While feeding the cats out at Wisteria Hill, Kathleen feels the earth crumbling beneath her. The resulting land slide reveals skeletal remains where there should be none. They discover the remains belong to Roma's real father, and that leaves a lot of questions for Roma about what she's been told about him. At the artist's co-op, Maggie's vision is challenged by another artist's desire to bring in investors, but he turns up dead--floating in the basement. Was it natural death or murder? Kathleen's cats Owen and Hercules are there to lend a paw when she needs a clue. Usually when two cases are linked in a plot, they fit together in the end some way. These didn't. They remained separate. I spent a lot of mental time trying to figure out an angle where the two would work together. The historic investigation was more interesting than the current one because it included an interesting community group from the past. In the book's closing pages, readers learn the answer to why Marcus (the detective) doesn't have a library card--a question they've been asking since the first book in the series. ( )

Another fun fast read. ( )

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Yes, I have read yet another cozy mystery with cats! :) What can I say? I offer no excuse. I'm addicted.

Kathleen Paulson and her two magical cats, Owen and Hercules, return in Copycat Killing, the 3rd book in the Magical Cats Mystery series by Sofie Kelly.

It has been raining non-stop in Mayville Heights for days. The ground is soggy, and spirits are dampened by the constant deluge. Not only that, but the local artists Co-op has a basement full of water. Kathleen and her friends work diligently to move local artists' work from the building to prevent water damage. The art is saved, but not all the artists -- a cantankerous mask-maker is found floating in the co-op's flooded basement. Then, after a mudslide, skeletal remains are discovered on a nearby abandoned estate. Kathleen has found not only one dead body this time, but two. Who killed the artist? And why did someone bury a body at Wisteria Hill? Kathleen and her kitty wonder duo are back on the case!

I'm enjoying this cozy mystery series. The characters are likeable, and the mystery plots are well done. I also enjoy the fact that the cats have a supernatural, magical aspect to them. Owen can disappear at will. And Hercules can walk through closed doors or walls. Anyone who has pet cats can attest that at times it seems like all cats have those powers. Owen and Hercules put their kitty cat powers to work to help their owner solve murders.

My rating: 8/10
Ages 10
( )

I found this outing in the series ho-hum. The library setting, the Minnesota small town, the artists' co-op--none of them felt particularly fresh or unique. More emphasis on the interactions between Kathleen and her cats than in the first two books, for what that's worth. ( )

Third book in the magical cats series, hitting much of the same notes as before: female friendships, sensible heroine, cats which are a bit magical. Fortunately no TSTL moments this time around.

A pleasantly relaxing read, snack food for the mind without being at all taxing.