Final Catcall (A Magical Cats Mystery Book 5) Kindle Edition

Final Catcall (A Magical Cats Mystery)by Sofie KellyKathleen Paulsen and her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are back for more cloak and dagger adventures in Mayville Heights, Minnesota. In this adventure, we finally get to meet Andrew, her Boston fiancé, who, in a drunken fit of pique, dumped her by impetuously marrying a woman he’d just met on a fishing trip with his buddies. He’s arrived in Mayville on a mission to win Kathleen back.We also get to meet her mother, Thea, who comes to Mayville to replace one of the directors of the New Horizons Theatre Festival, transplanted from Red Wing, Minnesota to Mayville after a fire at the theater where it was to take place.And, of course, the rest of the regular crew, Roma, Maggie, Abigail, Everett, his assistant Lita, Susan, Eric, Mary, Burtis – and some new characters as well, such as Thea’s friend, Ben, Hugh Davis, Chloe, Marcus’s sister, Hannah, and Burtis’s son, Brady.Of course, there is a murder and, of course, Kathleen is in the thick of it all.As usual, there were no editing, proof-reading errors, and the read was just about as smooth a read as any mystery lover could want. I liked having Kathleen’s mother appear for part of the story, bringing a bit of Kathleen’s backstory with her. I liked the interplay between Andrew and Kathleen, Kathleen and Marcus, Andrew and Marcus, throughout the book, although I thought the ending a bit abrupt as to that little “pick me” triangle. In fact, other than the last page or two of the book, I was thoroughly enthralled with the entire story. However, I was peeved enough about how abrupt the ending (regarding the Andrew/Marcus situation) was that I literally knocked off a star from my rating. All that build up and one hurried, bare boned scene ends it? Did Kelly have a word limit she was about to go over? Phooey. I was also disappointed that Owen and Hercules seemed relegated to minor roles in this adventure – ever present as Kathleen’s confidants, just not integral or particularly magical parts of the action in most cases. This was disappointing, if only because the novels are hawked as “magical cats” mysteries, not “Kathleen Paulsen” mysteries.So, yes, disappointed as I was in the wrap up of the little love triangle in this novel and the lack of magical cat shenanigans, I still plan on devouring the next in the series when it comes out. I’ve grown to love the Mayville gang and am enchanted by the magical doings of Owen and Hercules, which are what drew me to the series in the first place. I like Kelly’s writing style and hope to enjoy it for many Magical Cats adventures to come.

I've been delighted by Sofie Kelley's "Magical Cats Mystery Series" since its inception. Like other cozy mysteries, the novels have an intrepid young woman re-inventing her life in between tripping over dead bodies. And like other paranormal mysteries, the protagonist gets to use a not-quite-usual ability -- in this case, the single "spell" that each of Kathleen's cats have (walking through walls, for instance). It's been fun.In this book, which takes place right after  Cat Trick , Kathleen is trying to keep the library going while also coping with a theater festival and... oh of course... yet another dead body. All complicated, however, by the tension of breaking up with hunky detective Marcus (well, if you could imagine they could ever be said to have gotten together) and the return of her once-fiancé, who's decided to win Kathleen back. (No spoilers, there; it's all in the first few pages and on the back cover.)In a way, Final Catcall breaks some of the "cozy" rules. But Kelly does it in such a way that I enjoyed it. Instead of the attention being largely on the relationships between the ongoing characters, and the choices Kathleen makes. Sure, she has a mystery to solve, and it gets done, but not at the expense of the people.Best of all, however, is the super-fun Hercules and Owen, who behave like _cats_. Kathleen's interactions with them are marvelous, since I so easily can imagine how someone external to the scene might view them (in a non-paranormal way). "Owen had finished his sardine and was licking the remaining fish oil out of his dish. At the sound of Marcus's name his head whipped around like it was on a swivel and he and his brother locked eyes." It's just cats... and it isn't. For me, it's absolutely charming.If you liked the earlier books in the series, I am sure you will enjoy this one too. If you haven't gotten into them, you really DO need to start from the beginning, with  Curiosity Thrilled the Cat . I doubt you will regret it.

The book starts during the final chapters of the last story. Kathleen is upset that Marcus feels she does not trust her, and is surprised when her ex boyfriend Andrew is waiting for her at her house. He wants her back, and to move back to Boston to pick up where they left off. However something else comes up, a drama group loses its theatre in a neighboring city and is moving to town. The group is led by an old friend, someone she has heard about, and a perky young lady who just happens to be Marcus's younger sister. But when one of the group is killed, found again by Kathleen, she tries to stay out of the investigation. But as the investigation progresses, she and her two furry sidekicks Hercules and Owen must poke around in order to find out who and why before the curtain falls on someone else.I love this book, I have read all of the others and could not wait for this one to come out and I literally ate this book up in less than two days. The mystery really kicks off well and keeps you guessing to the end. Also Kathleen come into her own as an investigator, with a little help from her nosy fur clad support staff. and finally she has to make the tough choice - Does she go back to Boston with Andrew, or does she stay in the town that has accepted her and maybe work things out with Marcus? The story really keeps you going, especially when you meet Hannah, Marcus's sister and her mother makes an appearance in town. Yes, Kathleen will have her hands full and so will the reader as you finish this great story and anxiously wait for the next one - I know I will

5 Stars again for this series.The cats are brill, and if you have cats you'll love it even more, has you'll see the same traits in yours has Kathleen sees in hers.Not going to spoil anything in this review, except to say she finally gets her man.Next book out next year which I will pre-order as soon as Amazon make it available.

I LOVE THESE STORIES

A good read

This was up to the writer's usual brilliant standard.

Although the books tend to be fairly predictable in places (someone obviously gets killed off at some point), each story in the Magical Cats Mystery series is well written and enjoyable. I love them all - especially the magical talents of the two cats! Superb light reading.