Sydney McCall lives in Deer Park, NC with her adopted rescue cat, Toby. She's helping her sister Kat with preparations for a fund raiser to benefit the animal shelter they run together. Unfortunately their guest of honor, a comedian born in Deer Park, is injured in a car accident. They turn to another famous former resident, Ulla Townsend. Immediately they get mixed reactions from some shelter staff and residents who went to school with Ulla. Apparently, Ulla was difficult and promised to come back someday when she was famous to rub it all in their faces. She does come back.....and she is famous....but before she can exact any revenge for past slights, she is murdered. Ulla was a rude and difficult person so there is no shortage of suspects. But.....who hated Ulla enough to kill her??

Death By a Whisker is the second book in the Cat Rescue Cozy Mystery series. This is the first book by T.C. LoTiempo that I've read. The mystery was a little slow to start at first, but I enjoyed the character and story development. It picked up pace as soon as the victim was offed. There were several suspects and some interesting twists along the way. All in all, a nice, enjoyable cozy mystery! I have LoTiempo's Nick and Nora Mysteries series (the main character and her cat are named after Nick and Nora from The Thin Man movies -- some of my favorite classic movies!) on my TBR shelf.....I will definitely be reading those next!! I like her writing style, and the characters she created for the Cat Rescue series are engaging and likable.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

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Sydney McCall along with her rescued tabby, Toby, are helping her sister Kat run the local animal shelter. It’s a whole new life for her in her hometown of Deer Park, North Carolina. Syd and Kat are excited about the prospect of the shelter’s newest fundraiser: shopping channel queen Ulla Townsend will be signing books and donating a percentage to the shelter. Maggie Shayne, Kat’s right-hand helper vehemently refuses to have anything to do with the woman or the fundraiser. However, everything goes well until Ulla turns up dead in the middle of the event.

They believe that Ulla died from an allergic reaction, but to what? Syd and Toby sniff out something fishy. When Syd met Ulla, it was clear she was distasteful and rude and had enemies. And right before the event, Syd spotted some behind-the-scenes drama between Ulla and her manager. As she begins to investigate, she realizes there is no shortage of suspects, and Maggie is at the top of the list.
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Series: A Cat Rescue Mystery – Book 2
Author: T. C. LoTempio https://www.tclotempio.net/
Genre: Pet/Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Publishing Date, February 13, 2018, Buy Now!

Death by a Whisker is a delightful pet-based cozy with lots of animals who are literally characters in and of themselves. Along with a few humans who at times remind us why we love animals. This book is pleasurable without being long or overly detailed. It compels the reader to turn the page time after time.

Syd McCall is a warm, caring individual who just happens to love animals and has no life outside of the animal shelter, and her toy killing cat, Toby now that her boyfriend is so busy he doesn’t have time to call. Her sister Kat is much like her but with a little more going on in her life outside of the animals. Syd seems happy with her life, and yet the reader gets the sense that this may not be completely true. Life in a small town isn’t the same as life in New York City, especially not alone.

Maggie and Leila are great characters. Even though they play a smaller role, it will be interesting to see them grow and blossom alongside Syd. Boyfriend, Will is in and out of the story, but he adds a romantic interest that has future possibilities. It doesn’t hurt that he is a cop and sometimes gives Syd info she needs to help solve a case, even after he tells her to stay out of it.

The location used for the story is a small town that on occasion has big city problems. It is a surprise to those who live and work there that murder comes knocking, and not for the first time. However, a bit more detail about the layout of the town and the residents would be a welcome side story that would serve to enhance the reader's enjoyment.

Revealing the killer is no easy task and will keep readers guessing for a long time. The motive becomes clear faster than the identity of the murderer. With a plethora of suspects all with a solid motive, it doesn’t take long for Syd to narrow it down. When she finally figures it out the reader will be surprised and delighted all at the same time.

Overall Death by a Whisker is a fast-paced, enjoyable read that will have the audience yelling for more. It is highly recommended to anyone who loves animals, town gossip and stories that keep them guessing.
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Syd might be helping her sister Kay run a cat rescue shelter, but her real calling seems to be solving murders. When an unpopular author drops dead at a shelter fundraiser, so many people hate her for the dastardly things she has done to them, it’s hard to narrow down the suspects. Clues abound in this cozy, and it’s likely the reader will figure it out long before Syd does. Still, it is an enjoyable cozy, with likable characters, an interesting plot, a bit of romance, and of course, cats aplenty. ( )

Syd McCall is very passionate about animals. With her work at the shelter she keeps herself busy but not busy enough to keep herself out of trouble. It’s a big day in her small town when none other than Ulla Townsend is coming to town to promote her book and give a part of the proceeds to the shelter. I wouldn’t say everyone was thrilled to find out that Ulla was coming back to town. She did become this famous television personality but can it erase all the horrible things she did to some of her classmates in school? I can’t believe how vicious she was. Ulla is what I call a first class bully.

Syd is really a smart person who has a bit of a problem. She doesn’t seem able to keep her nose out of trouble. The author sets readers up for the crime in a setting that is sure to cause a stir among the community. Ulla is all set to sign her new book as a big crowd starts to grow. I was not surprised that Ulla was going to be the victim and I figured out how she was killed. What I couldn’t figure out was who did The dastardly deed. With a room full of suspects and a list a mile long of people she had tortured in the past, I found it hard to narrow it down to just one suspect. I’m not saying she deserved to die, but let’s just say sometimes your past can come back and cause you harm. I wanted to feel sorry for Ulla, but she was just a conceited and mean person.

I thought the story was well written and I loved that the author showcased pet adoptions. The author really made me want to adopt a cat after reading about all the love able ones up for adoption. I as kinda upset that Syd kept going behind her boyfriends back to investigate the crime. After all, Will is a detective and I’m pretty sure he is good at his job. What makes the story so appealing is their relationship. He seems sensible, smart and patient. Syd is none of those things which makes them the perfect couple. It’s a great read and one that I enjoyed with all the shenanigans Syd got involved in. Overall a good book and one I would recommend to all those who like a fast pace mystery.

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Author T. C. LoTempio is a fabulous writer. Her Nick and Nora Mysteries won me over and made me a true fan of hers. So, reading her Cat Rescue Mysteries was a no brainer for me.

I really enjoyed DEATH BY A WHISKER though I will admit it was a little slow going at first, maybe the first couple of chapters. But sticking with it was completely worth it!

It was good to be back in Deer Park, North Caroline with the fun characters of this series. And it was wonderful to see the growth in them since the first book. As in the previous book, the relationship between Sydney and Toby made me smile. He’s a cat with his own mind for sure!

The mystery was well done. Very nicely plotted by author LoTempio. There were plenty of suspects to consider in the murder, and they successfully led me to the wrong conclusion.

A purrfectly delightful second installment in this great new cozy series. I’m looking forward to book three! ( )