Trouble in Tallahassee (The Familiar Legacy Series)

Trouble Cat Mysteries #3

by Claire Matturro

THE LAW CAN'T PROTECT HER

Young attorney Abby Coleridge opens her home to a troubled law student after a fire destroys the woman’s apartment. When the student disappears, leaving behind a blood-splattered note and a stash of cryptic flash-drives, Abby sets out to find her. Soon, a murderous arsonist threatens them both.

Law student Victor Rutledge, a former Navy officer, knows more than he's telling. So much so that his offers to help Abby seem suspicious. When police reveal his scandalous past, Abby doesn’t know who to trust.

Trouble, the black cat detective, lands in Tallahassee, Florida in the nick of time. Can he sniff out the salient clues and push Abby and Victor in the right direction and into each other’s arms? Can he save them—and himself—from a fiery end?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cats

1 pages, Audio CD

First published September 6, 2017

About the author

Claire Hamner Matturro, a former lawyer and college teacher, is the author of four legal mysteries with a sense of humor. Her books are: Skinny-Dipping (2004) (a BookSense pick, Romantic Times’Best First Mystery, and nominated for a Barry Award); Wildcat Wine (2005) (nominated for a Georgia Writer of the Year Award); Bone Valley(2006) and Sweetheart Deal (2007) (winner of Romantic Times’ Toby Bromberg Award for Most Humorous Mystery), all published by William Morrow. After her romantic suspense legal thriller, Trouble in Tallahassee (KaliOka Press 2017), Claire turned more serious with her newer book, The Smuggler's Daughter (Red Adept Publishing July 2020) and she returns to the Gulf Coast of Florida that she knows so well in a gripping mystery.

And look for her newest book Wayward Girls, her joint-writing adventure with Penny Koepsel, which was released in August of this year.

Claire remains active in writers’ groups, teaches creative writing in adult education, and write reviews for Southern Literary Review.

Visit her at www.clairematturro.com

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and cute cozy mystery set in my hometown.

[debbicat *made of stardust*]

Third book in the Trouble series. Also going on my summer scrabble challenge for a book with M(author). These are cute cozy mysteries. My favorite character in any of them so far is (no surprise) Trouble, that smart, beautiful, black cat.


I am not reading this for the second time. I wish GR wouldn't do that. I have to figure out how to delete one of them now.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author for an honest review.

The story and mystery were interesting. Trouble is my favorite character in this book. I enjoyed reading this book and Trouble's parts were my favorite.

[Karen (BaronessBookTrove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Trouble catnapped!
Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro is a delightful mystery, with this fantastic legal type of vibe. I loved it. Trouble is stolen from Tammy Lynn’s yard and taken to Tallahassee were he finds….trouble, of course.
Abigail Coleridge ~ Abby
Our female lead is Abby. Abby is an associate attorney at a local law firm in Tallahassee. Trouble finds Abby and her friend/co-worker Layla at Abby’s home. Abby immediately wants to take care of Trouble, and locate his owners. However, before she can do that she has work to do and a house guest to contend with. Having Layla staying at her home has completely disrupted her schedule and life.

Abby is a great character, and the main things that I liked about her are: her compassionate nature, down earth attitude, and the fact that she had the will power to change her looks into what she wanted.

The biggest dislike I had was that she jumped to conclusions about Victor continually throughout the book.
Victor Rutledge
Our male lead is Victor Rutledge, former naval police and a current law school student. He is best friends with Layla. Victor had a terrible divorce and is still trying to deal with that fallout.

What I liked about Victor is his integrity, intelligence; he is a good investigator, loyalty, and his protective nature for his friends. I also liked that he doesn’t sit around waiting for the police to find the offender; he is out there looking too. And he was terrific with Trouble.

What I disliked was that his ex-wife did a real number on him and he projects that on the women currently in his life.
Trouble
Trouble was not about to allow the moron who catnapped him to keep him. He was much smarter than that guy. Trouble does have quite the attitude at times in this book. He does seem to be communicating better with humans. Luckily, Trouble showed up at the perfect time to help Abby and Layla.  Trouble so crafty, he is even able to escape a lock police car.

