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A Cats in Trouble Mystery #2
The Cat, the Professor and the Poison
Between her kitty quilt-making business and her three beloved cats, Jill has her hands full. That doesn't stop her from wanting to solve the mystery of the milk cow that's gone missing from her friend's farm. But imagine her surprise when a stolen cow leads to the discovery of fifty stray cats and one dead body-a victim of cold-blooded murder...
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
44 people are currently reading
957 people want to read
About the author
Leann Sweeney
27 books524 followersLeann Sweeney was born and raised in Niagara Falls and educated at St. Joseph's Hospital and Lemoyne College in Syracuse, NY. She also has a degree from the University of Houston in behavioral science and worked for many years in psychiatry. Her short fiction won many awards and several mysteries were published in small market mystery magazines. Leann has written 13 cozy mysteries: 5 in The Yellow Rose Mystery Series and 8 in the Cats in Trouble Mysteries. #9 is being written now that Leann is recovering from a three year illness after a fall. Both series are published by Berkley and several titles made the NY Times bestseller list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
July 22, 2013
In South Carolina offenses against kitties are considered especially heinous. In Mercy, South Carolina, these crimes are investigated by an elite squad known as the Feline Victims Unit. These are their stories.
Jill and her cats are back for this, the second in the Cats in Trouble mystery series. After finding a stray cat she stumbles onto a mysterious research lab where cats are being experimented on. When the scientist in charge turns up dead she finds herself once again at the centre of the action.
The Cat, the Professor and the Poison is pretty good fun in a cat lady kind of way.
January 14, 2024
Great cozy mystery! Cat lovers will really enjoy! I really like protagonist, Jillian, and her best friend & law officer, Candace. They take on an investigation into a wacky professor’s obsession with cats, and what led to his demise. Several surprises as the story is told. I highly recommend this story.
April 15, 2011
I like this series, mostly because of the adorable cats, but I'm beginning to worry a little bit about the main character, Jillian. I mean, I love my cats, but c'mon, woman, you are freaking me out a little bit here with your catcam and obsessiveness about checkin in on said catcam! And then some moments she is uber-strong and fearless, and then all crumbly because of a mean phone call from a potential murder suspect she has no relationship with at all who just says some mean things? Um, hang up? Then go quilt and blow it off? Ya? But no, she goes all crumbly and weepy. That's rather bothersome to me. Her character seems fairly insecure about Ev.RY.THING. Except her cats. Who are her best friends. Again, I love my cats, but girl, you need to get out more. Just sayin.
May 12, 2019
Jillian Hart lives in Mercy, South Carolina.
Shoe resides in the house that she and her
deceased husband built with her three cats:
Merlot, Syrah and Chablis.
Jillian makes cat quilts that has turned into
a profitable venture.
Jillian use a phone that has a cat cam on it.
She can check on the cats wherever she
ventures out of her home.
Deputy Candace Carson is her good friend.
Jillian goes along with Candace when a call
comes in about a missing cow. They decide
to stage a stake out at the farm. They catch
a professor as the culprit. He wanted milk
to feed his cats.
When stray cats turn up at the farm, Jillian
follows one cat to a neighboring farm and
discovers about 50 cats penned up. This is
where the professor lives.
Contacting Candace, an Animal Shelter and
Animal Control about the cats at the farm is
those beginning of the mystery of The Cats,
the Professor and the Poison.
The professor is found dead in his farm house.
He was poisoned.
In the midst of this mystery, Jillian’s stepdaughter.
Kara arrives unannounced in Mercy. Kara never
accepted Jillian’s marrying her father nor has
Kara grieved her father death. But Kara makes
herself at home and gets involved with the
murder mystery.
Interesting and intriguing characters with a lot
of cats involved.
Shoe resides in the house that she and her
deceased husband built with her three cats:
Merlot, Syrah and Chablis.
Jillian makes cat quilts that has turned into
a profitable venture.
Jillian use a phone that has a cat cam on it.
She can check on the cats wherever she
ventures out of her home.
Deputy Candace Carson is her good friend.
Jillian goes along with Candace when a call
comes in about a missing cow. They decide
to stage a stake out at the farm. They catch
a professor as the culprit. He wanted milk
to feed his cats.
