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The Whole Cat and Caboodle
Second Chance Cat Mystery #1
Sofie Ryan

Obsidian
April 1, 2014/ ISBN 978-0-451-41994-1
Mystery / Cozy / Paranormal

Reviewed by Laura Hinds

Sarah Grayson has moved back to North Harbor, Maine, where she spent many of her summers while growing up. She’s bought a house, and opened her own business. The business is a shop she named Second Chance, where she repairs, refurbishes and sells furniture and other useful and decorative items. She even has some part time staff to help her. There’s Mac, a former financial planner, who also enjoys sailing. He works as her jack-of-all trades. Then there is Avery, a high-school student, who is smart, creative, and kind. Sarah also gets help from her grandmother’s friends, Rose and Charlotte. There’s a full time assistant as well. His name is Elvis, and he’s a cat!

Sarah adopted Elvis who had been roaming around town as a stray. He loves helping out at Second Chances, using his charms to soften customers up. He rides in the SUV with Sarah, and seems to understand every word she says to him. Things are going pretty well with work, and with reconnecting with old friends, spending time with her best friend Jess, and possibly thinking about romance with Nick, a man she’d French kissed when they were both in high school.

Life throws Sarah a curve ball, however, when Arthur Fenety dies, and Maddie, another of her grandmother’s friends, is considered the prime suspect. Once Maddie is out on bail, her friends Charlotte, Rose, and Liz (Avery’s grandmother) team up ala Charlie’s Angels to solve the crime and clear their friend. After all, Fenety had been a con man with a slew of wives and girlfriends in his wake and any of them could have had enough motive to kill him.

There are many things to love about this book. Elvis, of course, the secondhand shop with refurbished unique items, the close bonds of friendship and intergenerational friendship, the seeds of a new romance planted, and a well-crafted mystery to solve. The characters are down to earth and fun. I can picture things in Second Chances like the tub chair, the teacup gardens, and the investigators office the “Angels” set up on the porch. I laughed at Elvis enjoying watching Jeopardy, as I once had a cat who liked to watch TV too. Reading The Whole Cat and Caboodlegave me a peaceful easy feeling I won’t soon forget, pure relaxing joy!

In short, if you enjoy a cozy mystery featuring a lovable protagonist with a bevy of staunch friends, a shop you’d love to explore, plenty of suspects, and a super smart cat, you’ll love The Whole Cat and Caboodle.Get in on the ground floor of this new series and get your copy today!

Reviews of other titles in this series

The Whole Cat and Caboodle #1
Buy a Whisker #2
A Whisker of Trouble #3
Telling Tails #4

Reviewer Note: Sofie Ryan also writes as Sofie Kelly
Reviewed 2014
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