Genre: Mystery
Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781516104208
Lyrical Underground
214 Pages
$15.00; $0.99 Amazon
June 26, 2018
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Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, is a long way from Hollywood, but it's the place legendary actress Deanna Daltry wants to call home. Taking up residence in a stone mansion off Cemetery Hill, the retired, yet still glamorous, septuagenarian has adopted two kittens from Lara Caphart's High Cliff Shelter for Cats. With help from her Aunt Fran, Lara makes sure the kitties settle in safely with their new celebrity mom.
But not everyone in town is a fan of the fading star. Deanna was in Whisker Jog when she was younger, earning a reputation for pussyfooting around, and someone is using that knowledge against her. After being frightened by some nasty pranks, Deanna finds herself the prime murder suspect when the body of a local teacher is found on her property. Now, it's up to Lara, Aunt Fran, and the blue-eyed Ragdoll mystery cat Lara recently encountered to collar a killer before another victim is pounced upon...
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First off, I want to say that I need to correct something in the blurb - the Ragdoll isn't a cat that Lara recently encountered; it's the ghost of her own Ragdoll, Blue, who died several years ago. This is important to the story, so thought I should set that straight.
Lara and her Aunt Fran are excited when a Hollywood actress decides to move back to Whisker Jog and adopt one of their rescue cats. When Deanna Daltry arrives, she's more down-to-earth than they expected, and tell her that she grew up there. Deanna decides on a pair of kittens who are brother and sister, and as soon as her application goes through she'll be able to take the furbabies home.
Deanna also tells them that they're invited to a tea given by a local women's club even though they're not members. When they arrive they're just happy to be there. But there's an occurrence when an elderly man enters the premises and seems to have words with Deanna, and he's soon asked to leave. Then Deanna asks Lara to take her handbag out to her car but before she can do so, there's a slight incident regarding the bag but it soon passes and Lara does as asked. However, once outside she sees another elderly man looking into her own car and they have a short conversation and he leaves. When Lara finds Deanna's car, there's a threatening message on the window written in lipstick.
Needless to say, the party ends quickly, the police are informed, and Deanna is shaken up. Later, when Lara and Fran take the kittens to Deanna's mansion, Lara sees the ghost of Blue sitting near a window. Lara looks out and sees a body in the cemetery, and once again, the police are called. It turns out to be the man Deanna was arguing with, and now Deanna is the main suspect.
Lara has misgivings about the kittens but Deanna begs to keep them, so Lara decides to keep an eye on the situation. But then things start to spiral out of control when Lara - even though the police have asked her to stay out of the investigation - allows her curiosity to get the better of her. She starts looking into Deanna's past and the dead man's past, and a series of seemingly random encounters sends her running in different directions to find the truth. But will it be enough? And more importantly, could someone's life depend on what she discovers?...
This is the second book in the series, and I really enjoyed it; more than the first one, I think. I'm beginning to like the characters of Lara and Aunt Fran, but I do think Fran acts a lot older than someone in her fifties. When I first met her I thought she was in her seventies, and she really doesn't act much younger here. Lara seems surprised that Fran is wearing makeup, doing her hair, and dressing nice - like she's never seen her do it before. It seemed odd to me (since almost every woman I know wears makeup).
Other than that, I felt the story was well-written, and I did like the mystery and felt it was genuinely strong; having to go into the past to solve something that happened in the present. I always like tales that merge past and present anyway, so I wasn't disappointed in this.
We also see that Lara is still having some insecurity in her new relationship with attorney Gideon, but they're learning to find their way and even Fran is in the beginning of a relationship herself. There were a couple of tear-jerking moments, which wasn't a bad thing, (bringing up memories of my own parents) so that only added to the story.
I loved the interactions with the cats, and was surprised that someone would balk at having to fill out an application to adopt a cat. You always have to fill out an application when you adopt a pet at any shelter. Although I have never heard of supplying references and found it odd. For myself, I adore cats and have several (including a couple well into their teens - and yes, all indoor.)
In the end though, I felt it came together smoothly. The reason for the murder seemed twisted, yet I do understand the reasons why. One's past always has a bearing on one's future, whether we wish it or not, and it colors our life. A fact that isn't always pleasant, but is always true. Highly recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Death-Linda-Reilly/dp/151610420X/ref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2920818686
More on Linda Reilly's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/
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