Monday, June 3, 2013

CURIOSITY THRILLED THE CAT by Sofie Kelly



Publisher:   Signet
Date published:   February 1, 2011
ISBN:  978-0451232496
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Book format: Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

 

When Kathleen Paulson’s boyfriend told her she wasn’t spontaneous it hurt her feelings, but not as much as when he married another woman two weeks after he met her. Ready to show him she was spontaneous, Kathleen cut her hair, left Boston and took a job as the librarian in Mayville Heights, Minnesota. In Mayville Kathleen has made not only some really good friends, she’s adopted two adorable kitties named Owen and Hercules. Well okay, Kathleen didn’t quite go out and adopt the fur-faced duo…in true cat fashion, they adopted her. And it turns out Owen and Hercules are a bit more than your run of the mill cute kitties. At first Kathleen isn’t sure if she’s turned into a crazy cat lady or if she’s really seeing what she’s seeing. Before she can delve too deeply into what’s going on with her cats she finds herself a suspect in the murder of a highly touted guest conductor of the Wild Rose Summer Music Festival.

While Kathleen’s friends have no doubt of her innocence, detective Marcus Gordon is sure he’s found his killer. Marcus is a straight, steady, cop’s cop. Nothing will take him for his pursuit of the killer. Can Kathleen find the real killer before Marcus puts her behind bars? And if he does, what will happen to Owen and Herc?

I totally enjoyed Sofie Kelly’s CURIOSITY THRILLED THE CAT, book 1 of her Magical Cats Mystery series and not just because of Owen and Hercules…although they were a good part of my enjoyment of the book.

Ms. Kelly delivers a non-stop action mystery flavoured with humour and compassion. Kathleen is a fabulous heroine. She’s smart, compassionate, has a good sense of humour and a strong sense of self.  One of many things I liked about the story was the interweaving of not just Owen and Herc’s personalities, but the realities facing feral cats. Ms. Kelly takes the reader into their world, their fears, their habits and chances for survival on their own. As the cat-mom of a feral I can say she totally captured what their lives are like, even when they do decide to accept living in a house. Both cats have distinct personalities that are realistically described in terms of their likes, dislikes and actions.

I also liked how Ms. Kelly didn’t rush Kathleen and Marcus into a relationship. In fact, they don’t really enter into one at all. Kathleen has a clear and justifiable dislike for the detective when she perceives his rush to judgment. And even when Kathleen is ready to ring Marcus’s neck, she is still very much the gracious hostess.

And I’m with Kathleen – definitely Kevin Sorbo over Matt Lauer!

The secondary characters are a fun and diverse group. Each has a very distinct personality and are memorable for themselves.  This is going to be a fantastic series and I’ve already picked up book 2 to read.

If you haven’t read Sofie Kelly you don’t know what you are missing.

 
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.



 

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