Cat Got Your Crown (A Kitty Couture Mystery #4)

Author:  Julie Chase
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781683319566
Crooked Lane Books
320 Pages
$26.99; $12.99 Amazon
March 13, 2019

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Lacy Marie Crocker can hardly believe it's been a year since her return home to New Orleans.  There hasn't been a dull moment since opening her pet boutique last summer, and thanks to the popularity of Lacy's organic pet treats, and the arrival of the National Pet Pageant, Lacy desperately needs some help before she is overrun by the demand for pupcakes and crinolines.

The entire Garden District seems to be counting the minutes until opening night of the pet pageant and everything is going spectacularly until Viktor Petrov, the pageant emcee takes a spill from the balcony during dress rehearsal.  All signs point to murder and homicide detective Jack Oliver sets his eyes on Eva Little, one of Lacy's committee sisters and the only other person on the balcony at the time of the fall, as the killer.  But when it comes out that Viktor was notoriously rude, the doors blow wide open with potential suspects who could've wanted him dead.

Lacy's determined to find the killer and exonerate Eva, but when Lacy receives a mysterious warning - a plush kitty from Lacy's shop with its mouth crudely stitched over - it's clear that she's been found first.

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Lacy Marie Crocker owns a pet boutique and bakery in New Orleans.  While she'd be more than happy to just run her business, fate (and her socialite mother) have other plans.  She's been railroaded into working at the National Pet Pageant, and has been busy running around repairing costumes for the contestants.  She's also been spending time with Homicide Detective Jack Oliver, even if it's only been for a lunch every now and then.  But unfortunately, while they're thinking of sneaking out for a private lunch instead of the buffet offered, pageant emcee Viktor Petrov plunges to death in front of her.

Still recovering from a close call with a murderer, Lacy is having a difficult time dealing with this added stress.  While she'd like nothing more than to distance herself from the murder and let Jack do his job, she soon receives a warning - one of the stuffed cats from her shop is returned to her home by courier - with its eyes sewn with little x's and a threatening note.  Now it's become a personal attack, so Lacy decides she needs to get involved before it escalates.  But when it most certainly does, will Jack be able to find a killer before a killer finds her?...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have to say that I'm surprised each book has gone on to be better than the last.  It seems as if while watching Lacy's life evolve, so has the writing.  This is a true plus in any series, and one that will bring readers back for more.

Lacy's personal life is not only in danger, she's still got Chase hot on her heels, right where she needs him every time; and Jack not far behind.  I do enjoy the fact that this isn't the tired, old love triangle.  There's a definite preference, which makes the book readable instead of 'rolling your eyes-able'.

Lacy is also finding her ground with her mother, and that relationship has progressed nicely; I've come to be fond of Violet Conti-Crocker.  We also have a new addition in the form of Willow, a sort of hippie young woman whom Lacy immediately takes to, and someone else is fond of her as well.

I loved the descriptions of New Orleans, and having never been, seeing the city through Lacy's eyes makes me want to hop on a plane and visit.  I only wish I could have her as my tour guide.  Ms. Chase's depictions are delightful and enticing; bringing the pages to life.  Her characters are believable and animated, their personalities also evolving through the series as we learn more about them and their lives.

There's a lot going on in the story, yet it never detracts from the mystery itself, which is well-written and taut.  We watch as Lacy struggles to figure out who might want her dead, but with over a hundred suspects - all attendees at the pageant - how many of them not only had Viktor marked for murder, but now her?  She's promised her mother to see that Eva Little, who was standing near Viktor, isn't railroaded into jail, but in order to do that she needs to deduce who had the right motive.

It seems Viktor had a lot of people angry at him for various reasons, (none of which I will name here in order not to give too much away for people who have yet to read the book) and any one of them could have pushed him from behind.  Sifting through the suspects isn't going to be an easy task, and when the ante on Lacy's life is upped, it also becomes a priority to close the case.