When stray cats turn up at the farm, Jillian
follows one cat to a neighboring farm and
discovers about 50 cats penned up. This is
where the professor lives.
Contacting Candace, an Animal Shelter and
Animal Control about the cats at the farm is
those beginning of the mystery of The Cats,
the Professor and the Poison.
The professor is found dead in his farm house.
He was poisoned.
In the midst of this mystery, Jillian’s stepdaughter.
Kara arrives unannounced in Mercy. Kara never
accepted Jillian’s marrying her father nor has
Kara grieved her father death. But Kara makes
herself at home and gets involved with the
murder mystery.
Interesting and intriguing characters with a lot
of cats involved.
February 8, 2014
A much better read than the first in this series. There are fewer grammatical howlers, and less of the "I sell quilts at cat shows, so I'm an authority on cats" drone, though I was suprised and amused to hear that "most orange cats are boys." Oh really! Well I've owned some that were girls, honey, but this is Europe, maybe they are boys in in the States.
As happens with many novel series, the writer has jettisoned some of the odder parameters of the first book--a case in point, one of her cats was "allergic to humans" to the point of needing medication when in contact with strangers. This quirk seemed to vanish half way through Volume One, and was nowhere in evidence in Volume Two, thanks be. For a woman who supposedly earns her living making quilts (which as a quilter myself I know to be a time-intensive activity), she seems to spend darn little time in the sewing room, and yet always has armfuls of quilts to give away. Well I guess when your lapsized "cat quilts" go for a hundred bucks per, you can afford a little pro-bono work.
The human characters are better fleshed out this time, with the male sector of the police force being less stereotypically anti-female, though I still don't comprehend the new trend for next to no physical description of main characters: I still have no idea what the Jessica Fletcher of the Carolinas is supposed to look like. However, she's still causing havoc among the populace with her unbridled and misguided nosiness; we learn that none of this would have happened but for her obsession with "helping the cats." A woman who would ignore the physical pain and immobility of a human (whom she claims is her heart-throb) in favour of finding out why a cat is having difficulty climbing a tree isn't the sort of person I'd like for a neighbour. But she still seems to posses some kind of magic, even if it does bypass me entirely; after three years of estrangement, her stepdaughter suddenly turns up on the doorstep seeking contact, and a few short days later they are "arms around the neck buddy-buddy" as my aged mother would say.
Credible? Not terribly. But harmless, and a much better read than the first volume.
As happens with many novel series, the writer has jettisoned some of the odder parameters of the first book--a case in point, one of her cats was "allergic to humans" to the point of needing medication when in contact with strangers. This quirk seemed to vanish half way through Volume One, and was nowhere in evidence in Volume Two, thanks be. For a woman who supposedly earns her living making quilts (which as a quilter myself I know to be a time-intensive activity), she seems to spend darn little time in the sewing room, and yet always has armfuls of quilts to give away. Well I guess when your lapsized "cat quilts" go for a hundred bucks per, you can afford a little pro-bono work.
The human characters are better fleshed out this time, with the male sector of the police force being less stereotypically anti-female, though I still don't comprehend the new trend for next to no physical description of main characters: I still have no idea what the Jessica Fletcher of the Carolinas is supposed to look like. However, she's still causing havoc among the populace with her unbridled and misguided nosiness; we learn that none of this would have happened but for her obsession with "helping the cats." A woman who would ignore the physical pain and immobility of a human (whom she claims is her heart-throb) in favour of finding out why a cat is having difficulty climbing a tree isn't the sort of person I'd like for a neighbour. But she still seems to posses some kind of magic, even if it does bypass me entirely; after three years of estrangement, her stepdaughter suddenly turns up on the doorstep seeking contact, and a few short days later they are "arms around the neck buddy-buddy" as my aged mother would say.
Credible? Not terribly. But harmless, and a much better read than the first volume.
July 18, 2012
The book was cute & the main characters likeable. The plot had enough red herrings to make you wonder a little bit about where the story may lead you. In addition, descriptions of the kitties were sweet (not to mention the little illustrated kittens on the cover).
However, as a vet tech, I found the "cat trivia" a little frustrating. Some of these were misconceptions that we in the field end up spending a lot of time clearing up. Some of these were briefly mentioned ideas that spur panic in cat owners. I don't know. Perhaps ignorance is bliss & I just knew too much to be able to read this book comfortably. I spent the whole first chapter wondering what labwork would show on the kitty we first meet. Again, too much knowledge, I suppose.
