Showing posts with label Kathi Daley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kathi Daley. Show all posts

Friday 16 February 2024

**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #269 featuring **Romeow and Juliet - Whales and Tails Mystery Book 1** by Kathi Daley PLUS Friendly Fill-Ins

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Hello gorgeous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today, and I do hope mew had a pawesome Valentine's Day.

When I was going through my photos for a cute selfie today, I came across this one, below.

Look at this utterley chubalicious throwback of me from August 2018, I was a proper little pudding! MOL

Amber's Book Reviews #268 ©BionicBasil® Amber 's Chubalicious Throwback

It's funny how, at different life stages, one's weight fluctuates, as today I'm such a slim and svelt kitty, and looking back at this, I wonder how I carried all that bulk around. But then I suppose it was all muscle! MOL MOL MOL

Anyhoo, let's take a look at this week's book review. 

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Today the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.
1. The 2020 pandemic taught me ____________________________.
2. A game I enjoy playing is _____________________.
3. My perfect _________ would include _________.
4. If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, I would choose _________.

The P.A.'s answers are...

1. The 2020 pandemic taught me that we're at the mercy of governments and corporations.

2. A game I enjoy playing is Rummy. I used to play with my grandmother when I was a child.

3. My perfect day would include my hubby, the cats and chocolate cake.

4. If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, I would choose _________. I don't really listen to a lot of music, as I use that time to listen to books instead. And to be honest, I'm quite happy with silence, so if there was never any music again, I wouldn't give two fluffs! LOL 

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This week's top book pick is...

Amber's Book Reviews #269 ©BionicBasil® Romeow and Juliet by Kathi Daley
Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Romeow and Juliet 


Whales and Tails Mystery Book 1

by  

Kathi Daley 

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

Romeow and Juliet is the first in a cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate the coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge they own, named Coffee Cat Books. In the first installment to the series Cait and her dog Max find the body of a member of the island council dead in the back room of the old fish cannery. As Cait delves into the murder she finds herself with an unlikely sleuthing partner that might just lead to a relationship of a more personal kind.

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I reviewed book five in The Whale and Tails Mystery series back in 2022, if mew missed it, click here.

Romeow and Juliet by Kathi Daley is a delightful and engaging cozy mystery that centres around the charming small town of Madrona Island, located within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. The story follows Caitlin Hart, a fourth-generation islander who is struggling to cope with the changing economy and culture of her community. Caitlin lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate, where she helps run the Harthaven Cat Sanctuary, a rescue centre for cats in need. She also co-owns the Coffee Cat Books coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge with her best friend Tara. The story begins when Caitlin and her dog Max stumble upon the body of a member of the island council in the back room of the old fish cannery. Despite warnings from the local police to stay out of the investigation, Caitlin can't resist the urge to dig deeper and find out what really happened. Along the way, she teams up with an unlikely partner who helps her unravel the mystery. In addition to the murder investigation, Caitlin also has to contend with a stray cat named Romeo, who follows her home and becomes infatuated with the next-door neighbour's show called, Juliet. Despite warnings from her neighbour, Caitlin can't help but feel drawn to Romeo and his antics. As she gets to know him better, she begins to suspect that he may be trying to tell her something important about her neighbour.
Romeow and Juliet is a fun and engaging cozy cat mystery that will keep mew hooked from start to finish. The book is filled with charming characters, witty dialogue, and clever plot twists that will keep mew guessing until the end. Whether mew're a cat lover or a fan of cozy cat mysteries, this book will definitely entertain mew.

There are twenty books in the series, and if mew are subscribed to Kindle Unlimited these are all available in the catalogue to read for free.

Another Totally Top Paw Read

Paperback: 163 pages 
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My Ratings Scale

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Ratings of:

Romeow and Juliet

Overall Enjoyment

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I'm off to read next week's books, as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time! 

Don't forget, if mew are looking for great books with cats, check out the Book Review page, just click the link here or at the top of the page, as that's the place to visit to get your feline fiction fix. 

Until next time...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 


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Friday 1 December 2023

**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #259 featuring **The Mystery Before Christmas** by Kathi Daley **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

Amber's Book Reviews ©BionicBasil® December 2023

Happy December Supurr Library furiends

and

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ

Many thanks for joining me in the stacks again, and this week I found a really cute throwback to December 2019, just after the P.A. made the Catmas Pudding bed with the catnip holly leaves, and yes I am still quite partial to a bit of catnip.