When the murderer is revealed it came somewhat as a surprise; the climactic scene between Lacy and the killer (as we know there will be one) was all that anyone could have asked for.  It was suspenseful and well worth reading.  The reasons for the murder made perfect sense - in the mind of the murderer, of course - and also in the context of the plot; a worthy effort.  In the end, the book was indeed entertaining, an enjoyable mystery; and I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Got-Your-Crown-Couture/dp/1683319567/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2657563523

More on Julie Chase's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/julie-chase/

Cat Got Your Secrets (A Kitty Couture Mystery #3)

Author:  Julie Chase
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781683312833; 9781683316763
Crooked Lane Books
320 Pages
$17.70; $11.34; $7.80 Amazon
September 12, 2017

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Lacy Marie Crocker has settled into a comfortable groove back home in New Orleans, and with Valentine's Day right around the corner, she's busier than ever running a thriving pet boutique, helping her mother organize the upcoming National Pet Pageant, and untangling her complicated love life.  But when delivering a king-sized order of dreidel-shaped doggy biscuits for a Saint Berdoodle's bark-mitzvah, Lacy stumbles into yet another murder scene - and the last person to see the victim alive was her own father.

It's up to Lacy to clear her dad's name from the suspect list before Detective Jack Oliver has to cage him for good.  But just when she starts pawing at the truth, she receives a threatening letter from a mysterious blackmailer bent on silencing her with her own secrets.  And Lacy's not the only one with bones in her closet.

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Lacy Marie Crocker owns a pet boutique in the heart of New Orleans, where she also bakes tasty treats for the animals.  She's trying to make a go of her business and prepare for Valentine's Day - when people even dress up their pets, all the while trying to keep her mother from interfering in her life.  Things seem to be going just fine when problems start to arrive.  She's making a big delivery for a bark-mitzvah, but when she arrives at the event hall to deliver boxes of treats, she's surprised to see city vehicles surrounding the building next door, home of the Wallace Becker's business.  It turns out that the man has been found dead in a walk-in freezer.  She soon learns that her father was the last person to see Walter alive, and is a suspect in the man's murder, due to a video camera feed that shows him arguing with Wallace shortly before his death. 

When Detective Jack Oliver takes him in for questioning, it puts a strain on their relationship, such as it is (which isn't much at this point).  With no one else in view, Lacy - against both her father's and Jack's wishes - decides to find the killer herself.  But what she discovers isn't going to make anyone happy.

Not only does the man's widow throw her off her property and try to get a restraining order against her, someone sends her old photos of herself and her ex-fiancé in an attempt at blackmail.  Lacy refuses to be cowed, and it's not until a second set of photos arrive, putting others in the crosshairs, that Lacy begins to wonder in earnest who wants to frame her dad for murder.

Now Lacy has a personal vendetta against an unknown person who's threatening her and trying to send her dad to prison, and the one person who can help her is also the one person she doesn't trust right now...

First off, I want to say that I am a firm believer in not dressing up pets, just to be clear.  Having said that, I will also tell you how much I enjoyed this book, which says a lot for the writing.  If one can take a subject one is against and still enjoy the book, it means something.

This is the third book in the series and I also have to say that it's improved with time, and that's a good thing, too.  The plot was a very good one (while following the formula of MC or MC's family/friends being in danger); it was put together well and I think much of that was because of the characters.

Lacy has grown into quite an interesting person and her relationship with her mother is going through some very good changes.  She's got her head on right and knows - to an extent - of what she wants out of life; she's not afraid to defend people or pets that she feels needs her help.  Now, we also have the 'battle' between Chase and Jack.  While Chase is pretty much happy-go-lucky, one gets the idea that he might actually be serious about Lacy in his own way, preferring to allow her freedom until he's ready to settle down; and Jack has his own demons to deal with before he's ready to move ahead and admit that he actually has feelings for Lacy.

I do like the fact that this isn't a traditional love triangle (and, as I am sure I sound like a broken record on this subject); I absolutely abhor love triangles; no one should be waffling between 'who wants me more, go ahead, fight it out'.  But indeed this will be worth watching as the men decide what's important to them.  I think we already know what - or who - is important to Lacy.