However, as a vet tech, I found the "cat trivia" a little frustrating. Some of these were misconceptions that we in the field end up spending a lot of time clearing up. Some of these were briefly mentioned ideas that spur panic in cat owners. I don't know. Perhaps ignorance is bliss & I just knew too much to be able to read this book comfortably. I spent the whole first chapter wondering what labwork would show on the kitty we first meet. Again, too much knowledge, I suppose.
May 20, 2016
This has been sitting on my shelf for forever, and now I regret not reading it sooner. I loved it! It was excellent, however the author dwelt way too much on the cats instead of the humans, in my opinion.
October 31, 2017
While I enjoyed meeting Jillian and the other characters in their small South Carolina town in The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse, I think this second book in the series is even better. Jillian is getting more comfortable in her life without her husband, John, making friendships in her newish town, while still maintaining her thriving quilting business and enjoying the company of her three rescue cats, Syrah, Chablis, and Merlot. We see more of Candace and Tom in this book, as well as Sean at the animal rescue. This story involves a professor and poison, as the title suggests, as well as a cat. Many cats, to be accurate. It's a quick read, no boring lulls, and though I suspected several people for the crimes in the story, I was fairly surprised when the culprit was revealed. I'll be continuing this series with the confidence that it will get even better.
January 16, 2016
MY FAVORITE COZY MYSTERY OF 2010!!!
The first book in this series THE CAT, THE QUILT AND THE CORPSE was the first book I reviewed on this blog. THE CAT, THE PROFESSOR, AND THE POISON is the second book in the series and I am truly honored that Leann send me an Advanced Copy for me to review. Thank You Leann.
The stars in this series are three cats, Merlot, Chablis, and Syrah and their "human" Jillian Hart. Jillian makes quilts for cats but also has time to get wrapped up in a few mysteries. In this story, she helps her friend Deputy Candace Carson track down a missing milk cow, but that leads to finding fifty, yes 50, stray cats and yet another corpse, the professor.
As if she didn't have her hands full, her stepdaughter Kara, who never really accepted Jillian marrying her father and has not grieved her father's death, shows up in Mercy for a visit and get wrapped up in the mystery just like Jillian.
While all the humans are running all over trying to figure out who killed the professor, in the end it will be a cat who has all the information.
I have come to love the characters in these stories. Mercy is a small town where everyone knows everyone's business, much like the small town I grew up in. When you wanted to know what was happening you went to a small hole-in-wall cafe. In these stories you go to a coffee shop, Belle's Beans. These stories are so easy to identify with, especially if you are a cat lover, but without the murders, I hope.
**One note of caution, this is a book you will what to read in one sitting, the pages just keep turning and turning, so allow enough time or you may be up all night reading.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The first book in this series THE CAT, THE QUILT AND THE CORPSE was the first book I reviewed on this blog. THE CAT, THE PROFESSOR, AND THE POISON is the second book in the series and I am truly honored that Leann send me an Advanced Copy for me to review. Thank You Leann.
The stars in this series are three cats, Merlot, Chablis, and Syrah and their "human" Jillian Hart. Jillian makes quilts for cats but also has time to get wrapped up in a few mysteries. In this story, she helps her friend Deputy Candace Carson track down a missing milk cow, but that leads to finding fifty, yes 50, stray cats and yet another corpse, the professor.
As if she didn't have her hands full, her stepdaughter Kara, who never really accepted Jillian marrying her father and has not grieved her father's death, shows up in Mercy for a visit and get wrapped up in the mystery just like Jillian.
While all the humans are running all over trying to figure out who killed the professor, in the end it will be a cat who has all the information.
I have come to love the characters in these stories. Mercy is a small town where everyone knows everyone's business, much like the small town I grew up in. When you wanted to know what was happening you went to a small hole-in-wall cafe. In these stories you go to a coffee shop, Belle's Beans. These stories are so easy to identify with, especially if you are a cat lover, but without the murders, I hope.
