FAT CAT TAKES THE CAKE by Janet Cantrell

 

Publisher:     Berkley

Published:     April 5, 2016   

ISBN:        978-0425267448

Genre:       Cozy Mystery

Format:     Print

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

THREE – ½ HEARTS

Chase Oliver has a lot of her plate between planning her friend Anna’s wedding and running her shop, Bar None.  Her relationship with veterinarian Mike Ramos is moving along nicely.  And her escape artist, ever food seeking kitty, Quincy is adjusting to walking about with a leash and harness. What more could a girl want?

Or need?

Definitely not a 14 year high school reunion.  Who has a 14 year reunion?  Apparently a former high school star who is running for political office and hoping to snag some votes from former classmates. And just like it was in high school, there seems to be one of just about every kind of character—inlcuding a class stalker. And when that stalker is found dead under a bush who better to look at as his killer than one of his most recent victims. In this case it also happens to be Chase’s best friend.  Did Julie do it? Or does it just look that way?

Janet Cantrell’s third entre into the Fat Cat Mysteries, FAT CAT TAKES THE CAKE, takes some interesting turns into areas not often seen in cozy mysteries.  It also seems to have a distinctly different voice from the two earlier books leaving this reviewer wondering if it portends Cantrell moving in a different direction or perhaps was written by another author.  While the series is called the Fat Cat Mystries, Quincy, the cat’s presence doesn’t add very much to the story.  In FAT CAT TAKES THE CAKE what few times we see Quincy seems more gratuitous than him being the star of the story.  The small excerpts describing his moves just did not read like someone who knew cats.  In the earlier books the author showed a definite understanding of how a cat can manuever to get what he or she wants.  There were any number of opportunities Quincy could have taken part in finding the killer, especially since he is now out and about walking on a leash, that were just missed by the author.

I did like the idea of using a reunion as a scene of a crime.  Who among us hasn’t wishes we could run into some high school classmates for one reason or another?  The intertwined subjects of stalking, blackmail and elder abuse are presented in credible fashion and dealt with appropriately.  The ending felt a little rushed – mostly because the murder was solved, the baking contest concluded and the wedding concluded.  After the hard hitting subjects of stalking and blackmail the baking contest was a non-event, especially how it turned out. 

The introduction as Eddie in the growing ever present love triangle in cozies left me wondering just what Chase was thinking or feeling.  I did like how Anna talked to her about just what was going on, or potentially going on.  It was the kind of conversation I think a lot of mothers should be having with their teenaged daughters.  And I REALLY appreciated that this triangle was squelched before it even began.  Eddie wasn’t very likeable and I just couldn’t see what Chase could possibly see in him

Hopefully in book 4 we’ll see more of Quincy and his crime solving skills again.

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

FAT CAT AT LARGE by Janet Cantrell

 

Publisher:   Berkley  

Published:   September 2, 2014

ISBN:  978-0425267424

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Format:  Cozy Mystery

Obtained via:  Publisher Paperback

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

TWO HEARTS

Along with her dear friend and stand-in grandmother, Anna, Chase Oliver is the co-owner of Bar None—a dessert bar shop in Dinkytown, Minnesota.  While business is booming at the start of school, there are a few flies in their ointment.  Gabe Naughtly wants to buy the shop and two of their employees, Laci and Violet, are unable to get along for more than a few minutes.  Added to the mix is the arrival of Chase’s ex in town and suddenly money is missing from the cash register.  If that isn’t enough, Chase’s kitty, Quincy has been put on a diet that he’s none to pleased about.  Quincy is also quite the escape artist and in his search for a morsel of food he manages to escape to roam the streets.  Quincy however, finds more than the sought after food—he finds a body.  A very dead body and since Chase is hot on his tail to bring him home, it is Chase who is found hovering over the body.  Can she prove her innocence before the killer comes after her?

I had high hopes for Janet Cantrell’s FAT CAT AT LARGE.  What’s not to like in a book that features an escape artist cat on the prowl for some decent eats? 

Well, I did like Quincy, a lot.  He is quite a character and having my own kitty who needs to lose a pound or two I did enjoy his antics while seeing out some decent food.  Unfortunately, Quincy was about all I liked.

I never really connected with Chase.  She wasn’t all that likeable.  The thread around her former boyfriend didn’t make a whole lot of sense except to get her to move to Dinkytown.  The constant bickering of the two employees and discussions with co-owner Anna over which one should be fired got tiresome.  In a college town they couldn’t find other, competent, help?  When she suddenly had a back problem and the chapters that followed had her popping pain pills like candy I wondered if perhaps the killer would use them as a way to get Chase off his or her trail.  She also seemed to enjoy her wine—and while I have no problem with adult beverages being featured in a story, Chase started to sound like a pill popping alcoholic rather than the heroine who would solve the crime.  Maybe those elements are lead ins to a future story that Chase will be looking to solve.  At this point I don’t see myself reading further to find out. 

The dessert bar recipes do sound good and I might try a few.

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