To my relief, I see Victor trotting down the sidewalk, heading toward the police car. Okay, this is going to be fun. With a quick leap and a press of the right switch, I turn on the siren. Victor spins around to stare at the vehicle—along with several others. I jump up on the top of the headrest, press my face against the window, and scratch the glass.
Mystery
The mystery is fabulously written; there is a touch of thrill that kept me turning the pages. I have to admit that I fell for a red herring or two. I didn’t figure it out until the sleuths spelled it out with Trouble leading the way. However, the climax was superb, and the ending was wonderfully filled with happiness.
5 Stars for Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro
My rating Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro is five stars. Trouble in Tallahassee is the perfect combination of mystery, love, lies, action, and Trouble. Ms. Matturro did a magnificent job.

I adore this series more with each book that I read. If you haven’t read this series, you should give it a shot. Seriously, this black cat detective is one smart feline. I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read the next book Trouble in Summer Valley by Susan Y Tanner.



Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro.

Anyways, until next time, enjoy this review brought to you by,

Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Donna Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! If you liked Lilian Jackson Brown's and Rita Mae Brown's cat cozies, you're going to love this novel. Trouble is a newly adopted cat who proves to be a clever sleuth when Abby's temporary roommate goes missing. You'll find romance, blood, and mysterious flash drives in this action-packed mystery.

[JoAn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro continues the adventures of the black cat detective, Trouble. This time he has been "catnapped" and escapes in Tallahassee. He finds a kind woman, Abby Coleridge who "adopts" him. She has opened her home to a law student who needs a temporary home. The adventures soon begin after Trouble arrives.

The books shares three points of view, Trouble, Abby and Victor, a law student and best friend of the law student temporarily sharing Abby's home. I love that Ms. Matturro used all three points of view because it allowed me to get to know Trouble, Abby and Victor much better than a normal single or third person narrative. I liked all the characters and the romance developed realistically as the story progressed. The pace of the story was smooth and quick and the reveal was dramatic. I do wonder if Trouble will stay in Tallahassee to help the police or finally return home to Alabama.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.

[Lucinda Gunnin]

Trouble is adorable. These books are worth the read.

[Liz Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this tale of a young lawyer caught up in circumstances made more complex by her own kindness. When a colleague's apartment is damaged by fire, Abby offers the young woman a place to stay while repairs are made. But her colleague, and others in the firm, are guarding secrets that soon have Abby wondering who she can trust. When her inconvenient roommate disappears from the law school library, Abby, with help from Trouble (a most intelligent cat), tries to find her while there is still some hope she's alive.
As with the other two books in this series, this story is told from three points of view; Abby's, Trouble's and the young man who is Abby's roommate's best friend and is becoming Abby's love interest. While this mostly works well, it seems a bit more labored this time. This is still an entertaining book! I would have liked a bit more of Trouble's voice to come through.
This review is based on an ARC from the series authors. I look forward to seeing what adventures find Trouble next.

[Lana Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute who dun it starring a--cat? Yes, a cat. Trouble is a cat who happens upon the lives of two law students Abby and Layla. Soon after Trouble `adopts` the two women, Layla is kidnapped and Abby who has become her temporary roommate is as determined to find her as her cat Trouble. Throughout this dramatic mystery, our hero Trouble is more in tuned to the clues than the humans searching for Layla, which includes Abby, Victor a friend of Layla's and the police. A love interest blooms between Abby and Victor--eventually--which I very much enjoyed. I liked Trouble's superior attitude and keen intelligence, but I had a hard time imagining a cat being able to read, which he was able to do among other things no ordinary cat could do, but because I'm an absolute cat lover I really enjoyed this feline sleuth's character. Abby and Victor turned out to be pretty good detectives too, nudged along by Trouble of course. All in all it was a very sweet read that kept you turning pages and wrapped up nicely in the end.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble in Tallahassee by Claire Matturro is the next book in the adventures of Trouble the cat or should I say cat detective.
Trouble has been kidnapped or is it catnapped, and makes his escape in Tallahassee, Florida. Fun trip back to Tallahassee and FSU for me. He finds Abby Coleridge and a colleague who is temporarily staying with her while her apartment gets repairs made after fire damage.
This story is told from three points of view and I have to admit I always enjoy Troubles take on the situation.
Entertaining and quick paced with interesting characters and was hard for me to put down.
Wonder where Trouble will end up next.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Tracy Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third in a series of cozy mysteries about Trouble the crime solving cat. The story is great except for the over the top and unnecessary erotica sex scene. The book went from PG/PG13 to a serious R rating. The previous stories written by different authors each contained a budding romance. It’s possible this is typical of this author but I’m hopeful this won’t continue in the next book. It was a disappointing segment in an otherwise enjoyable book.

