time.

[Melissa Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't understand what the author is trying to accomplish regarding Sarah's relationships with Mac and Nick. It feels like Sarah is trying to have her cake and eat it too, not wanting Nick to be with anyone else. It is also weird that the author decided to do a fake-out in terms of the previous book's plot twist, when it was revealed that Nick stayed over at Jess's on Valentines. Why make it such a cliffhanger if it's going to be a gigantic nothingburger? Is the author teasing a Nick/Sarah relationship? If so, why is Sarah so confident and affectionate to Mac? I always felt like her "WE HAVE SO MANY SPARKS, NICK AND I HAD ZERO SPARKS" was overcompensating for her regret at not being with Nick.

Why am I not reviewing the mystery? I absolutely did not care about it at all, lol. Unrealistic TSTL moment, why would Sarah turn off her phone? I hate when authors contrive conflicts at the end.