Amber's Book Reviews #259 ©BionicBasil® Amber's Catmas Flashback to December 2019

Mew know that pudding was so comfy to snooze on, I'm going to request that its put in my library for my use only this week! MOL

The P.A is going to rerun all the Catmas crafting posts throughout this month, so if mew feel like making some fun festive things for cats, we've got mew covered, so stay tuned for those popping up.

Anyhoo, let's look at what I read this week. 

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Today the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.
1. I feel like ___________________________________.
2. By the end of the year, I want to __________________________________.
3. December is the month that I _________.
4. My house looks _________ during the holiday season.

The P.A.'s answers are...

1. I feel like time has sped right up at the moment. It doesn't seem like two minutes since it was July! LOL

2. By the end of the year, I want to try and get the craft room tidied up a bit more, and that means that some stuff has to go. But Parsely told me that I'm not allowed to get rid of any of the crafting projects I've made, and they take up such a lot of space. I can't have them in the house as Smooch's in-built Feng Shui meter might take offence, and then then the Phantom-Widdler could possibly be unleashed, and I don't want that again! LOL

3. December is the month that I literally countdown, as I can't wait for the 21st and then the nights start drawing out again.

4. My house looks moderately festive during the holiday season. I don't tend to go mad, as the thought of putting it all away in January prevents that! Though I do make sure that all my festive decor matches, it's not a haphazard affair, and sometimes I even make my own decorations if I can't find what I want.

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Let's see what I've got to show mew this time!

Amber's Book Reviews #259 ©BionicBasil® The Mystery Before Christmas by Kathi Daley
Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

The Mystery Before Christmas

A Cat in the Attic Mystery

by

Kathi Daley

 Here's a snippet of the book blurb:   

After a serious accident leaves Calliope Rose Collins unable to continue with the career that has owned her soul for most of her life, she returns to Foxtail Lake, Hollister House, Great Aunt Gracie, and childhood friend, Officer Cass Wylander, where she begins to rebuild her life from the ashes of what she once had.

In book 2 of The Cat in the Attic series - In addition to the time she spends at the animal shelter, Callie has a new sideline writing human interest stories for the regional newspaper. It is a job she loves and hopes to grow until she is asked to reveal the man behind the mask when Secret Santa comes to town and begins committing random acts of kindness.

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This week I read the second book in the Cat in The Attic Cozy Cat Mystery Series.

And if mew have Kindle Unlimited this book is included in the catalogue, plus there are another four books in the series, and I've already reviewed books one and five, check out the links below.

So what did I think about book two? The plot centres around a Secret Santa who's been gifting expensive treats to certain townsfolk in need, and Callie keeps bumping against roadblocks in her quest as a news reporter for the town's local paper to unmask the generous benefactor, this combined with a murder of a local man who'd just inherited a substantial sum of money, and then a further murder complicates the situation even more.

Our heroine is on the case with Officer Cass (a maybe future love interest), as they try to uncover the killer and the Secret Santa.

The cats don't really feature so much in this book, they are more of just a mild distraction from the main plot. The book is filled with the usual red herrings and plot twists, though I did find that this one moved moderately slower than the previous two I reviewed.

A lot of the previous characters also pop up, as do places, so the world and character building are coming together really well, creating a real sense of place with a relatable cast.

While I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the other two more as they were slightly faster-paced, but that's not to say that the slowness detracted anything from the story at all. This is a great book for a lazy afternoon read in front of the fire when mew have all the time in the world to go at a leisurely pace.

Another Top Paw Read!

Here are the titles of the other four books in the series, with links to the ones I've already reviewed:


The Case of the Cupid Caper ~ 3

The Secret of Logan Pond ~ 4 


Audio:  4 hours 31 mins

Hardback: 175 pages
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My Ratings Scale

Amber's Book Reviews Paw Rating Scale ©BionicBasil® Red

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Ratings of:

The Mystery Before Christmas

Overall Enjoyment

Amber's Book Reviews 4 Paw Rating ©BionicBasil® Red


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Other Fun Blog Hops to Join Today


   
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I'm off to prepare for next week's review, as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time!

I always look forward to your company as I share a specially paw-picked book just for my epic readers!

Don't forget, if mew are looking for great books with cats, check out the Book Review page, just click the link here or at the top of the page, as that's the place to visit to get your feline fiction fix.

Until next week...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 









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Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another review! 

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Friday 27 October 2023

**FELINE FICTION FIX ~ HALLOWEEN EDITION** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #254 featuring **The Curse of Hollister House** by Kathi Daley **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins + Photo Fails Blog Hop

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Hello meautiful library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today, and this week I wasn't really feeling my best, (too much pawtying for my 21st! MOL) so I decided to share a cute throwback to April 2018.

