by Kathleen Costa
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of this book, and a link to purchase it.
A Clowder of Cats and...Murder!
Caitlin Hart, now West, is the owner of the local cafe and bookshop, Coffee Cat Books, along with partner/BFF Tara O’Brian. Serving delicious treats and drinks with lots of books to capture one’s attention; they also offer a few “fur” friends to cuddle. Cait, however, has an interesting connection to the cats that inhabit Madrona Island; she has learned to accept the heralding of a mystery, usually murder, by the arrival of a cat, varying in bred, age, and temperament. She has improved her ability to communicate with these cats whose meowing, sometimes incessantly, keeps Caitlin on the correct track. With the cats, Caitlin’s two-legged “Scooby Gang” support includes her BFF Tara, her sister/mayor Siobhan, her two brothers/bar owners Aiden and Danny, brother-in-law/local deputy Ryan “Finn” Finnegan, husband Cody, and Tansy, thought by her actions to be a witch, who seems to know a lot about the cats: their name, their mission. Together they have been quite successful even if one or more find themselves in some personal peril. Justice is served, and the “cats?” always find a forever home.
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The Catnap Before Christmas earns 5/5 Grinches...Entertaining Fun!
Why is Cait taking a nap, under the Christmas tree, cuddling a cat? Babysitting an unhappy toddler will do that to you, but the “nap” also caused her to miss all the excitement. Santa’s House burned down, a small explosion, a total loss, and...“Santa’s dead?” Tom Miller had played Santa for decades, but the most immediate answer needed was whether he was the intended target or is it something more ominous, more “Grinch-like” gone terribly wrong. Well, the town’s Christmas tree is now firewood, the reindeer are strewn on the road, and the nativity has been vandalized, so there just may be a “Grinch” in town and figuring this out is imperative before another innocence bystander becomes a victim. And as Tansy, the resident witch (maybe), tells Cait, “Trust your instincts and trust Jingles to help you navigate the twists and turns on the road toward the truth you seek.” But, can a cat sort through all the clues, more vandalism, more danger, and drawings by a young autistic boy? He just might...with Cait’s help.
“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” the song says, and Kathi Daley paints the perfect, if not very scary, image of a thin man with no face in the drawings of a young autistic boy who also finds a connection with Cait’s new cat. The murder/vandalism mystery is an intriguing page-turner, although deadly, with various incidents challenging my inner Sherlock to devise an answer to who would hate the holidays so much as to sabotage so many iconic celebrations...targeting Santas? The ultimate ending seemed plausible early, but there were enough red herrings and misdirection to make it very entertaining. I was extremely engaged with the assistance provided by the young autistic boy and his drawings which added an interesting level to the mystery and posing the question whether the lad was somehow a witness or did he have a unique prophetic sense. I always enjoy the first-person narrative in my stories, and from Cait’s perspective, I can feel it is my own “I” in the drama. It is compelling to once again get involved in the lives of a wonderful set of reoccurring and new characters that I’ve invested my time in over the nineteen books. This series is a favorite, and I highly recommend cozy fans join in!
Be a Big Kathi Daley Fan!
Kathi Daley has ten other series offering something for every cozy taste including “fur” friends and close relationship between family and friends. She has a great social media community of fans and can be followed on Goodreads and BookBub. Keep updated on all of her book releases, events, and goings-on by signing up for her newsletter HERE.
Facebook - Kathi Daley Books
Join the Club Kathi Daley Book Club
On the Web Kathi Daley Website
Blog - Random Thoughts and Meaningless Musings
Merry Christmas!
Evermine Blog — DIY Christmas Wreaths
Evermine blogger Lindsay loves crafting, cooking, gardening, and simple living. This DIY project can brighten up the holidays, but also serve as a great recycling idea for kids at home or at school. My suggestion for extra pop is to test out some spray paint, or wrap the tubes in aluminum foil or Christmas paper. You can find more of Lindsay’s writing about all of this and more on her blog A Wooden Nest.
To enter to win an ebook copy of The Catnap Before Christmas, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "catnap,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 14, 2019. U.S. residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. We delete all emails after the contest is over.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! One of our past episodes features another of Kathi's books. You can listen to it here: mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com/e/boxes-in-the-basement-by-kathi-daley We just posted a new episode this week which features a Christmas mystery short story by Donna Andrews!
You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:
'Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.
I would love to read this. Thanks for the chance to win! jeaniedannheim (at) ymail (dot) com
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ReplyDeleteI would love to read this! It sounds like it will be so much fun!
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ReplyDeleteI would love to win this book. I love Kathi's books and this one sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for this chance. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com
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ReplyDeleteAnother great Christmas book by Kathi Daley.
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I would love to win
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Thanks for sharing this book with us
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What an adorable cover. Love Kathi Daley's books. kckendler at gmail dot com
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Sounds like another fun, thanks for the opportunity to win it. kc20083 (at) gmail (dot) com.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance, love the books and games...susie
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ReplyDeleteMy husband and I love Kathi Daley's books. Thank you for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteI wish it were in paperback, I do not do ebooks
ReplyDeleteSounds like fun to read. Thank you for the chance Donakutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteLove Kathi's books. Thanks for the chance! cgstratman(at)Hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love reading Kathi’s books. The characters are always so relatable and the murder plots are challenging.
ReplyDelete