Source: Publisher
Description: Sarah Grayson and her feline ally Elvis get a chance to see if their sleuthing skills are up to scratch in the sixth installment of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries.
It's fall in North Harbor, Maine, where Sarah owns a charming secondhand shop. A cold case heats up when Mallory Pearson appears at Sarah's doorstep. Mallory's father is in prison for negligence after her stepmother's mysterious death in a house fire, but Mallory believes he's innocent and asks the quirky team of senior citizen detectives who work out of Sarah's shop to take on the case. With Sarah and Elvis lending a paw, they decide to try to give Mallory's father a second chance of his own...
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: I really enjoyed the previous book in the series and I just love the whole feel of the second hand shop premise.
My Impression: I'm a little torn about this one. I love the premise and the characters. And I did enjoy the mystery and was satisfied with the ending. I really enjoyed the time spent in the shop and actively pursuing the mystery. I really enjoy the writing style, the way the characters interact, and the overall feel of the book.
However, I had some issues with this one. There were two mysteries - the primary one and one that has been around the edges for a few previous books. Both were really interesting but I felt like the secondary mystery was kind of wedged in. It also brought in a few characters in an already character laden story which made it a bit of a challenge to keep up with who was who at times. Trying to remember who was who pulled me out of the story a few times and kept me from fully connecting with the story.
This is an enjoyable series with fun writing and a likable and quirky (but not too quirky) cast. I don't feel that this was the strongest entry into the series but it does encourage me even more to go back to beginning of the series and really get to know the characters from the beginning.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm looking forward to reading the earlier books in this series and this is definitely an author I'll be keeping an eye for.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozies I'd definitely recommend this author though maybe start with an earlier book.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Cozies and cats just seem to go together, don't they? This series sounds like fun, and I like the second-hand shop aspect of it, too.
ReplyDeleteI was curious, so I checked, and sure enough, Sofie Ryan also writes the Magical Cats cozies (as Sofie Kelly.) I have a few of those on my Kindle and TBR bookshelf, which I really ought to read.
The pluses outweigh the negatives I'd think. But too many characters can be a turn off - having to keep track of them all.
ReplyDeleteI've been curious about this series, so I appreciate your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteLooks cute and for some reason Maine as a setting always interests me. I think I tried a Sofie Ryan cozy once and it didn't work for me, but I've always kinda wanted to try another one maybe.
ReplyDeleteI loved this one, but I'm a sucker for a cat cozy mystery.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like fun - I am a bit nervous about the cat aspect as I really dislike it when pets 'talk' to their owners...
ReplyDeleteI love the cover of this one, and have been thinking of reading this series myself.
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