Amber's Book Reviews #254 ©BionicBasil® Amber's cute throwback to April 2018

That's the only purroblem with getting older, mew have more bad days than good days, and after the last few days of overindulging, I'm looking rather worse for wear! MOL

But I have been having the best birthday week ever, and for those who may have missed out on my pawty, DON'T PANIC, it's still happening and going strong, and mew can click here to join in the fun! 

Anyhoo let's look at this week's top book pick.

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Today the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.
1. If I were to attend a Halloween party, my costume would be _________.

2. On Halloween, I plan to _________.

3. If my life were a scary movie, it would be titled _________.

4. If I found an ouija board, I would _________.

The P.A.'s answers are...

1. If I were to attend a Halloween party, my costume would be Cat Woman.

2. On Halloween, I plan to watch a movie with the fire on and stay super toasty.

3. If my life were a scary movie, it would be titled Claws of Terror. And funnily enough, stop by on Tuesday and see what's happening on Halloween! 

4. If I found an ouija board, I would get rid of it stat! I've got enough spooks without inviting more! LOL

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Today, as it's the last Friyay of the month, we're also joining in the furrbulous...


So do drop by the marvellous Mudpie's blog at www.mochasmysteriesmeows.com to join in.

Pet Photo Fails  ©BionicBasil® Basil's Photo Fail September 2016

Basil's photo fail from September 2016.

He obviously was getting impatient with the P.A., and this would have been about getting food.

"Come on, hurry up, I'm starving!" said Basil. "It's been fifteen minutes since my last snack!"


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This week's top book pick is...

Amber's Book Reviews #254 ©BionicBasil® The Curse of Hollister House by Kathi Daley
Mewton-Clawson Library Copy


A Cat in the Attic Mystery: The Curse of Hollister House


by 

Kathi Daley

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

How is one to start again after losing the one thing that speaks to your heart and fuels your passion?

After a serious accident leaves Calliope Rose Collins unable to continue with the career that has owned her soul for most of her life, she returns to Foxtail Lake, Hollister House, and Great Aunt Gracie, only to find, childhood friend, Officer Cass Wylander, knee deep in a murder mystery involving a twelve year old girl who died in the exact same manner as Callie's best friend Stacy had died twenty years prior. Callie is certain the two deaths must be linked, but Cass has a suspect in custody and the Chief of Police wants the case closed in order to get the mayor off his back, so in spite of the fact that Callie is certain that they have the wrong man, it looks like the case will be closed.

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This week I read the first book in "A Cat in the Attic Mystery Series: The Curse of Hollister House" by Kathi Daley, and I must say that it exceeded my expectations. This book is purrfect for anyone who is looking for a cozy cat mystery with a spine-tingling edge to get into the Halloween spirit.

The author's character development is impressive, and I found myself completely invested in their journey throughout the pages. The plot twists were well crafted, and I was left completely surprised on more than one occasion. And Alister the Cat is a welcome part of the plot, and he spends time with Callie, the book's protagonist.

The setting of the old, creepy mansion was described with such detail that it added an eerie atmosphere to the story. The author's writing style is incredibly engaging, and I found myself unable to put the book down. It's a quick read that can easily be finished in just a few sittings. I really recommend this book to cat mystery lovers who want a touch of Halloween magic in their reading material.

And if mew have Kindle Unlimited this book is included in the catalogue, plus there are another four books in the series that I will review during the current season.

Another Totally Top Paw Read!

Here are the titles of the other four books in the series:

The Mystery Before Christmas ~ 2

The Case of the Cupid Caper ~ 3

The Secret of Logan Pond ~ 4 


Paperback: 195 pages

Audio: 5 hours 33 minutes
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My Ratings Scale
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Ratings of:

The Curse of Hollister House


Overall Enjoyment

Amber's Rating Scale ©BionicBasil® 5 Paws

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Other Fun Blog Hops to Join Today



The B Team's Midweek News Halloween Divider @BionicBasil®

I'm off to prepare for next week's review, as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time!

I always look forward to your company as I share a specially paw-picked book just for my epic readers!

Don't forget if mew are looking for great books with cats, check out the Book Review page, just click the link here or at the top of the page, as that's the place to visit to get your feline fiction fix.

Until next week...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 









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Follow me at @BionicBasil® on Instacat

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another review! 

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 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com