**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #333 featuring **Jinxed** by Amy McCulloch **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello, meautiful library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today, and welcome back to the new review season!

Wow, where do I begin, what a summer, and I'm sure mew've seen all my postcards! Talk about an EPIC adventure, and to visit the motherland too, what a privilege indeed.

I've got some more photos to share with mew over the coming weeks, so mew can see where I visited and all the other fun things I did, but for today I'm sharing my Day One Holiday Snap.

Yes, I am wearing a life jacket with a safety rope because I fell off my floaty and had to be rescued. Therefore, the resort staff implemented several health and safety protocols to prevent such incidents from happening again.

I don't know how it happened, but apparently, I was still clutching my glass, which was my fourth drink of the morning, a really spicy Primo Nip Bucks Fizz.

I must explain that, at the time of drinking, I honestly thought it was orange juice with sparkling water. Hmmmm! MOL

Smooch, Fudge and Basil told me I was a total lush and to stay away from the bar...

Swiftly moving on. 

I have to give a HUGE thank mew to Melvyn, who, in my absence, looked after the Library Archive on Level Six. He was tremendous in his endeavours, and I must thank him for translating my diaries and posting the last few chapters of the Dear Prudence Saga. Which I hope mew enjoyed, it was a fun adventure, and turned out quite unexpectedly.

If mew missed out, here's the link to go to Episode One of Melvyn's Mewsings and read everything that happened while I was on my holiday. 

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

Today, the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. It’s impossible to ______________ when you _______________.

2. ______________ is great until ________________.

3. I wish I could solve the mystery of _________.

4. _________ is one of the creepiest _________ I’ve ever encountered.

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

1. It’s impossible to leave a bookshop empty-handed when you tell yourself, “just browsing” - oh, bookshops are fiendishly deceptive portals of literary temptation, where “just browsing” turns into “just one more” and suddenly you’re cradling a stack of novels like it's a kitten.

2. Unlimited Wi-Fi is great until you realise you’ve spent six hours watching conspiracy theory videos about squirrels. YEP! #Truestory (LOL!)

3. I wish I could solve the mystery of why socks vanish in the washing machine like they’ve entered a portal to another dimension. It's uncanny, really, one of those impossible-to-solve mysteries!

4. A whisper that repeats your name in an empty room is one of the creepiest auditory experiences I’ve ever encountered.

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

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Jinxed

by

Amy McCulloch

     

Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

Lacey Chu is a girl who codes. She has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the "baku" a customizable "pet" with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she's crushed.

One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she's ever seen...He seems real.

I just finished Jinxed by Amy McCulloch, and it's fluffing brilliant. Seriously, I may or may not be side-eyeing my i-Paw phone, wondering why it doesn’t talk back or turn into a sassy robotic cat. Rude. So much so that I've asked Humphrey, BBHQ's inventor, to make it happen! MOL

So here’s the scoop:

Jinxed is set in a near-future world where smartphones have evolved into “baku”, intelligent, animal-shaped companions that do everything from managing your calendar to helping mew ace your exams. Think Siri, but with fur, claws, and a whole lot more cattitude.

The heroine, Lacey Chu, is a tech genius who dreams of working at Moncha Corp, the company behind these magical little creatures. But when her dreams hit a wall, she stumbles upon a broken baku in the shape of a cat, and names him Jinx.

Now, Jinx isn’t your average baku. He’s clever, cheeky, and possibly illegal. He’s also the best part of the book. Their banter? Top tier. Their bond? Adorable. Their adventures? Absolutely gripping.

What I loved:

🐱 Jinx is basically the feline version of your dream best friend, if your best friend could hack into systems and throw shade at your enemies.

💻 Lacey is smart, determined, and refreshingly geeky.

🎮 The Moncha Academy scenes are like Hunger Games meets Silicon Valley, competitive, intense, and full of secrets.

💥 There’s mystery, sabotage, and a twist that had me gasping into my catnip tea.

It’s fast-paced and funny, as the plot hurtles along. The story does a brilliant job of exploring tech ethics, ambition, and friendship, all wrapped up in a shiny, futuristic package. I flew through it in two sittings and immediately started Mewgling whether I could adopt a baku. (Spoiler: I can’t. Yet. Humphrey needs to do something, STAT!)