[Rhett DeVane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The interaction of people and their animal protectors is a theme seen frequently in fantasy and magical realism, but not as much in mainstream mysteries. Claire Matturro takes her cozy mystery Trouble in Tallahassee in a refreshing direction with believable human characters and a highly intelligent feline detective.
Abby Coleridge is a young attorney in Tallahassee, Florida, busy and upcoming, with plenty to fill her life. She opens her home to a law student when a fire destroys the young woman’s apartment. But no good deed goes unpunished, a fact Abby soon understands. After the student disappears, Abby sets out to unravel a complex set of clues, attracting the attention of a murderous arsonist.
But that’s not the best part of this delightful story line. A black cat aptly named Trouble lands in Tallahassee, befriends Abby, and does his best to push her and her fellow humans in the correct direction. Trouble is no ordinary house cat, and sections of the feline’s narrative weave throughout the book, adding spice, humor, and intrigue. If only humans could fathom cat speak, the people in Trouble’s life would have an easier go of things.
Claire Matturro adds romance into the picture in the form of Victor Rutledge. Victor is a man with a scandal shading his past, and Abby must navigate the blush of attraction while seeking out her lost friend.
Though I am not a person who frequently reads mysteries, I enjoyed Trouble in Tallahassee. Usually, I figure out the “whodunit” long before the end. Not so with this book. Claire Matturro managed to create a complex mashup of human foibles and intrigue, with the addition of a wily feline’s slant.

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this multi-author series featuring Trouble the Cat. Trouble fancies himself a detective, and has a penchant for all things British.

In this tale, Trouble has found himself snatched from his owner Tammy Lynn and taken to Tallahassee. There he escapes his captor and attaches himself to a lawyer and a law student. Of course he also ends up in the middle of some excitement and mystery as well.

Abby invited Layla to stay with her after a fire in her apartment necessitated renovations. Now these two aren't close friends they are co-workers in the firm Abby has joined. Layla is a third year law student and on track to become the only associate added to this firm upon passing her bar exam. As such she has been diligently working on her final paper as well as her other duties.

Victor is also a law student and he is struggling with his latest assignment. He needs some help from Layla but she is still angry with him over something he stuck his nose into.

Lots of suspense, and it just builds when Layla is snatched while she and Abby are working in the basement of the Law Library with old cases.

Trouble of course has his nose everywhere and trying to get the humans to understand him can sometimes be difficult. Although he does somehow manage in the most clever ways.

Totally enthralling, with twists and turns abounding. I can't wait to read more of this series.

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this multi-author series featuring Trouble the Cat. Trouble fancies himself a detective, and has a penchant for all things British.

In this tale, Trouble has found himself snatched from his owner Tammy Lynn and taken to Tallahassee. There he escapes his captor and attaches himself to a lawyer and a law student. Of course he also ends up in the middle of some excitement and mystery as well.

Abby invited Layla to stay with her after a fire in her apartment necessitated renovations. Now these two aren't close friends they are co-workers in the firm Abby has joined. Layla is a third year law student and on track to become the only associate added to this firm upon passing her bar exam. As such she has been diligently working on her final paper as well as her other duties.

