There is bad blood between two estranged brothers, and when one returns after a long absence, the whole town is interested to see what will happen. Interests peak when one brother is found murdered. His granddaughter is devastated, and Kathleen feels she must get involved to prove her friend - the deceased man’s son - had nothing to do with his murder. You can be sure that Kathleen will need help from her magical cats to keep herself out of harm’s way. This is another great installment in this entertaining series. Well written with cat characters who steal the show from their human counterparts, these stories will capture the interest of cozy readers as well as cat lovers. ( )

A solid mystery in a solid series. Nothing spectacular but a setting and characters you can lose yourself in and amongst for a quick read when you're looking for a light mystery that's rife with strong friendships and small town charm.

The mystery plotting is solid, or maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention; in retrospect I should have seen straight away what went over my head while I was reading.

Oddly, though I (of course) really like the cats, Owen and Hercules, I find myself more enchanted by their everyday cat antics (Owen's love for Fred the Funky Chicken catnip treats and his hatred of Barry Manilow music, for example), than any of their magical feats. I don't think cats need the supernatural leg up to make them the stars, although I do wish Kelly would delve more into their origins and what's going on at Wisteria Hill. ( )

This series and this book in particular is a lot of fun, it was just released this week and I haven't heard of another book coming but I sure hope that the series hasn't ended, I love the characters and I'd like to see more books in the future. The book has a bonus short story so that alone is good news! ( )

The Magical Cats books are easily in my top three favorite cozy mystery series. I enjoy the characters, the antics of the cats, and the interesting problems that pop up in Mayville Heights, MN. Head Librarian Kathleen Paulson came to town to help with renovations to the city library, and 9 books later she is a vital part of the small community. Her cats, Owen and Hercules, are amazing. Not only do they seem to understand what people say to them, but they have strange powers. Owen can become invisible. And Hercules can walk through walls. Kathleen keeps this a secret though, hoping nobody finds out what her cats can do. She doesn't want them exploited or endangered. I love this little splash of supernatural in these books.....it's not overdone...just a bit of sprinkles on top the cupcake.

In this 9th book in the series, a bit of long lost undelivered mail and several photographs are discovered behind some furniture in the local post office. The items are given to the library. Kathleen and the other library employees go through them to identify people in the photos so they can be given to the families that own them. The mail is also delivered into the hands of those it was intended for, albeit decades late. They decide to put the unidentified items on display in the library so people can come look at them and claim any that belong to them. Meanwhile, two brothers -- twins in fact -- are in town for the first time in many years to try and smooth over a fracture in their family. Years ago, Victor Janes stole his brother Leo's wife. The wife later died in a car accident. Nobody in the family has ever forgiven Victor for what he did. His brother dislikes him. His nephew and great-niece have no use for him either. The drama is pulled out into the open when Leo is found dead, bashed in the head with a heavy object. Does it have anything to do with his former wife's undelivered letter to a friend supposedly found with the others in the post office? Is it related to Victor and the family schism? Unfortunately, the police suspect that Leo's son, Simon, may have had something to do with his death. Kathleen knows Simon did not kill his father, and starts investigating to prove it. Will she discover vital clues in time? And is anyone else in danger?

I love the cover art for this newest book!! Hercules calmly licking his paws while Owen plays with the title letters....all near the open sardine can. Perfect! I'm sure hidden behind Owen somewhere is his latest kill -- another torn apart cat nip funky chicken toy, I'm sure. :)

The mystery in this latest book kept my attention. It is perfectly paced and builds suspense nicely. I also enjoyed the character development in this newest book. Some side characters got a bit more story this time around. There were plenty of suspects and surprises. Some things I had figured out early on....but a few things I didn't see coming. Herc and Owen are up to their usual antics. Just an enjoyable new book in this series!

This book also contains a short story "The Cat Burglar,'' previously published in the ebook Two Tall Tails.

Sofie Kelly is a pseudonym used by YA Author Darlene Ryan. She also writes under the name Sofie Ryan (Second Chance Cat series -- another of my favorites!) For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.sofiekelly.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

actually 1 3/4. it was so sweet and pure it made me have a toothache. ( )