Purrder She Wrote
Purrder She Wrote
A Cat Cafe Mystery
by Cate Conte
St. Martin's Press
Minotaur Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 31 Jul 2018
Review
Purrder She Wrote is a terrific follow up to Cate Conte’s debut, Cat About Town. In her newest mystery, Maddie James’s new cat cafe is finally open, and most of the town is purring in excitement - except for Holly Hawthorne. At the grand opening, the wealthy and spoiled Holly almost comes to blows with Adele, Maddie’s lead volunteer, over her refusal to give her a cat. This isn’t the first time Adele and Holly have come into conflict over cats, but it looks particularly suspicious when Holly turns up murdered not long after- by means of a catnip mouse exclusive to the Daybreak Island Cat Cafe. Maddie is by no means willing to settle for the easy answer, and starts her own investigation into the murder.
Maddie’s family plays a central role in Purrder She Wrote, her parents’ connections both making things easier and harder. It’s very clear that the wealthy of Daybreak Island have a powerful and privileged status. Their treatment of humans and animals alike demonstrates their view that anyone not of their economic/social strata is not as valuable or as important. Purrder She Wrote also manages to highlight a couple of important animal issues. First is the importance of being a responsible pet owner, looking to the long term safety and well-being of your pet. It also illustrates how irresponsible cat ownership and lack of spaying/neutering can lead to a large population of stray/feral cats.
Purrder She Wrote is an entertaining pet cozy that will readily appeal to animal lovers and cozy aficionados alike.
4 / 5
I received a copy of Purrder She Wrote from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
-- Crittermom
Description
Purrder She Wrote is second in the pawsitively charming new feline mystery series from Cate Conte set off the New England coast, where curiosity leads to some killer small-town secrets....
It’s the grand opening of Daybreak Island’s cat café, where customers can get cozy with an assortment of friendly felines—and maybe even take one or a few home. Co-owner Maddie James is purring with excitement over her new warm-and-fuzzy venture. . .until she becomes entangled in a petty drama between one of her volunteers, an ardent animal-rights activist, and a wealthy woman who insists on adopting a calico kitty—right this instant. The catfight that ensues is bad enough for business. But when the snubbed socialite is found dead with a tell-tale catnip toy on the scene, suspicion lands squarely on Maddie’s staffer. Now, with her reputation and her career prospects on the line (to say nothing of her budding romance with a handsome pet groomer) Maddie must do whatever it takes to solve the crime—before her nine lives are up.