**One note of caution, this is a book you will what to read in one sitting, the pages just keep turning and turning, so allow enough time or you may be up all night reading.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
January 23, 2021
I really liked the first book, but I don't think this one compares. Or maybe I was just excited about the new town and new characters when I read that one.
The actual murder mystery was fine, the stray cats even if mistreated were all well taken care of in the end so I wasn't too worried about that either.
Like someone else mentioned the cat trivia isn't actually true. I own a white cat who is deaf, and has hazel eyes, so I know very well it doesn't matter which eye color they have. I've also usually heard say that most orange cats are female, while she says here that most are boys. It's only rumors anyway.
Something about the professor's mental health doesn't add up, I'm not an expert but I did study basic Psychology and I don't think that's how someone with Bipolar disorder would act.
Honestly I think I blacked out after reading halfway through, I finished it but I completely forgot what happened already.
The actual murder mystery was fine, the stray cats even if mistreated were all well taken care of in the end so I wasn't too worried about that either.
Like someone else mentioned the cat trivia isn't actually true. I own a white cat who is deaf, and has hazel eyes, so I know very well it doesn't matter which eye color they have. I've also usually heard say that most orange cats are female, while she says here that most are boys. It's only rumors anyway.
Something about the professor's mental health doesn't add up, I'm not an expert but I did study basic Psychology and I don't think that's how someone with Bipolar disorder would act.
Honestly I think I blacked out after reading halfway through, I finished it but I completely forgot what happened already.
February 20, 2011
A very good read, especially for people who love cats, like me.The plot was interesting and original ( a bipolar professor comes up with a genious idea about creating new pet food and ends up murdered ).Many suspects and alibis-Jillian, the protagonist - a cat quilter - and her cop friend, Candace, have a lot in their hands to keep them busy.I particularly liked the character of Kara, Jillian's stepdaughter ( her late husband's daughter )and the bond that started forming between them. There are many strong female characters in this story who contribute in solving the murder and I enjoyed reading about them.I look forward to learning about their new adventures in "The Cat, The Lady And The Liar", the next book in the series.
April 28, 2012
3*s for a cute cozy mystery with an enjoyable setting and decent characters. -1 for the constant, wrong-headed, and tiresome bashing of "animal rights activists" the vast majority of whom are neither terrorists nor wish to release all of your pets into the wild so they can be "free". Not saying that those people don't exist, there are extremists of every stripe. Just saying that they aren't representative. Of course you wouldn't know that based just on this book.
August 1, 2011
Enjoyed this book in the series. Will read the next one soon :)
October 2, 2014
Good for a cozy. Had a bit of a twist. Cats definitely played a big part. Showed how important rescue is.
March 28, 2022
Jillian Hart is recruited by her police officer friend Candace to help with a local woman whose cow has been stolen. It turns out a professor who has bought a nearby farm has stolen the cow to get milk for his cats. Then Jillian is helping another farm owner who has had several stray cats show up at her property. Jillian follows one stray to the professor's property where she finds over 50 cats in cages. While Jillian is going to get help for the cats the professor is murdered. Jillian has a cat quilting business but it's not really featured in this story. Jillian also has a budding romance and her step daughter from her deceased husband shows up. The mystery was interesting and I like Jillian and her cats so I'll continue the series.
September 1, 2022
This book is great for people who REALLY like cats.
May 26, 2017
Enjoyed this cozy mystery by a favourite author
March 21, 2017
Read~September 21, 2010
4 Stars
This is going to be a GREAT series! I really enjoy the way this author writes and I love the stories. Her characters are really interesting and well-fleshed out---AND, they are believable!!
FUN, FUN, FUN read!!!
Jillian is still recovering (mentally) from the events of the past fall. But she (personally) is more settled in, the quilt business has picked up, her cats and healthy and loved AND she is (finally) making lasting friends!
And its with one of those friends (Candace) who also happens to be a deputy on Mercy's police force, that Jillian stumbles upon another gruesome murder (and severe animal/cat neglect) and gets caught up in another murder investigation. Add to that, fostering a cat and her kittens, territorial cats, a budding relationship with her security guy (Tom) and keeping that a secret from the local assistant coroner AND the arrival of her step-daughter, Jillian will have some time trying to stay one step ahead of the murderer, who would like nothing better than to see her out of the picture...permanently!!
Good, fast, fun read!!!
