**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #312 featuring **Dead In The Dining Room ~ A Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery Book 1** by Leighann Dobbs **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello furbulous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today, and OH MY COD things have really escalated on the Prudence front, and not in a good way.

If mew missed last week's excitement in the library, click here to catch up, and then on the Midweek News, it was mentioned that Melvyn's elderly stalker had sent a picture, to try and woo him... all I'm going to say is, OH MY COD... again!  If mew're squeamish or have a sensitive constitution, please look away now...

A short note accompanied the photo and it said.

My Dearest Melvyn, 

Purrlease find enclosed a supurr special selfie for my supurr special guy, and I even put in my teeth just for mew!

I can't wait to elope with mew, my young studfluff... 

(I had to cut the letter here as it was wholly inappropriate, and I try to be as family furiendly as possible.)

Yours now and forever

Prudence xxxx

 

Well, I'm now not the only one who needs to go and wash their eyes out. Melvyn took one brief glimpse at it and ran screaming for the bunker and engaged the CODE RED protocol thus locking himself inside.

Anyhoo, several more items have arrived since which I have returned to sender, as I fear what may be inside those innocent looking boxes. I dread to think!

This is a situation of the like the Mewton-Clawson Library and BBHQ has never encountered before, and to be honest with mew, we're a little flummoxed by it all. So I called Erin, aka Princess Erin, and asked her sage advice, and it's a good job I did, because she came up with a most shrewd strategy to save Melvyn's bacon.

So stay tuned for that next time, as today we need to get to my book review! 

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

1. My March to-do list includes _________________ and ____________________.

2. I used to like_____________________, but not anymore.

3. _________ is an obscure _________ that I really enjoy.

4. I’m most productive _________.

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

1. My March to-do list includes lots of gardening and finishing The Purrminator, I'm almost there, I'm thinking two more chapters and then the epilogue. Obviously that's subject to change during the actual writing, and when that's finished I'm going back to finish a kids book I started last summer, but then Melvyn's adventure decided that it needed writing, so the other project got shelved temporarily.

2. I used to like going out for dinner, but not anymore. There are too many people who want to video everything without a thought for anyone else, and personally I don't want to be in some influenza's (yes, I did use influenza instead of influencer!) social media video, no thanks. I do wish that restaurants would stop all this flufftardery and ban such stupidity and let people enjoy themselves, like back in the good old days, when going out was going out and not a social flex to try and impress a load of people who you don't even know.

3. Moon watching is an obscure thing that I really enjoy. And if you've been watching the moon for some time, you may have noticed that it's not always where it should be in the sky. I think there's a problem on the moonbase and the usual programming code is on the fritz or perhaps they can't hire any staff either, and it's all gone to fluff! LOL. 

4. I’m most productive when I'm in the flow or vibe. If I'm not flowing or vibing with the task at hand, I get an apathy ambush and it all goes downhill from there! LOL

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

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Dead In The Dining Room 

A Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery Book 1

by

Leighann Dobbs

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

The butler did it.... or did he?

A classic whodunit with a clever senior sleuth and mystery solving cats set in a manor house.

When the patriarch of Moorecliff Manor drops dead at dinner, it’s up to Aunt Araminta and her Siamese cats Arun and Sasha to uncover the identity of the killer. It will be no easy task, as there is no shortage of suspects... including the butler.

But Araminta soon finds herself with more questions than answers. What was the mysterious phone call about? Who has been removing heirlooms and why?

If mew've been visiting my Friday book reviews for a while, mew may know that I'm a huge fan of Leighann Dobbs, and I adored The Mystic Notch series and The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series, plus I've read a lot of her other series, although I haven't reviewed them yet, but today we're diving into the Moorecliffe Manor Cat Cozy Mystery series.

If mew're in the mood for a delightful dose of intrigue mixed with feline fabulousness, Dead In The Dining Room by Leighann Dobbs is the purr-fect read! This cozy cat mystery whisks you away to the opulent – albeit slightly murderous – Moorecliff Manor, where dinner takes a deadly turn. Meet Aunt Araminta, the clever senior sleuth whose sharp wit and penchant for mystery rival that of any seasoned detective. But let’s not overlook her dynamic duo, Arun and Sasha, the Siamese cats whose snooping skills would make any feline envious. Together, they form an amusingly unconventional team as they set out to solve the mystery of who poisoned the patriarch during what should have been a lovely dinner. The plot masterfully weaves a web of suspects, each with more motives than a cat burglar choosing a house to loot in Mayfair. From the ever-cryptic butler Harold, who prefers to remain a mystery himself, to family members who have secrets buried deeper than the manor’s garden, the plot thickens with each turn of the page. I found myself chuckling as Araminta tackles peculiar puzzles like why Harold never answers the door—might he be hiding more than just the crossword? The twists and turns keep mew on your paws, and just when mew think mew’ve figured it out, a new clue sends mew darting down another rabbit hole. Who knew heirlooms could be so scandalous? And the revelation about the mysterious man in the garden? Absolutely riveting! Dead In The Dining Room is not just a mystery; it’s an enchanting celebration of family, wit, and the undeniable instinct of cats to uncover the truth (especially when it involves dinner). This book is a must-read for cozy cat mystery fans and anypawdy who enjoys a sprinkle of humour with their suspense. Grab your favourite blanket, a cup of tea, my preference is an extra potent catnip blend, and let Aunt Araminta and her chatty feline companions lead mew through a maze of deception—just don’t forget to look out for the butler!

