**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

**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #331 featuring **Lifeless in the Library ~ Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery Book 4** by Leighann Dobbs **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello furbulous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

OMC, lovely library visitors, what a week! The Library Mice are still AWOL, well, let me rephrase that, they went on their jolly's to The Festival of Cheddar last week. And they were supposed to be back in Mewton-Clawson on Monday.

It seems that they decided rather unexpectedly, to head onwards to another festival called Mousecapade Under the Moonlight... oh fluff me, they won't be back until next week now.

They sent me the flyer:

Mousecapade Under the Moonlight is an absolute masterpiece of squeaky revelry ~ where whimsy meets whiskers in moonlit delight 

Here are the sparkling highlights of this twilight tiny-tent spectacular:

Midnight Mousmosa Bar

Tiny fizzy drinks topped with parsley leaf umbrellas. For sophisticated rodents only. 

Mewsic from the Burrow Beats Collective

Featuring:

DJ CheddarTail spinning “Squeak Symphony Vol. 3”
Live squeak-alongs with Tiny Paw’s and his enchanted harp
Glowstick tail accessories for maximum rave floof

Moonlight Maze of Mystery

A spiral of hedgehog-safe hedges lit by fairy lights. Dash through tunnels looking for The Golden Crumb, a biscuit of legends.

Whisker Paint & Paw Print Studio

Attendees can dip their paws and tails in glitter paint to create mousterpieces. 

(Rumour has it Pandora is there... I need to ask Parsley.)

Also available...

Tiny Tent Glamping Grove

Fully floofed miniature tents with lavender-stuffed pillows and a “No Ferrets Allowed” policy. Every night there's a midnight meditation here.

The Squeakeret Parade at Moonrise

Mice in glow-in-the-dark cloaks wave tiny banners of unity, sass, and cheese diplomacy. Gorgon Zola delivers a speech titled Literature and Lunchables: A Rodent's Rights.

Oh, fluff me, they'll come back and want a pay rise, plus a bonus, and holiday pay, back pay and more time off!

Anyhoo, I wasn't feeling up to taking a selfie after that news, so here's supurr smashing throwback to 2015 when I WAS HAVING A REALLY GREAT TIME in the catmint!

Just look at my face, pure, radiant happiness, and I bet mew can't catch your breath at how elated, totally free and fun-loving I look! I'm so blissful that my fur is pawsitively tingling, well, it's glowing!

Yeah, wait till the Library Mice see that! MOL

Now, let's continue with the Prudence Saga, and mew won't believe what happens in this episode. If mew missed last week's instalment, click here.

>^.^<

Part 20

(Just so I don't lose track of where I am in the story, well I am getting older, and I sometimes forget things these days! MOL)

The coronet gleamed under the lantern’s flickering light, its jewels catching every shadow, every secret.

Willie held it carefully, her paws steady, but behind her eyes, I saw it.

Realisation.

Clawdia stepped forward, her smirk sharp and wicked.

“Now that mew know what mew hold,” she purred, “mew understand why I can’t let mew keep it.”

Hissy shifted, claws flexing. “Mew seriously think we’re handing it over?”

Clawdia’s eyes darkened.

“No,” she murmured. “I think mew don’t have a choice.”

And in that moment, Clawdia moved. Fast. Too fast. She lunged for the coronet, her claws flashing, reaching, grasping. Willie twisted away, holding tight.

Clawdia snarled.

Muskulls lunged, grabbing Clawdia’s wrist, but she wrenched free, her eyes wild.

“This isn’t about mew!” she hissed. “This is about what comes next!”

My breath hitched. What came next? What else did she have planned?

Willie met my gaze, and in that second, I knew. We weren’t just fighting for an artefact. We were fighting to stop whatever Clawdia had already set in motion.

And we had to stop it now.

And in the centre of the chaos, Clawdia stood her ground.

The coronet gleamed in Willie’s paws, but it was no longer the prize. The real fight? It was about stopping Clawdia before her final plan ignited.

“Mew think taking that crown away from mew is enough?” Clawdia laughed, her tail flicking. “Mew still don’t understand what I’ve done.”

Hissy bristled. “Tell us, what did mew do?”

Clawdia tilted her head, her smirk sharp, deadly.

“The coronet,” she purred, “is just a symbol.”

Willie stiffened, her paws tightening around the artefact. “What do mew mean?”

Clawdia exhaled slowly, eyes glinting. “Did mew ever wonder why this estate was built here? Why its history was so… carefully rewritten?”

