Tim H. (Timbuktu126) reviewed The Cat, the Collector and the Killer (Cats in Trouble, Bk 8) on + 479 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very original plot- it looks like this is the last one in the series, which is a bummer. I enjoyed all the books in the series.
Kristina A. reviewed The Cat, the Collector and the Killer (Cats in Trouble, Bk 8) on + 1528 more book reviews
The Cat, the Collector, and the Killer by Leann Sweeney is the eighth book in the Cats in Trouble Mystery series. Jillian Hart is enjoying being married to Tom Stewart. Tom has accepted the position of acting Chief of Police in Mercy. He is not sure if he wants the job permanently or not. Jillian gets call from Shawn who runs a local animal shelter. He has been trying to reach Chester Winston, County Animal Control Officer about Minnie Schultz and her cats (complaints from neighbors). Shawn is only allowed to talk to Chester via the phone because of the restraining order (a little incident over an animal that resulted in some physical violence). Jillian heads over to Minnie's house with Shawn to check out the animal situation. They find cats all over outside (more than the seven cats she had last time Shawn checked on her). When they investigate inside the house, they find Chester. Chester is dead in the guest room (good reason for not answering his phone). Then Jillian receives a call from Tom. Minnie was found wandering down Main Street in a nightgown with a tote bag (want to guess what they found in the tote bag). Minnie has been having a few memory issues and is taken to the hospital. What was Chester doing in Minnie's house? The house is full of boxes (you can hardly move). Did Minnie go on a shopping spree? Join Tom and Jillian as set out to unravel the clues to get to the bottom of the situation.
The Cat, the Collector, and the Killer is an engaging cozy mystery. The characters are entertaining and there is just the right amount of humor. I found the mystery to be intricate with some good twists. The mystery can be solved if you pay careful attention. There are not a lot of clues, but the ones provided are key. The book is nicely written and easy to read. The setting is a small town (Mercy) with the usual gossip (everyone knows your business even if you do not want them to) and quirky characters. I give The Cat, the Collector, and the Killer 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I thought Shawn was a little over-the-top especially with his anger management problems. He does love animals, but he needs to control his actions (you will understand when you read the book). While this is the eighth book in the series, you can enjoy it alone (though all the books are enjoyable to read). I thought Jillian's cat cam was interesting. I would love to see what my children (dogs and cats) are doing when I am not at home. While I like the animals in the book, we could do with less time playing with the cats (Jillian sits on the floor and play with her babies). I would rather there have been more time devoted to her looking into the crime. I will be reading the next book in A Cats in Trouble Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of novel in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and comments expressed are strictly my own.
The Cat, the Collector, and the Killer is an engaging cozy mystery. The characters are entertaining and there is just the right amount of humor. I found the mystery to be intricate with some good twists. The mystery can be solved if you pay careful attention. There are not a lot of clues, but the ones provided are key. The book is nicely written and easy to read. The setting is a small town (Mercy) with the usual gossip (everyone knows your business even if you do not want them to) and quirky characters. I give The Cat, the Collector, and the Killer 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I thought Shawn was a little over-the-top especially with his anger management problems. He does love animals, but he needs to control his actions (you will understand when you read the book). While this is the eighth book in the series, you can enjoy it alone (though all the books are enjoyable to read). I thought Jillian's cat cam was interesting. I would love to see what my children (dogs and cats) are doing when I am not at home. While I like the animals in the book, we could do with less time playing with the cats (Jillian sits on the floor and play with her babies). I would rather there have been more time devoted to her looking into the crime. I will be reading the next book in A Cats in Trouble Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of novel in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and comments expressed are strictly my own.
Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed The Cat, the Collector and the Killer (Cats in Trouble, Bk 8) on + 704 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
A feline filled fun mystery!
Married life is off to a great start for Jillian Hart and her "acting" police chief Tom Stewart. When Minnie Schultz is found disoriented wandering down a street in Mercy, Tom calls his wife for a little assistance. Minnie was carrying a kitty in a tote bag on her unexplainable walk around town. Jillian heads to get the kitten and calls Shawn, the owner of the local shelter. He knows Minnie very well and they take a trip to her house to check on the rest of her cats. They not only find many more cats, but also dead man. There is no way Minnie could be a killer, but there has to be a reason she was disoriented. Both Shawn and Jillian know the dead man and they know he had plenty of enemies as does Tom. They are going to need more than a clowder of kittens to solve this mystery.
