Cate Conte

Maddie James and her family are all involved in planning for Halloween events in her small New England town. When a renowned psychic is engaged as the star attraction, Maddie and friends never expected to be involved in yet another mysterious death at the Inn where the psychic is staying.

This book is part of the Cat Cafe mystery series, and readers new to the series (as I am) will have some quick catching up to do in the first chapters. More than 20 characters were introduced at the outset. show more (I had to make notes to keep up!) However, despite my initial skepticism, I quickly became engrossed in the quirky characters and the highly atmospheric Halloween setting. The descriptions kept me interested and I could picture the settings and events. Now I am anxious to read more in this series about Maddie and her eccentric family (especially Grandpa Leo and JJ the cat.)

Readers who enjoy a cozy and quirky mystery with a lot of atmosphere and some paranormal action will find this a fun and intriguing read.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. show less

Shock and Paw is the eighth in A cat Cafe Mystery, a cozy mystery series set on Daybreak Island off the coast of New England. It is just two weeks until Christmas and Maggie, part owner of a cat cafe, is determined not to volunteer for any activities but, rather, just to enjoy them. However, a series of disturbing events - a flyer advertising exotic and very expensive cats for sale on the island despite all the cats at the shelter who need homes, the kidnapping of a cat she had found behind show more a dumpster, her granddad’s fall of a ladder after being zapped by the lights installed by a new electrician, the possibility of the local paper being sold, and, finally, the murder of the woman who owns the paper - all of which makes Maddie change her mind about her involvement, especially when it becomes clear her best friend, Becky, a journalist at the newspaper, becomes the main suspect in the murder.

Shock and Paw is a charming, enjoyable cozy mystery. The pace is somewhat slow but the characters make up for this as they are an interesting, quirky, and mostly likeable bunch. Eventually, all of the various strings in the tale are pulled together satisfactorily with a couple of fun twists that kept me guessing right to the end. If you like cozies and cats, this one is definitely for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

It’s a busy summer on Daybreak Island for Maddie and JJ’s House of Purrs. They’re booked for on-site cat parties, the new mobile cat café is a big hit, and it’s beginning to look like they will be running nonstop all summer long.

A telephone call from Olivia McAllister catches Maddie by surprise . . . she wants to book a birthday party for her daughter and granddaughter . . . in three days. Maddie agrees, but when she discusses it with her mother, show more she learns that Olivia used to be her best friend, and that she and her family abruptly left Daybreak Island after her aunt went missing. Maddie’s mother hadn’t heard from her in years.

Does her sudden reappearance mean trouble?

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Tenth in the author’s Cat Café Mystery series, readers will find all the expected characters in place. There is sufficient backstory for readers new to this cozy series for the book to be read as a standalone.

Unexpected plot twists and the revelation of long-held secrets keep readers guessing as Maddie tries to solve the mystery surrounding her mother’s friend’s death. Readers will find themselves turning the pages as fast as possible as they try to solve the mystery along with Maddie and JJ!

Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and cat stories will find much to appreciate in this difficult-to-set-aside tale.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review. show less

I received an advanced copy of this book via Kensington Cozies Program. I am not a para-normal lover, so this is probably not one I would have chosen for myself. I liked the beginning of the book where Violet claims crystals and stones are not magical but more of a nature thing. I kind of wish it had stayed there instead of moving in the direction it did.

Violet's history reminds me a bit of the backstory of the TV show "Charmed" in which a grandmother hides the magical truth from her show more granddaughter(s), supposedly for their own good, though we're never really told why this happened in Violet's case except it was her father's wish--which doesn't explain why the grandmother didn't change it after the father died.

I'm guessing Monty is a normal earth cat. Xander is never really explained. He could be a familiar. He appears and disappears. He's gone for a long time then shows up again at the very end. It's also never explained how he and Monty reconcile living together since the other time we see them together, Monty is not happy about it.

I did not guess who murdered Carla until it was revealed. I agree with Fiona that Todd is a subpar boyfriend and I wonder how long it will take Violet to figure that out--I also wonder if Todd's from the opposing camp that wants men to rule the magickal world, but Violet seems much more invested in the relationship that Todd is--at least in this book.

I liked the characters, and if the book hadn't had such a magical spin, I might have rated it higher. show less