I felt the words sink into my bones like ice. This wasn’t just about inheritance. This was about something buried long before any of us were born.

Clawdia stepped back, her eyes flicking all around the room.

“Fuskerton Grange wasn’t built on land,” she whispered.

Muskulls breath hitched beside me. Willie’s tail twitched.

I clenched my jaw. “Then what was it built on?”

Clawdia smiled. 

Then, the walls trembled.

A deep, guttural rumbling, as if something ancient beneath us had just begun to wake up.

And in that moment, I knew.

This fight was bigger than all of us.

>^.^<

Until next time, when fluff knows what will happen next - well, I do, obviously! MOL 

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

1. _________________ is a book that I would reread again.

2. My ______________ is in need of _______________________.

3. I’ve been working on _________ for _________.

4. I finally figured out _________.

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

1. The Convoluted Universe: Book 1 by Delores Cannon is a book that I would reread again. Interesting stuff!

2. My craft room is in need of a serious declutter, and I just don't seem to get around to it!!! Maybe soon, or maybe I will just live in denial a while longer! LOL

3. I’ve been working on a few new writing projects for most of this year. B Team stuff, Middle Grade novels and others, plus I've discovered a few part-written novels that are now on the  'to complete pile' as soon as the other stuff is cleared.

4. I finally figured out how to organise my cluttered writer's brain, so I start and finish stuff. Rather than start, then forget about it, The B Team stuff is not the issue, it's The Non B Team stuff that sometimes loses steam... I just need to add more cats!!! LOL

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

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Lifeless in the Library

A Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery Book 4

by

Leighann Dobbs

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

Araminta Moorecliff and her mystery solving siamese cats, Arun and Sasha, are at it again when the Moorecliff Manor annual charity cat show turns deadly.

With a house full of finicky felines and cat fanciers, it’s not going to be easy to figure out who done it. At least this time we know it’s not the butler.

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. Last week, I reviewed Book 3, which can be read here too.

Well, I thought I would do books 4 and 5 to conclude my current and most epically epic review season, and that way we get to put the series to bed, well, back on the shelf! MOL

I adore this series, it's just been a total blast getting to know the characters, and all the books are less than 175 pages long, they're readable in an afternoon!

Anyhoo, let me do the review properly now! MOL

If mew’re searching for a cozy mystery that’s as delightful as a cat sleeping in a sunbeam, look no further than Lifeless in the Library, the fourth book in the furbulous and charming Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery series. This next instalment has all the pawsitive vibes mew’d expect from a tale centred around a charity cat show that, quite hilariously, goes awry. Meet Araminta Moorecliff, our intrepid sleuth, who probably has more cat toys in her house than most people have socks! Once again, she’s accompanied by her sassy Siamese duo, Arun and Sasha, who display their own brand of feline flair while helping to solve yet another murder in the historic Moorecliff Manor. (Top Tip, never stay there! MOL) The story blends humour with mystery, and the witty banter between Araminta and her cats is enough to have mew meowing out loud, especially when they indulge in their totally top paw feline tendencies. The plot thickens faster than a ball of yarn in Melvyn's paws, and as the charity cat show kicks off, the mood turns from whimsical to tail-raising in a jiffy. With felines prancing and owners squabbling, the last thing anypawdy expects is murder. The clues are cleverly woven into the narrative, along with a bucket load of red herrings and delightful characters leading to an unexpected twist that will mew turning those pages.

And let’s not forget about the setting, Moorecliff Manor, with its cozy library and myriad of cat-themed décor, is a character in its own right, a purrfect backdrop for this feline mystery. Plus, the fact that this time “it’s not the butler” had me smirking, sometimes the best kept secrets are hidden in plain sight, or in this case, amid a flurry of fur! This is a delightful read filled with intrigue, humour, and, of course, pawesome cats, which is why we are here, only books with cats, purrlease! MOL

It’s a purrfect read for anypawdy who loves whodunits spiced with a touch of feline charm. So get your favourite deckchair out, a nice cup of tea, well, mew know that catnip is my preference, though it may not be for everypawdy, and settle in for a suspenseful and fun afternoon in the garden, on the balcony or wherever mew like, and lose a couple of hours in a supurr book!

Another totally terrific addition to this highly entertaining series!

The entire series comprises five books (so far), and I'll be odering book 5 tomorrow, ready for next week!

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

Paperback: 107 pages

Audio: 2 hours 52 mins

My Rating Scale

Rating of:

Lifeless in the Library

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 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 us @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com