A totally Top Paw start to this series, and so far there are five in total, YAY for that!

Paperback:  170 pages

Audio:  2 hours 43 mins

My Rating Scale

Ratings of:

Dead In The Dining Room 

Overall Enjoyment

Other Pawesome Blog Hops to Join Today

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

I really hope mew enjoy the book if mew choose 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 next week with another specially paw-picked book 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 me at angry_amber_badtemperedkitty

& @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

Prudence character created with Ai Arta

Feline Fiction on Fridays #219 at Amber's Library featuring **A Spell Of Trouble** by Leighann Dobbs & Traci Douglass PLUS Friendly Fill-ins

Hello gorgeous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today.

Well, I don't know about mew, but I can't believe we're on another Catmas countdown already!

It doesn't seem like two shakes of a lamb's tail since it was this time last year. I'm not sure if it's a strange phenomenon but time really does seem to pass quicker the older mew get.

Sadly the internet service is still out of commission, and this is really getting to the point of ridiculous, also the P.A. was late serving my fresh chicken lunch on Tuesday and I had to make my way into the kitchen to make enquiries as to why lunch was late and not being served in my bed!  Mew know mew just can't get the cat staff these days! MOL

Ah well, that's progress for mew, anyhoo let's dive into this week's book, as I'm sure mew're going to love it.

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

1. I don’t like ____________________ in my ______________________________.

2. My to-do list for December includes: _____________, ________________ and ______________________________.

3. I still need to _________ before _________.

4. To me, _________ is the most important part of the holiday season.

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

1. I don’t like white chocolate in my festive treat selection. I really can't stand white chocolate; it's just like eating pure white sugar.

2. My to-do list for December includes: This years Crafting with Cats post, some new header graphics and making a video compilation of Melvyn's modelling. Exciting stuff for sure! LOL And if all has gone to plan the new blog header should be right above and The B Team are in the BBHQ Winter Garden.

3. I still need to post a few UK Christmas cards before the end of next week and avoid the postal strikes, but the good news is this; I managed to get all the overseas cards posted on the 30th of November, so if mew're taking part in this year's card exchange and are not in the UK, your card has left BBHQ, just look out for a really pretty gold envelope landing on your doorstep soon!

4. To me, a good Christmas dinner with family is the most important part of the holiday season.

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

This week's top book pick is...

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

A Spell Of Trouble

  Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 1

   

by

Leighann Dobbs & Traci Douglass

 

         Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

When town trouble maker, Louella Drummond, drops dead in front of Isolde Quinn's pet store just minutes after threatening both Issy and her cousin Graeme, the police in the small lakeside town of Silver Hollow assume it's from natural causes.

... Until it's discovered that Louella was murdered.

Not just any murder, though. Murder by paranormal means. Dark magic that could only have been performed by a powerful witch. And every law-abiding paranormal knows that dark magic is forbidden and carries strict punishment at the hands of "the committee" - the mysterious entity that provides law and order within the paranormal community.

As mew know I spend most of my summer break looking for and reading/listening to new books to share with mew ready for the new season, and believe me when I tell mew it's no mean feat to find good reads to share, as I typically need about 40 books per new review season.

Anyhoo, mew know how much I like the author Leighan Dobbs and the Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series is still one of my all-time favs, so mew can imagine my delight when I found another series called The Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery series which is written with a co-author; Traci Douglass.

I was excited, as mew know how much I like my cozies! MOL 

So what did I think of the first book in this new series? As mew know if a book doesn't have any cats in it, I won't review it and this one has a furbulous feline called Brimstone who's got a witty/sarcastic purrsonality.

Set in a paranormal town, although with non-magical humans too, it's an interesting setting with lots of quirky characters including witches, plus other types of paranormals. There are quite a few different familiars throughout the book which bring an added dimension to the story.

As with all cozy mysteries, there's a murder and the prime suspect is usually the wrong one and this book follows that formula. The plot is lovely and twisty, the characters grow and become like old friends and there are enough clues and red herrings to keep mew turning the pages, so all the ingredients are there for a fab and fun read.  

I really did enjoy this book and look forward to getting my mittens on the next four in the series imminently.

Also, the pawesome news is if mew have an audible account mew can listen to this TOP PAW novel for free, and the narrator has a purrticularly nice voice and does a really top job voicing all the different characters.

Audio: 5 hours 50 Mins

Paperback: 353 pages

My Ratings Scale

Ratings of:

A Spell Of Trouble

Overall Enjoyment

Other Fun Blog Hops to Join in Today

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

I really hope mew enjoy the book as much as I did if mew decide to read it.

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

Until next time...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

Follow me at angry_amber_badtemperedkitty

& @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

Love To Read? Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #206 featuring **Claw and Order** by Leighann Dobbs PLUS Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello gorgeous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today, and mew may remember last week when I was a little over-excited that the P.A. had painted the library door at BBHQ, and it wasn't going to plan?

Well, she duly presented me with this little step as an appeasement present so I didn't lose my fur completely.

And as mew can see, I am moderately appeased and temporarily mollified by said surprise pressie.

Finally, here is the offending door after four coats of red gloss.

If I'm honest it could have done with another coat, but the P.A. said, "Amber if I put any more gloss on it, the fluffing door won't shut!"

So that was that, and I still have my misgivings about it all. The first one is this, the previous colour red was specially mixed and is not available off the shelf, and so the P.A. had to purrchase a new red which is slightly darker with a more blue undertone.

The second is this, I preferred the previous red which had a more orangey undertone and was slightly lighter. We called it nuclear red, and it was pawesome!

But anyhoo, the door is painted, so I have to be thankful for that and it should look ok for a few years. Though if our retired decorator suddenly decides that he'd like to come and do some painting, I'm getting him to get the old colour paint and re-do it! MOL 

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

1. Did you know _______________?

2. My plans for June include _____________ and __________________.

3. When I need to cheer myself up, I _________.

4. I could teach an entire course on _________.

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

1. Did you know it was Basil's 20th Birthday on Wednesday, and this year marks his 4th Angelversary? Not a day goes by when I don't miss him, or any of the other angels for that matter.

2. My plans for June include painting the summer house and the telephone box among other things. And I will say this, I'm a little daunted by it all! LOL

3. When I need to cheer myself up, I like to partake in a little retail therapy.

4. I could teach an entire course on crystals, healing and other alternative therapies.

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

This week's top book pick is...

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Claw and Order

by

Leighann Dobbs

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

Bookstore owner Willa Chance had no idea that a magical key was hidden in the old recipe book that she sold to food blogger Mary Ashford. Luckily the key is now safely tucked away in a box high on a shelf in the bookstore.... or is it?

Feline sleuth Pandora needs Willa's help to make sure that key doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This time she’ll have to take drastic measures to break through the barrier that has stopped her from communicating with her human... even if she has to take a chance on one of Pepper St. Onge’s enchanted teas. The teas are known to have unpredictable results, but Pandora is desperate and what could be worse than the threat to Mystic Notch?

 Here are the links to the previous reviews of the entire Mystic Notch Cozy series:

Ghostly Paws  Book 1

 A Spirited Tail   Book 2

A Mew to a Kill Book 3 

Paws and Effect Book 4 

Probable Paws   Book 5

A Whisker of Doubt Book 6

Wrong Side of The Claw Book 7

Claw and Order Book 8 (today's review)

Finally, here we are with the last book in the Mystic Notch Cat Cozy Mystery series, and after seven books - yes this is going to be a little bit of a spoiler, so if mew don't want to know skip to the next paragraph - Pandora finally gets the ability to talk and propurrly communicate with Willa, like OMC, this was a totally defining moment. And for those of mew who've already read the previous novels, mew will know how challenging it has been for Pandora to try and convey her suggestions, notions and ideas to Willa.

I've thoroughly and unequivocally adored this entire series, the author is such a talented writer and really delivers a supurr story each and every time, with a roller-coaster plot and ameowzing cast of characters.

I do sincerely hope that the author decides to continue this series in the future, but if she doesn't I'm happy with the conclusion of book eight. And she has written many more series besides, some of which I've already featured.

So if mew're looking for an utterly brilliant cat cozy mystery series, I can't recommend this one enough. 

TOTALLY TOP PAW!

Audio: 4 hours 36 mins

Pages: 222

My Ratings Scale

Ratings of:

Claw and Order

Overall Enjoyment

Other Fun Blog Hops to Join in Today

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

I really hope mew enjoy the book as much as I did if mew decide to read it.

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

Until next time...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

Follow me at angry_amber_badtemperedkitty

& @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com