I love, love, love this series! Jillian and Tom are not only a great couple but a great team. With a houseful of cats there is never a dull moment, especially when Jillian brings home a foster cat or two. Tom's cat, Dashiell is just settling in with Syrah, Chablis, and Merlot when Jillian brings home Minnie's Otto into the house. Dashiell is not one bit happy about that but Jillian knows how to handle these cats and I just love everything she does with and for them. Playtime, cuddles, special food for Dashiell, plenty of love to go around. She doesn't spend as much time with them as they would like during this story. Tom has asked Jillian to help with the case. There is so much evidence to be cataloged that he really needs an extra set of hands and eyes. Of course she is no stranger to investigating murders so her observations are very valuable.
I am always captivated by the way the author writes these characters and the way the all work together. Yes, Tom and newly promoted Detective Candace, tell Jillian that things need to be kept confidential, by Jillian and stepdaughter Kara both make good sounding boards. Then they talk things through and MOST of the time tell Tom their thoughts before running off to get themselves in trouble. The key word here is MOST.
The new characters introduced in this book are very engaging, Minnie, a psychiatrist and her brother. Minnie's children are an interesting bunch, estranged from their mother since their father died. Circumstances bring them all together in a very realistic way. I hope they pop up in future stories.
The mystery this time was also challenging with a lot of moving elements. I had an idea of the who but the how and the why just never fell into place until the very end. Twists and turns galore and I turned out to be only about 10% right in my deductions by the end of the book. That is why I love Leann Sweeney's stories, she always surprises me.
Again I have a new favorite in the series, The Cat, The Collector and The Killer. I bet that will change next October when The Cat, The Boy and Bones is released. She gives us a sneak peak at the end of this book and I am sorry but I just couldn't read it. Waiting until next October to read the whole thing would be excruciating.
A feline filled fun mystery!
Married life is off to a great start for Jillian Hart and her "acting" police chief Tom Stewart. When Minnie Schultz is found disoriented wandering down a street in Mercy, Tom calls his wife for a little assistance. Minnie was carrying a kitty in a tote bag on her unexplainable walk around town. Jillian heads to get the kitten and calls Shawn, the owner of the local shelter. He knows Minnie very well and they take a trip to her house to check on the rest of her cats. They not only find many more cats, but also dead man. There is no way Minnie could be a killer, but there has to be a reason she was disoriented. Both Shawn and Jillian know the dead man and they know he had plenty of enemies as does Tom. They are going to need more than a clowder of kittens to solve this mystery.
I love, love, love this series! Jillian and Tom are not only a great couple but a great team. With a houseful of cats there is never a dull moment, especially when Jillian brings home a foster cat or two. Tom's cat, Dashiell is just settling in with Syrah, Chablis, and Merlot when Jillian brings home Minnie's Otto into the house. Dashiell is not one bit happy about that but Jillian knows how to handle these cats and I just love everything she does with and for them. Playtime, cuddles, special food for Dashiell, plenty of love to go around. She doesn't spend as much time with them as they would like during this story. Tom has asked Jillian to help with the case. There is so much evidence to be cataloged that he really needs an extra set of hands and eyes. Of course she is no stranger to investigating murders so her observations are very valuable.
I am always captivated by the way the author writes these characters and the way the all work together. Yes, Tom and newly promoted Detective Candace, tell Jillian that things need to be kept confidential, by Jillian and stepdaughter Kara both make good sounding boards. Then they talk things through and MOST of the time tell Tom their thoughts before running off to get themselves in trouble. The key word here is MOST.
The new characters introduced in this book are very engaging, Minnie, a psychiatrist and her brother. Minnie's children are an interesting bunch, estranged from their mother since their father died. Circumstances bring them all together in a very realistic way. I hope they pop up in future stories.
The mystery this time was also challenging with a lot of moving elements. I had an idea of the who but the how and the why just never fell into place until the very end. Twists and turns galore and I turned out to be only about 10% right in my deductions by the end of the book. That is why I love Leann Sweeney's stories, she always surprises me.
Again I have a new favorite in the series, The Cat, The Collector and The Killer. I bet that will change next October when The Cat, The Boy and Bones is released. She gives us a sneak peak at the end of this book and I am sorry but I just couldn't read it. Waiting until next October to read the whole thing would be excruciating.
Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Great story, wonderful mystery. Didn't know who the villain was until the end. Interesting twists and characters. Look forward to the next one.
Paul L. (ChanurCousin) -
Above average for a"kitty-kozy" Interesting plot.
