Set
in North Harbor, Maine, Sarah Grayson runs her shop “Second
Chance,” selling refurbished and repurposed items. She's
happy with her friends, her work, and potential boyfriend,
Nick Elliot. She also dearly loves her cat, Elvis, who has
a personality nearly as big as the King of Rock and Roll himself.
Elvis is one clever cat, and he helped Sarah to solve a murder
not too long ago. Will he help out again when murder strikes
this small coastal town in Maine for the second time in recent
memory?
Lily Carter runs
a bakery in town, and she is the lone holdout against a big
new development. Shortly after a series of pranks are perpetrated
against the bakery, Lily is killed. Sarah vows to stay out
of it and let the police investigate. However, “Charlotte's
Angels,” the elderly team of her friends Rose, Liz,
Charlotte and Alfred Peterson (a top-notch computer hacker),
plan to solve the case as they once again bring out their
sleuthing skills. After all, Liz is a suspect and they know
she's innocent.
I'm so
happy that the second book in this series is as delightful
as the first The Whole Cat and Caboodle, was. I have
a close friend who runs a shop similar in nature to “Second
Chance,” and I have a very smart and opinionated cat,
too, so it feels as though I fit right in with Sarah's world.
Without the murders, of course.
As the story unravels
clues begin to emerge, but I didn't figure out who the killer
was until I was nearly at the end of the book. The characters
I grew so fond of in the previous book, were developed more
and this was done in a very smooth manner, so I got to know
them little by little, just like you get to know people in
real life.
This is a well-paced
story, and I didn't read it in one or two sittings. I took
my time and savoured each chapter. Everything from the cover
art, to the mystery, to the small town characters and the
beloved cat are sure to please even the most finicky of mystery
readers. How do I know this? I read the book with my own cat
close-by and he purred through the whole thing. Enjoy!! I
sure did!
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's Note: Sofie Ryan also writes the Magical
Cats Mysteries as Sofie Kelly
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