Review by Tracy Condie
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.
You Can’t Keep a Good Cat Down is book number five and what is to be the final installment of the Cats and Crime series. This story comes with two points of view, a mature and good-hearted sleuth, and her high school ward. There are also eight cats of varying dispositions and names, plus an eight-year-old neighbor who is learning how to bake while also receiving lessons in basic social graces. This is a good stand-alone mystery with a few quirky characters and a good plot. There were references to previous plots, but nothing was given away so you can read this one and still go back to the beginning and enjoy the whole series without encountering spoilers.
Even Wendy, Lorilee’s teenage ward Wendy, is amazed when Lorilee doesn’t hesitate to open her home to Tessie Winthrop or Tessie’s unexpected and outspoken cousin Clarice who brought along a pair of pet rats. Did I mention that Lorilee has eight cats in the house, plus a double amputee kitten that she is fostering during his recovery. Little Festus, as she has named him, is a fighter and as the title of the book says, you can’t keep a good cat down.
You also can’t keep a good sleuth down. Some may call her nosy, but which amateur sleuth hasn’t been called nosy? Lorilee cares about her town, the quiet town of Linvelle, where things are cozy except for an occasional murder, but now it appears that a drug problem has taken root. Its terrible tendrils have grabbed hold of Detective Law and his brother, Deputy Brilli. Brilli is accused of being on the take for a drug dealer, and Law is a person of interest in the murder of a local pharmacist who worked in a compounding lab.
There are a number of suspects, but the state police inspector brought in to investigate can’t be bothered with following all the leads. I had to change my suspect list a couple of times thanks to the red herrings that had me guessing and then second guessing. Not everything was what it seemed and who would have ever guessed that rats could be taught to play basketball?
To enter to win a copy of You Can’t Keep a Good Cat Down (ebook or print winner's choice so be sure to state in entry), simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "good cat,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 20, 2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
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!You can click here to purchase this book.
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.Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.
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