In the midst of this, her mother has volunteered her for a committee, and she goes willingly (surprisingly) and soon is railroaded into making costumes (not so surprisingly).  Now Lacy has more than enough to keep things interesting in her life.

On the negative side, I really disliked Kinley.  She's not just angry, she's downright nasty.  She barely meets Lacy and treats her like she just stepped in dog poo.  She doesn't even have the manners to try and make a new friend, knowing that Lacy is important to Scarlet and Chase (otherwise, why would they introduce her to Lacy?).  Then, she literally throws herself at Chase - which begs another question: why would he bring her to an event he was supposed to bring Lacy as his date?  I honestly hope she won't be in any other books.  She's distasteful.  Minor spoiler, but I don't think it affects the book at all, since it was one scene. 

All in all, when the killer was revealed it came as a surprise, and I felt that the reasons - connecting one case to another - seemed believable and therefore was gratifying.  I found the climax one of the best points in the book.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Got-Your-Secrets-Couture/dp/168331283X/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2073900807

More on Julie Chase's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/julie-chase/

Cat Got Your Cash (A Kitty Couture Mystery #2)

Author:  Julie Chase
Genre: Mystery

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781683311089; 9781683312673
Crooked Lane Books
336 Pages
$14.68; $14.70; $8.69 Amazon
August 8, 2017

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Lacy Marie Crocker's whimsical pet couture has gained a following in New Orlean's cozy Garden District, and word of mouth has traveled all the way to her favorite fashion designer, Annie Lane.  Lacy's thrilled when Annie schedules a private session at her home to discuss a companion line for her evening wear, but when Lacy arrives for the appointment, she enters the kitchen to two mewling Siamese cats - and one very dead Annie.

Lacy takes the kittens home to care for them until they can be properly claimed by Annie's family or friends, but after a busy day of work, she returns home to find them missing.  And when Lacy learns the cats are set to inherit Annie's fortune, she begins to wonder if the killer was after the kittens all along.  Now Lacy will stop at nothing to save the Siamese and find justice for Annie - if the killer doesn't sink his claws into her first.

Luckily, Lacy has the help of handsome NOLA PD homicide detective Jack Oliver to help her cat the cat-napper before it's too late.

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Lacy Marie Crocker has an appointment with a fashion designer, Annie Lane, to discuss adding her pet couture line to Annie's fashion line.  But when she arrives at Annie's home, she finds the woman's two pet Siamese cats, Cotton and Cashmere, and a very dead Annie.

Now, less than a year later, she's involved in another murder investigation that Detective Jack Oliver wish she wasn't.  Rather than see the cats taken by animal control, she volunteers to temporarily care for them - until they're stolen from her home.  After retrieving the kitties, she sends them somewhere safe until their rightful owner can claim them.  But that might not be easy since the murder suspect list is growing, and Lacy wonders who wanted the cats enough to kill for them...

This is the second book in the series and unfortunately started out so slow that I almost stopped reading it as nothing terribly interesting had gone on by page 70, aside from the death.  I also thought that there were a couple of confusing passages: such as after Lacy finds the dead woman, another woman shows up who turns out to be Annie's assistant.  All the assistant seems to know is that Annie had an appointment at 11:00 am but didn't know with whom.  It was confusing because Lacy asked Josie if she knew who the appointment was with (no), yet I thought it was with Lacy, which, we find out later, it was; yet this is never clarified until much later.  Then there was the 'kidnapping' of the cats, which seemed rather ridiculous and much like just filler for the book.  It was pointless.  The third thing was the fact that the kidnapper was able to get the cats because Lacy didn't set her alarm.  She tells Jack that she only uses her alarm when she's home - but not when she's out.  How dumb is that?  Wouldn't you need it most when you're not home?  No wonder she designs clothing for pets.  She's too stupid to do anything else.  Well, enough said about that.

As far as the plot goes, it got a little more interesting as the book progressed.  Once things 'started happening' as it were, the rest of it was an easy read.  Lacy's doing her best to live in two worlds - that of her new one as a business owner and the one she grew up in, New Orleans society.  Fortunately there were a few scenes that allowed these two worlds to mesh nicely.

