I just could not get interested in this book. By the time I waded through all the exposition in the beginning chapters to get to the actual mystery, I no longer cared much. I like the idea of a cat-lady librarian for a main character, but other than judging people by the books they check out, there's not much library to this story aside from the setting. The cats weren't particularly engaging for me, either.

Anyway, I hate to abandon a book after getting so far into it, but I just couldn't face another seven hours of audio when I was barely paying attention anyway. DNF at 32%.

Audio version, borrowed from my public library. Cassandra Campbell's performance was ok. I was attempting to read this for the 2018 Halloween Bingo square Cozy Mystery: a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. Instead, I have picked up book #6 in the Haunted Home Renovation series, Give Up the Ghost by Juliet Blackwell. ( )

This was a fun book. It read well, and I am looking forward to reading more, but the ending wrapped up rather suddenly, and she never explained the false confession. ( )

A warm cozy mystery featuring cats.

Kathleen Paulson, daughter of actors and librarian extraordinaire, has settled in a small Minnesota town to put down roots. She adopts a pair of cats from a local abandoned house. Life is good.

Except those cats have powers. So, Kathleen is also in danger of becoming a “Crazy Cat Lady.” But that is nothing compared to the danger she fonds when she’s suspected of murdering a well-known guest conductor who has shown up for the upcoming music fest.

Like most cozy mysteries, this one features wonderful smalltown personalities with unexpected histories. Unlike many recent cozies, these characters are well-done; the plot is not too hokey; and the mystery is entertaining.

If you like the genre, I recommend this book. I will continue with the series because this first story is good enough to hold my attention. ( )

Two cats in a small town “400 miles north of everywhere” with a literary protagonist, no it’s not the newspaper reporter Qwill from the Cat Who series, this is Kathleen the head librarian and her two magical cats.
The two series are really very much alike, with this series being given an edge for a decent mystery, The Cat Who series being better for the number of likable and quirky characters. But a cat fancier who enjoys a cozy mystery should enjoy this novel.

1st read 2012, re-read 11/2016
( )

Escaping a failed relationship, Kathleen Paulson takes a job as library director at a small town in Minnesota. A couple of cats adopt her, but they have some uncanny abilities. They possibly came from an abandoned home where feral cats live. Both cats (Owen and Hercules) can turn up in places impossible for them to do so, and she finally catches Hercules walking right through the door as if it wasn't there. Kathleen's first task as director is to supervise a library renovation but the contractor is slow and appears to be botching the job and avoiding Kathleen. The local music festival's guest conductor turns up dead, and Kathleen finds him. While she becomes a suspect, it's clear the detective in charge of the case doesn't regard her as a serious suspect for long. This book is fun because of the cats! It's a perfect book for a cat-lover to listen to on a long drive. ( )