If mew love books with clever world-building, strong female leads, and just the right amount of snark, Jinxed is your next must-read. And good news, it’s the first in a duology, so there’s more to come, and mew know how much that pleases me! MOL

A Totally Top Paw Beginning!!!

Paperback: 328 pages

Audio: 8hrs 4 mins

My Rating Scale

Ratings of:

Jinxed

Overall Enjoyment

 Other Fun Blog Hops to Join Today

          Brian's Home   Catblogosphere    Feline Friday   Nature Friday    Flashback Friday   Friendship Friday   

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 every Friday throughout the review season as I share a specially paw-picked book just for mew, 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 

Follow me at @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #332 featuring **Mayhem in the Mudroom ~ Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery Book 5** by Leighann Dobbs **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins & Photo Fails Blog Hop **Starring Parsley**

Hello furbulous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

How lovely mew could join me for my furry last review of the current season. And DON'T PANIC, I'll be back in the autumn/fall with another selection of epic cat reads just for mew!

If mew remember last week, the Library Mice went on to another festival called Mousecapade Under the Moonlight, well, mew'll never believe it, they're still M.I.A.!!!

It turns out that there's an entire festival season, and now, they've moved on to the Gouda-bury Festival. Apparently, it's the ultimate mouse-sized Glastonbury, where squeak meets stage, and cheese fuels the soul.

 Main Stages

Stage Name	Headliners	Vibe
The Cheddar Pyramid	DJ CheddarTail, The String Quartet (of Mice), Brieoncé, The Cheese-Ups Band	Big sound. Bigger cheese. Electric tail-wagging energy.
The Mousetrap Arena	Pickle & the Crumbets, Rind & Rythym	Acoustic nibbles, poetic squeaks, soft moonlight vibes.
The Blue Stilton Tent	Feta Phonics, Ratatouille Blues Band,	Underground funk. The scent? A little strong.

🎨 Themed Villages

Parsnip’s Patch – Eco-glamping nests with compostable woven meadow grass hammocks and seed snacks.

Rindtown – Cheese sculpting workshops, including how to carve your face into a wheel of Edam.

Crumbstock – Where mice activists and book lovers hold talks like “Mozzarella & Mindfulness.”

🧀 Legendary Festival Moments

🐾 The Great Cheddar Drop – A sky-high gouda wheel gently parachuted into the crowd at midnight.
🎶 Squeakstock – Crowd-wide harmonies powered by tail-thump percussion and kazoo choirs.
🕺 Silent Cheese Disco – Headphones on, paws up, dancing to provolone-powered playlists.

Souvenirs & Merchandise

Glow-in-the-dark whisker rings ~ Perfect for midnight maze runs.

“I Survived The Cheddar Pyramid” totes ~ Tail-proof stitching and brie-scented lining.

Kazoo + nibble combo packs ~ Make music, then snack. It's that simple.

“Tail Flamenco Champion” badges ~ Won during impromptu dance battles in The Blue Stilton Tent.

Scented Cheese Marker Sets ~ Available in Cheddar, Gouda, and Stilton. Great for diary doodles.

Miniature Acorn Lanterns ~ Glow near literature or live music.

Cheddar Pyramid Snow Globe ~ DJ CheddarTail spins inside beneath a glitter wheel of cheese confetti.

Honestly, I couldn't believe it when they sent me a postcard with the news! 

Well, after receiving that, I needed a rather strong niptini and an entire pack of cheesy nibbles with catnip sprinkles! MOL

Sadly, I haven't got the latest update for mew in the Prudence Saga today, as it's been a total cluster fluff of epic proportions since the mice decided to go on their annual holiday, so this is what I'm proposing; Melvyn, my supurr duper library intern will run the last few episodes for me starting next week while I take my annual jollies.

 Great idea, hey? And it gives Melvyn a bit more responsibility as well. I like that a lot! MOL

Thank mew most sincerely for joining me every Friday since the review season started, mew don't know how much I love sharing my top book picks with mew every week!

Today, the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. The best part of the summer is _______________.

2. I can’t believe that I ever ___________________.

3. I would happily _________ every single day.

4. I could use a break from _________.

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

1. The best part of the summer is the light nights, I love those, so uplifting for the soul. The darkness pushed away for those few short months, bliss!

