The power of words . . .: Review + Double GIVEAWAY: Cat Got Your Secrets

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Review + Double GIVEAWAY: Cat Got Your Secrets

Cat Got Your Secrets
By Julie Chase
Kitty Couture Mystery #3
Crooked Lane Books, 2017

Summary

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.

My thoughts

I simply adore Julie Chase’s Kitty Couture series, and Cat Got Your Secrets just might be my favorite yet. Either the series keeps getting better, or I’ve come to enjoy characters who are familiar by now. But whatever the reason, this witty, well-written story that’s filled with southern charm provided a great reading experience.

Art by Diane Millsap

New Orleans’s Garden District, known for its stately historic homes and wealthy residents, is a fascinating backdrop for the action that centers around Lacy and her Furry Godmother pet boutique and bakery. I love my pets, but when it comes to the couture designs that Lacy creates for her high-end customers, I just have to roll my eyes. Fun to read about, though!

Lacy might not be the smartest fictional detective I've met, but she cares about her family and leads from the heart as she tries to clear her father’s name. Detective Jack Oliver is a favorite of mine … financially secure through inherited family wealth, but loves police work. The romantic tension and witty dialogue between them is wonderful. Lacy actually has two love interests, but let me just say that if Jack doesn’t win fair lady, I’ll be terribly disappointed.

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A socialite without a grapevine was like a cat

without an attitude. Nonexistent.

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Strong, appealing secondary characters add richness to the story, such as Lacy’s best friend and also their family employee who used to be her nanny. Lacy’s mother cares about her, but she’s a controlling figure who worries about appearances, and I’m on the fence as to how I feel about her. And then there’s Penelope, the cat. I can just see her riding the automatic vacuum cleaner around the shop!

The murder plot is well crafted. Rarely am I able to solve the murder’s identity; I just enjoy going along for the entertaining ride. The dry wit and some laugh-out-loud scenes are a strength of the story. This is also a clean read with no profanity or anything graphic. Thank you for that, Julie Chase!

Another creative touch that I loved are the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, helpful “tips” from Furry Godmother with a hint of what’s to come. Here’s two of my favorites …

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Just don’t get caught.

Everyone deserves the royal treatment, even the jesters.

I loved Cat Got Your Secrets and hope the series continues for a good while.

Highly recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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Julie Chase is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children.

Julie is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. She is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Julie also writes as Julie Anne Lindsey. Learn more about Julie Anne Lindsey here.

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GIVEAWAY #1

Julie is graciously offering print copies of two cozy mysteries from the Patience Price series, written as Julie Anne Lindsey: Murder by the Seaside and Murder in Real Time.