October 24, 2014
Jillian Hart is a cat lover, so when she sees more then 50 cats penned in a dirty cat run, mewing and seeming sickly and hungry, she is more than angry. The Professor, who was caring for the cats, never got to hear her rant because he was poisoned with a viscous acting poison. Who wanted him dead and how are those cats coming to be cared for properly now?
Jillian's own three cats are helpful to her in her investigation, especially Chablis, who has adopted one of the Professor's cats and her new litter. Kara, Jillian's step daughter and Deputy Candace Carson can't seem to decide if they're going to be friends or enemies in this investigation.
This mystery is definitely very cat centered. The relationships between the characters also add a great deal to the interest in the mystery. This is the second in this series, and I'll be reading more for sure.
Jillian's own three cats are helpful to her in her investigation, especially Chablis, who has adopted one of the Professor's cats and her new litter. Kara, Jillian's step daughter and Deputy Candace Carson can't seem to decide if they're going to be friends or enemies in this investigation.
This mystery is definitely very cat centered. The relationships between the characters also add a great deal to the interest in the mystery. This is the second in this series, and I'll be reading more for sure.
October 1, 2010
I absolutely loved it! I was just as good as the first book of the series, if not better. Of course, I found it funny that most of my real life interests are found in this book - Cats, Technology, etc... All that aside, I thought that the characters are well played out, and all have their own well thought out personalities. I felt like I have just made some new friends to hang out with, albeit fictional ones. :)
December 28, 2010
I was drawn into the first book in this series (The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse) by the title since I'm interesting in quilting. I liked it enough to give the second title in the series a try. The mystery in this book is good, but I found myself getting distracted by other things such as the "cat-cam" and wondering when the main character was actually going to work on her business. And who orders quilts for cats anyway?
May 30, 2015
Another outing for Jillian Hart, her good friends Candace and Tom and Jillian's three feline companions. This time they are investigating theft and murder, and in the midst of all this Jillian also gets to connect with her stepdaughter. Add into this the gradual start of a relationship between Jillian and Tom and you have another first class book on your hands, now I just have the problem of waiting for the next book to arrive!
May 9, 2010
I feel this book earned the entire five stars due to an excellance in writing. This book opened up with instantly involving you in the main character's life and her friends.
It sets you up for the mystery coming and you don't even realize it while you are reading...then it hits. And when it does, you are drawn into the chase.
Author Leann Sweeney's best book yet!
It sets you up for the mystery coming and you don't even realize it while you are reading...then it hits. And when it does, you are drawn into the chase.
Author Leann Sweeney's best book yet!
July 4, 2013
I don't like cats - well after reading two books in this series- I am not so sure. I do love Merlot, Chablis, and Syrah- the furry starts of the cats in trouble series. Jillian Hart is a cat lover and her adventures keep the pages turning for me. Great characters and good mystery! I am addicted to this series- be careful you will get hooked also.
August 14, 2013
I had some problems reading this one because of the subject matter. There were times I felt like the author was struggling with the direction she took for the same reasons. And one of the characters I enjoyed in book 1 got kind of choppy and abrasive. There are some new characters that could be interesting.
March 31, 2012
The Cat, the Professor, and the Poison is a cute book. Easy read as most cozy mysteries are. I liked all the characters in this book especially the felines. I would read another one of the Cat in Trouble Mysteries.
August 1, 2012
Argh! I hate it when I forget that I've already tried a book in a series and didn't like it! I love me some cats, crafts, and murder - but the series is too much even for me. Plus the kitty in peril theme makes me anxious. I'll try again in 30 years..
October 23, 2015
I enjoyed this one more than the first installment of the series. So far, the characters are entertaining and the storyline has substance. Well, the police chief continues to be annoying but is downplayed this time around. Will be reading the next one.
December 29, 2015
Jillian continues to get into trouble in the little town of Mercy. Jillian's story started when she lost her husband. At least she had her three cats to get her through. Her love of cats puts her in precarious situations.
March 4, 2017
The Cat, the Professor and the Poison by Leann Sweeney is the second book in the Cats in Trouble mystery series. Cat lover and quilter Jillian Hart finds the body of a dead professor and lots of cats at a farm. Another nice, enjoyable cozy mystery. Slow paced with plenty of cats.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews