Friday, 9 February 2024

**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #268 featuring **Caught Dead Handed** A Witch City Mystery Book 1 by Carole J. Perry PLUS Friendly Fill-Ins

Book Reviews with Amber Valentine's Banner ©BionicBasil®

Hello gorgeous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today, and what a busy week I've had - NOT! MOL

Mew know some weeks mew just have to go with the flow and honour whatever mew're feeling in the moment, and this week has been like that.

I've not been in the library much because to be honest, it's a bit cold in there and at my time of life, I need a totally tropical temperature to function optimally. Cold weather just isn't for me and my creaky old bones.

Oh, and while I've been doing absolutely fluff all, I did take up residence on the P.A.'s yoga mat for a few hours to see if my mindfullness increased.

Amber's Book Reviews #268 ©BionicBasil® Amber is Considering Taking Meow-Ga

And my findings are, mew can be mindful on any non-threatening surface! MOL

My point is, mew don't need a meow-ga mat to be mindful, in fact I think I'm even more mindful on the rug in front of the fire, but that's probably because I'm in a zen heat coma! MOL 

Do mew purractice mindfulness, and if so, where's your favourite place?

Anyhoo, let's look at today's review after this week's fun Fill-ins.

Part of The Mewton-Clawson Library ©BionicBasil®
Amber's Book Review Library Mice Divider ©BionicBasil®
Today the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. On Superbowl Sunday, I will _________________________.

2. The toy I couldn’t live without as a child was ______________.

3. My _________ skills are much better than my _________ skills.

4. I _________ when choosing _________.

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

1. On Superbowl Sunday, I will be cooking a roast lunch as normal under the expert guidance of Smooch, the newly appointed BBHQ Chef. And when I tell mew, he's a stickler for everything being purrfect, and he glowers at me if I'm running behind schedule! LOL

2. The toy I couldn’t live without as a child was a furry hedgehog. He wasn't very big, only palm sized, and one day at school another kid stole Hedgie, I was only about 5 years old. Anyhoo, Hedgie was Hedge-Napped and I was distraught that he'd gone missing. A few days later, the Hedge-Napper must have felt guilty or terrified that the net was closing in and Hedgie was found way off in the playing field behind the school, sat on a tree stump. The school never found the thief but I had my suspicions! LOL

3. My sewing skills are much better than my pottery skills. I love pottery, but it is the one hobby that I don't have available at BBHQ, maybe one day I'll get that potters wheel and a little kiln and stuff. 

4. I don't dawdle when choosing most things. It's an instant decision, I either like something or I don't. For instance; when buying footwear, if I liked them and they fitted, were comfy and looked nice on, I'd be at the till in under five minutes. There'd be no shilly-shallying about. However, in recent times I just buy online, and hope they fit, and nine times out of ten, I am successful.

Amber's Book Review Pink Dot Divider ©BionicBasil®

Amber's Book Review Divider ©BionicBasil®

This week's top book pick is...

Amber's Book Reviews #268 ©BionicBasil® Caught Dead Handed - A Witch City Mystery Book 1 by Carole J. Perry
Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Caught Dead Handed 

A Witch City Mystery Book 1

by
Carole J. Perry

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

Most folks associate the city of Salem, Massachusetts with witches, but for Lee Barrett, it’s home. This October she’s returned to her hometown—where her beloved Aunt Ibby still lives—to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV. But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late night horror movies. It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming.

Amber's Book Review Mice Divider ©BionicBasil®

Here's another new series I stumbled upon in the Audible Plus catalogue.

Caught Dead Handed is an intriguing murder mystery which takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, a city famous for its witchcraft history. The story follows Lee Barrett, a woman who returns to her hometown to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV. However, after being passed over for the job she wanted, the only vacancy available is for a phone-in psychic to host the late night horror movies segment. Lee reluctantly takes the job, but things take an unexpected turn when the obsidian ball she's using as a prop begins revealing real-life events. This phenomenon leads her to wonder if she might actually have psychic abilities.
As she delves deeper into the mystery, Lee discovers that the previous host of the show, Ariel Constellation, was murdered and may have been an actual practicing witch. The plot thickens when Lee inherits O'Ryan, the cat that Ariel had left behind, who exhibits some strange powers of his own, which of course, I'm not going to spoilerize for mew. With Halloween fast approaching, our heroine must focus on unmasking the killer before she becomes the next victim. The characters in this book are well-developed, and the author does an excellent job of building suspense and creating a spooky atmosphere. The addition of a psychic cat adds a unique touch to the story, and mew know how much I love the kitty element! MOL The setting of Salem, with its rich history of witchcraft, adds an additional layer of intrigue to the story. The plot is nicely crafted, with plenty of twists and turns that will keep mew guessing. I thought this was a fun and engaging read that will appeal to anypawdy who enjoys a good cozy cat mystery with a touch of the supernatural. The Witch City Mystery series is off to a furbulous start with this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, as mew know how much I like a series. I highly recommend this book to anypawdy looking for a captivating and enjoyable read, and this is a purrfect rainy Sunday afternoon read while languishing in front of the fire with a delicious mug of hot chocolate, or catnip in my case! MOL

There are fourteen books in the series, and if mew are subscribed to Kindle Unlimited these are all available in the catalogue to read for free, and if mew have Audible, the first three are included free in the Plus Catalogue as part of your subscription.

Another Totally Top Paw Read

Paperback: 414 pages 
Audio: 8 hours 42 mins
Amber's Book Review Library Mice Divider ©BionicBasil®
My Ratings Scale

Amber's Book Review Paw Ratings Scale Pink ©BionicBasil®

Amber's Book Review Pink Dot Divider ©BionicBasil®

Ratings of:

Caught Dead Handed 


Overall Enjoyment

Amber's Book Reviews 5 Paw Rating ©BionicBasil®

Amber's Book Review Divider ©BionicBasil®

Other Fun Blog Hops to Join in Today



Amber's Book Review Pink Dot Divider ©BionicBasil®

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 


Amber's Book Reviews Pink Review ©BionicBasil®





Amber's Book Review Pink Dot Divider ©BionicBasil®

& @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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

Amber's Book Review Pink Dot Divider ©BionicBasil®
 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com