Her relationship with Detective Jack Oliver is on the verge of a change, but nothing significant.  They're still tip-toeing around each other, both of them trying to figure it out.  She wants to trust again, which is difficult after dealing with a cheating boyfriend, and he doesn't want to let his guard down.  Her mother, on the other hand, wants to see her with Chase Hawthorne, scion of an old New Orleans family who has recently returned home and taken up law again, joining the family firm.  It's one day at a time in this area for Lacy.

All in all, an average cozy that was a fairly easy read, and the plot was decent enough.  When the killer was discovered and the reason given, it was perfectly believable and done decently.  I actually kind of liked how it played out.  I will read the next in the series, but I sure hope that things progress a little bit faster in future books.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Got-Your-Cash-Couture/dp/1683312678/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1882000998

More on Julie Chase's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/julie-chase/

Cat Got Your Diamonds (A Kitty Couture Mystery)

Author:  Julie Chase
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781629538426; 9781683311973
Crooked Lane Books
336 Pages
$17.67; $10.87; $1.99 Amazon
November 8, 2016

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Grandeur and opulence are everything in the famed New Orleans Garden District where pets are family and no bling is too big.  Opening Furry Godmother, pet boutique and organic treat bakery, is Lacy Marie Crocker's dream come true -- until the glitter gun used to make her Shih Tzu tutus becomes a murder weapon.  And Lacy becomes public enemy #1.

Now Detective Jack Oliver is hounding Lacy, and her Furry Godmother investor wants out before his name is tarnished by association.  To make matters worse, a string of jewel heists with suspicious ties to the murder case has New Orleans residents on edge.  To save her dream, Lacy must take a stand, put her keen eyes to work, and unravel what really happened at her shop that night.  But can Lacy sniff out the killer cat burglar in time to get her tail-raising designs on the catwalk?

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Lacy Crocker was born to wealth but wants to make it on her own in New Orleans by opening a pet fashion store.  Yes, that's right - a pet fashion store.  She makes clothing for animals; but also sells homemade treats on the side.  I say 'on the side' because her main business is selling clothing.

She is conducting business one afternoon when a shady-looking character enters her store and she can't wait to get rid of him.  What happens, though, is she returns to the store after hours and realizes someone else is there.  She is surprised by the same man, runs through the back door, and before he can catch her she sprays him with her glitter gun, effectively blinding him, and leaves.

When she calls the police and is asked to return to the store she is surprised to find the man dead, and the police detective thinks she did it.  Her investor, Mr. Tater, tells her he will have to pull funding from her store because he can't be associated with it right now, and she's desperate to find a way to keep the store open, even if it means taking on extra work.

With her store on the line, and Detective Oliver seemingly not looking for any other suspects, Lacy decides to do a little investigating on her own, trying to find out the identity of the dead man and who might want him dead.  But she soon realizes that there's more at stake then losing her shop; if she's not careful, she could also lose her life...

 I felt that the story started out S-L-O-W.  So slow I had to stop a couple of times and start again.  Probably because the first part dealt with dressing up dogs.  I have to say this is something I don't agree with.  Dressing up dogs like people is, in my opinion, odd to say the least.  They're not toys or even children.  Putting them on display for your pleasure isn't right.  They want to run and play and get dirty, not perform like a seal.  Secondly, I thought - because it's listed as a Kitty Couture Mystery - that it would be about cats, or at least one cat.  Not so.  I also didn't like the idea that Jack Oliver called her 'kitten,' it wasn't professional; it was condescending.

But once I got a little deeper into the story the plot seemed to pick up, and that was a good thing.  We began to learn a little more about Lacy's life and the people in it, and more about the dead man - Miguel - and who wanted it that way.  There were plenty of red herrings and just enough of a mystery to keep me reading through the night.

When all is said and done, the ending was satisfactory and it all came together nicely.  Since this is the first in the series, I feel that the author is still learning her way around all the characters, and I will read the next in the series.  All in all, and enjoyable read for a quiet evening.

https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Got-Your-Diamonds-Couture/dp/1629538426/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2167716045

More on Julie Chase's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/julie-chase/