Victor is also a law student and he is struggling with his latest assignment. He needs some help from Layla but she is still angry with him over something he stuck his nose into.

Lots of suspense, and it just builds when Layla is snatched while she and Abby are working in the basement of the Law Library with old cases.

Trouble of course has his nose everywhere and trying to get the humans to understand him can sometimes be difficult. Although he does somehow manage in the most clever ways.

Totally enthralling, with twists and turns abounding. I can't wait to read more of this series.

[Rebecca Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Matturro has written a romantic mystery featuring that super sleuth Trouble, the black cat detective. This is the third book in a new series called FAMILIAR TROUBLE. In this novel, Trouble finds himself in Tallahassee and wanders into the lives of Abby Coleridge and her temporary roommate, Layla.

A fire in Layla's apartment prompts Abby to offer her a place to stay but she soon begins to regret that offer. Layla's behavior is strange and suddenly she is kidnapped. In a frantic effort to find her and resolve the mystery of why, Abby is thrown into collusion with Victor, a friend of Layla's and someone with secrets of his own. The urgency of the search for Layla is compounded by a medical condition.

Can Abby learn to trust Victor and come to Layla's rescue. Trouble does all he can to see that the humans heed his direction and follow the clues. He's not above trying to influence a little romance between Abby and Victor.

This is an intricate mystery with satisfying twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. Trouble is a wonderful character who will win you over with his intellect, sophistication, and charm. Abby learns to trust her instincts and follow her heart in her career and in love.

[Donna Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh no! Trouble has been catnapped! By the time he manages to escape he finds himself in Tallahassee, far from his Alabama home and Tammy Lynn. Our four-legged detective hero quickly attaches himself to Abby, a young attorney who has taken in her colleague Layla whose home has been fire damaged.
Realizing that this black cat is trouble, Abby quickly dubs him such. Within minutes she and Layla and Trouble find themselves facing a mugger and the adventure begins. Someone is clearly after Layla and the team must get to the bottom of it.
Along the way we find a sweet, and rather quick, romance between Abby and Victor, a war veteran and law student. He struggles with his decision to go to law school and Abby is recovering from a broken heart. Trouble tries his hand/paw at matchmaking while pushing the clueless humans into the right direction.
I love the setting in Tallahassee and the law school. The underlying crime slowly reveals itself and is personally intriguing to me as a former teacher and lawyer. The motive is unusual, clever and nicely developed. I am, however, a bit worried about Trouble getting back to Alabama, but it is obvious he has another case on his agenda! Looking forward to seeing where this next adventure takes him!

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the light-hearted, almost silly, fun of the previous two books, I found this one to be much more cerebral. On its own, this is a perfectly fantastic book. And I probably would have loved it a lot more if I hadn’t read the first two right before it. Possibly it’s the fact that this is a book about lawyers and law students that made this such a dry read for me. I just wasn’t able to find the same element of humor that was so instrumental in those other books. Even the cat and a retired military hero couldn’t generate any spark for me – and I’m a sucker for a hero in uniform. Everybody fell kind of flat. Not quite cardboard caricatures but I couldn’t force myself to invest in any of them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.

[J Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this too much mystery for just one cat??

Trouble, black cat detective, is in Tallahassee on a hot case of arson. Layla may only be Abby’s temporary roommate but she has brought full-time trouble with her when she moved in and now she is missing. Abby has plenty of training in Law but the suspects in this case are not law-abiding and Trouble will have to sniff out the suspects and follow the clues before she becomes a victim.

I am enjoying this series. Trouble is a good detective with gourmet tastes. The book is well-written and has a good mystery interwoven with a little romance and plenty of drama.

[Cheri Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic!!

What a fabulous addition to this series!! It kept me spell bound
throughout the entire story. Just when I was sure I knew who
was responsible for the crimes and why everything changed. So
I had to rethink and keep reading. Lots of twists and turns. This
story was riveting and extremely entertaining. I absolutely love
Trouble! This series is right up there with Shirley Rousseau Murphy
and Carole Nelson Douglas and their cat detectives Joe Gray and
Midnight Louie. All cat lovers gather round --- you'll love this series!