2. I can’t believe that I ever thought I wouldn't be able to write another B Team adventure after Basil departed. It took a while, however, I got there in the end! Yep, the good old 'Claws of Terror' broke the long dry spell. It was supposed to be Mogwarts, but obviously that wasn't ready to be written. I've decided that Mogwarts will be an offshoot story like The Purrminator.

3. I would happily write every single day. Well, at the moment I am! LOL

4. I could use a (short) break from writing every single day - see #3 - but I want to get the book I'm working on finished (I started it in 2021 and stalled a few times), so I can get back to the next B Team adventure ready for the autumn/fall. Can you guess what that one will be about? 

As it's the last Friday of the month, we're also joining in the furbulous...

Go visit meowvellous Mudpie's blog at www.mochasmysteriesmeows.com to join in.

Here's Parsley from July 2020, doing his supurr cat impression on the landing! MOL 

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

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Mayhem in the Mudroom

A Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery Book 5

by

Leighann Dobbs

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

Murder strikes again at Moorecliff Manor and this time the stakes are higher than they have ever been. Araminta’s good friend, the famous jeweler Bertie Belamie, has been murdered in the mudroom and Jacob is the prime suspect.

Why was Bertie in the mudroom with his case of jewels and why is Jacob so close-mouthed about it? Why is Bertie’s assistant, Stella, so vague about which pieces of jewelry are missing? And is it any coincidence that the neighborhood crime boss, Stephen Roy and his fiancee Vivianne were in the house at the time of the murder?

I reviewed the first book in this fun series earlier in March, actually it was the same day the Prudence saga kicked up to Defcon 1! MOL 

And the second book, on the 2nd of May, can be read here. Next, I reviewed Book 3, which can be read here. And last week I shared book 4, which mew can read by clicking here.

So today, here's the final book in the series.

Mayhem in the Mudroom, the fifth instalment, delivers another captivating and suspenseful tale that pulls mew right into the heart of a luxurious yet treacherous world. This time, Araminta faces one of her toughest challenges yet as her dear friend, renowned jeweller Bertie Belamie, is found murdered in the mudroom of Moorecliff Manor. From the first page, which carries straight on from the previous book, mew are drawn into a whirlwind of intrigue. The plot is wonderfully enticing: a murder, a stash of jewels, and a prime suspect in Jacob, who is uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding Bertie’s death. The plot thickens with the inclusion of Bertie’s assistant, Stella, whose vagueness only deepens the mystery, and the presence of neighbourhood crime boss Stephen Roy and his fiancée, Vivianne, at the scene adds layers of complexity that keep you guessing. In this instalment, the worldbuilding continues as the vibrant setting of the manor is expanded and detailed delightfully. The interactions between Araminta and her clever Siamese cats, Arun and Sasha, inject a playful charm into the story; these two are epic, of course they are, they're the reason I'm reading the book! Their antics and intuition provide not only comic relief but also crucial insights which guide Araminta through the investigation. The balance between humour and mystery, combined with the enigmatic atmosphere, purrfectly complements the series' light-hearted yet serious undertones, and the writing is infused with wit and sparkle, making the entire experience supurr enjoyable and engaging. The dialogue and the dynamics among the characters is well-developed, and enriches the overall narrative.

As Araminta races against time to clear Jacob's name, mew will find yourself immersed in a web of clues and red herrings, all leading to a finale filled with unexpected twists and turns. This is a furbulous addition to the Moorecliff Manor series, and if like me, mew love this genre, try it. It's the purrfect read for anypawdy looking to curl up with a cozy mystery on a lazy summer's afternoon!

Another pawesome book in this highly entertaining series!

 

(In book 2's review, they were available on Kindle Unlimited, but it seems NOT anymore)

Paperback: 106 pages

Audio: 2 hours 46 mins

My Rating Scale

Rating of:

Mayhem in the Mudroom

Overall Enjoyment

Other Fun Blog Hops to Join in Today

 Brian's Home   Catblogosphere    Feline Friday   Nature Friday    Flashback Friday   Friendship Friday

Do enjoy the book if mew decide to read it.

It's time for me to say BFN or bye-for-now as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time, and I'll be back in the autumn with more specially paw-picked books just for mew, and don't forget that all my previous reviews can be found on my Book Review page.

Until next time...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

Follow us @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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

 Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com - Postcard Graphics by Copilot