Claire Donally

There are so many cozy mysteries that feature cats as purr-fect companions to amateur sleuths and some of the felines even help with critical clues in solving the latest crime but since meeting the cat as created by Claire Donally (pseudonym for the author of many other critically acclaimed cozy mysteries) Shadow is my favorite feline. As I shared in my review of the 1st novel in the series,

"I absolutely purred in my human reading pleasure way for the wondrous names that charismatic Shadow show more has for humans, the things humans do, the things human say, etc."

In this novel in order for a crime to be solved with insider access to the Kingsburys' waterfront compound it is necessary for Sunny Coolidge to take a break from her usual position at MAX (Maine Adventure X-perience) in Kittery Harbor, Maine, and use her previous reporter experience and also her sleuthing that has been most successful to date. The only one that is not happy about Sunny's need to stay onsite at the Kingsburys’ waterfront compound is Shadow who becomes quite distressed when he views Sunny packing her suitcase. Shadow may be left at home with the "Old One" (a.k.a. Sunny's Dad) but in his ingenious style he's key to the case.

Within this novel, Shadow's experiences are detailed more than ever which I found to be paw-some! It's catnip for human readers from cover to cover!! show less

Sunny is covering the much hyped wedding of political heiress to a business mogul, but she finds herself covering the suspicious death of one of the wedding party instead. Now, asked by the bride-to-be for some damage control in the press releases, Sunny is now on the compound as a guest. And her cat Shadow, is a yet-to-be discovered stowaway. Sunny’s boyfriend, Will, is also working in an official capacity as a police officer. Things are going to get worse before they get better, and much show more of the credit for both of those things goes to Shadow, the extraordinary cat. It’s quite a tale, intricate and intriguing. Cat lovers will appreciate Shadow’s feelings as he copes with Sunny and her somewhat unfavorable actions towards Shadow. At least he thinks they are, not realizing her true motives. Though part of a series, this story works well as a stand-alone. show less

There are many cozy mysteries series in which many of the amateur sleuths share their homes and/or workplaces with cats. To say that I have favorites would seem to imply that I could name just a few as in my "Top 3 or "Top 5" when it would be very difficult to narrow down the list. My answer might only suggest the series that I'm reading at the time I was asked. But since meeting the cat as created by Claire Donally (pseudonym for the author of many other critically acclaimed cozy mysteries) show more if I was pressed for a solitary answer it would be Shadow. As I shared in my review of the 1st novel in the series,

"I absolutely purred in my human reading pleasure way for the wondrous names that charismatic Shadow has for humans, the things humans do, the things human say, etc."

In this novel Shadow is romanced from afar by a "She" and the anticipation for the reader to learn if Shadow will meet her is equal to Shadow's pursuit of the possibility.

Sunny Coolidge is drawn into a investigation by her boss, Oliver (Ollie) Barnstable and this time will be aided by Town Constable Will Price acting in an unofficial capacity. Recuperating from a recent automobile accident Ollie is residing at Bridgewater Hall for his care due to a broken leg and his needed physical therapy. No one could have guessed murder was on the schedule. I tried my best to unravel the clues but had mistakenly nixed a suspect of my early suspicion.

As I finished the novel I realized that I couldn't say what I enjoy most about this series...the investigations, the interactions between Sunny and her father, the interactions between Sunny and Town Constable Will Price, the interactions between her father and Helena Martinson (Mrs. M), or Shadow's daily life. Happily there's no need to decide as there are more novels to read in the series. show less

Sunny's father had a heart attack and she returned to her hometown to take care of him. Unfortunately, her newspaper in NY fired her while she was on leave in a wave of cutbacks. She couldn't get a job on the local newspaper, but got hired for miniscule pay at an internet town tourism site. When she shows kindness to the town crazy cat lady, Ada Spruance, she succumbs to a desperate request to help search for a winning lottery ticket before it expires. Sunny suspects that it may not be show more missing, but maybe stolen. Sunny tips the newspaper off and after everybody in Kittery Harbor - and neighboring towns - know about the missing ticket, Sunny finds Ada dead. Initially the local police chief wants to dismiss it as an accident, but Sunny gets to write a special piece for the newspaper highlighting the questions surrounding Ada's death. The ink is barely dry on the story when attempts to permanently shut Sunny up begin. Somewhere along the way, one of the scores of cats at poor Ada's cat house attaches himself to Sunny. His name is shadow and he has had a hard-luck life and is drawn to Sunny's kind nature. He also witnessed the murder of Ada and wants to ensure Sunny is safe, in his own cat logic. A few chapters are told from Shadow's point of view and they are very well done.

I liked Sunny a lot - more than I do most cozy characters. I found her logical and a person I could spent time with. Her responses to events where believable and understandable. The one drawback was that she was a bit naive for having been a NYC reporter when it came to the Meth drug connection. She was unaware of signs for a Meth user etc, which seems contrary to being a big city reporter. Her relationship with her ailing father and the distrustful Shadow are sincere and sealed the deal on my really liking the character. The seemingly obligatory police love interest, Will, is also a great, level character. Sunny's dad, Mike, is cantankerous and plays tricks on the Shadow since he didn't agree to a pet, but in the end grudgly appreciates Shadow. Shadow is perhaps the best characterization of a sidekick pet in any cozy I have read. He is a hard-luck kitty who is skeptical he will find a gentle home where he isn't kicked or beaten, and when he finds Sunny, he will fight to keep this kind human safe.

Kittery Harbor is a fictional town with a lot of elements to keep the series interesting. It is a harbor with shipping activity - yet just big enough to have some crime and tourism - while keeping a small town feel. The plot starts out simple but develops as the story goes along. Although the likely suspect is identified the suspense comes from not knowing where this person is, even though he appears to be following Sunny and making attempts to stop her. The pacing was steady throughout the book.

The confrontation with the killer was well done, and even realistic in many aspects. Shadow's role in the confrontation was well thought out and executed with a sure hand. I have to say it has everything I could ask for in a cozy with smart writing and well portrayed characters. This may have just become my favorite cozy series. I am looking forward to the next book.

1st in Sunny and Shadow Mystery

Main Character: Sunny Coolidge, former NY City reporter & Shadow the cat

Setting: Modern Day, Kittery Harbor Maine

Obtained Through: from publisher for an honest review

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