[Joshua Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What else is there to say when arguably the world's greatest feline detective is on the prowl? Trouble gets himself cat-napped but ends up escaping his captor and ends up involved in a new mystery with his temporary home. A car and mouse game, yes I went there, ensues as a kidnapping occurs, murder and arsons abound, and pink flash drives everywhere. Trouble manages to help clue in the birds as to what's going on, creating a wonderful mystery/romance. I highly recommend this one, with a side dish of poached salmon

[Glenna Kachtik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I have come to expect from a "Trouble" mystery.

He is such a wonderful cat! In this one he is kidnapped but manages to AGAIN find 2 damsels to save, a mystery to solve & 1 woman to put together with a guy .... .not a cop this time; but someone who will someday be one & he ends up with a detective! Not sure HOW he gets home to Tammy Lynn.

I await the next installment.

Also nice to read about the real cat Sebastian on the back cover....

[Mary Goodwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the series of Trouble the sleuthing cat. I found this to be a entertaining and easy read. Trouble is catnapped and makes an escape. With his charm and nose for sleuthing is adopted by Abby and her temporary roommate Layla. Good thing for them as they and their friend Victor definitely need his skills for solving a murder and Laylas abduction. I won't recap the book as hopefully you will read the book. You will be glad you did.

[Eileen Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fast, easy, and pleasurable read. A green eyed cat who is a bit more intelligent than the humans (or bi-peds), some mystery/ who dunnit, a bit of romance, and a little wit inserted here and there and you have yourself a clever story that is sure to entertain cat lovers and non-cat lovers alike. Very clever and enjoyable read.

[Carolyn McClellan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not up to par with the first two in the series

I really enjoyed the first two books and looked forward to reading the 3rd in the series. I was disappointed. How Abby ended up with the cat was far fetched and unbelievable. I also didn’t enjoy the storyline and thought the plot was lacking. I will look for others to read in the series and hope this was a fluke.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thinly drawn and occasionally inconsistent characters (one of which has the same name as a villain in the last book). a convoluted (not intricate) plot, and way too much filler. This was one of those books that I kept skimming through, frustrated that I had to keep skimming to the end to the last details (like motive). I gave myself a headache rolling my eyes at the too stupid to live parts. I disliked it enough that I'm not too interested in reading the next book in the series.

[Pat Rathmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENTERTAINING ADVENTURE

This is turning into a fantastic and highly entertaining series of books written by multiple authors and so far each creating they own unique characters. However the major character in each story is Trouble a very unique and very intuitive cat Detective. Although Trouble's main focus is solving crimes; he does take time o okay cupid along the way

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble is a clever, crime solving black cat. This time he comes across an attempted mugging, kidnapping, arson and murder. Will he be able to guide the humans in time to solve the mystery... This story has the perfect balance of mystery, romance, and twist and turns that will keep you in suspense and guessing until the end.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow Trouble in Tallahassee was a little more on the hot side than the others. There was more of the story by the other characters than by Trouble until the end. Claire Matturro did a good job of keeping things in focus. Great job now onwards and upwards to the next book.
Is you are a cat person and like Sherlock Holmes this series will be right up your ally.
Cheers
Lynn🇨🇦

[Cheryl A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trouble discovers trouble.

Trouble discovers dangerous dealings with his newly found Biped and her roommate when he is sampling searching for water. What starts as helping a friend, ends with mystery, murder, and mayhem involving lawyers, professors, and the legal system! Warning: there is sexual innuendos in romance and mild curse words not normally in a cozy mystery series!

[Beth Super · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fun Read

A fun, fluffy read with an interesting whodunit plot and trail of clues. Best of all is the cat character, Trouble. He is what kept me reading. I didn't find the delightful turn of phrase I kept looking for, but it's a good, solid, entertaining story