After a long absence, Lara Caphart returns to her hometown of Whisker Jog in New Hampshire. Her Aunt Fran still lives there, but her health isn’t the best. Besides taking care of herself, she is taking care of 11 cats. Lara is more than ready to lend a helping hand.

Theo Barnes, however, wants Aunt Fran’s property. Lara sees them arguing, but has no idea why. Not long after, she finds Barnes’ dead body. The cops are focused on Aunt Fran being the guilty party, but Lara isn’t buying it. She’s determined to prove her aunt’s innocence and bring the real guilty party to justice.

This has been on my Kindle for a long time. I don’t know why I didn’t read it sooner. I absolutely loved it. I loved the human characters, but, of course, the felines are the ones I really loved.

The story moved at a fast-pace. It was chock-full of potential suspects. Theo wasn’t very well liked, to say the least. This book had everything I loved – cats, a mystery and an amateur sleuth I adored. Oh - also, a killer I didn't suspect at all. I’m so ready to get to the second book.







FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lara Caphart and her family moved from New Hampshire when she was young. Before that, she spent a lot of time at her Aunt Fran's. Family, College and trying to make ends meet consumed her life. After 16 years and a message from her childhood friend that her aunt needs her, Laura returns to Whisker Jog, NH. Her aunt is having major issues with deteriorating osteoarthritis, her cat smells like cat (she has 11 of them) and she is being bullied by a developer, Theo Barnes, who wants her land. Lara is not going to let her be threatened by anybody and offers to stick around and help her. Lara isn't in town long before she finds Theo Barnes' dead body. Suddenly both her and Aunt Fran are being questioned and fingerprinted by the police. The case heats up when another body is found. Is it a suicide? Or another murder?

Escape Claws is the first book in the new Cat Lady Mysteries series, and it is a good one. The characters are realistic, and a bit suspicious of Lara's appearance in town. They are small town, with all the quirks that come with it. I liked the relationship between Lara and her Aunt. Once they get by the initial awkwardness, they seem to be just as close as ever, after all they are family. There is a little touch of supernatural to the story as well. It appears that Lara has a spirit cat, that she had even when she was a child. I loved that part of the story, as the cat comes around when needed and is able to drop clues to Lara. The mystery moved a bit slowly, but being a first in the series, we had to get to know the characters, background and setting as well. I will say, I was completely surprised by the big reveal. The character had been in the story, but was not on my radar at all. I am looking forward to the second in this series, and luckily for me, it was recently released. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, with animals and a tad of the paranormal, pick this one up.

Enjoyable cozy read with kits of lovely little cats. Love the ghost cat Blue. Main character is a little whiny. I was given a free book through Netgalley and Kensington books. My review is freely and honestly given

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=65706> For some reason this needs to be 100 characters long but in fact I am sending you the link to the review.

I like cats or other animals in cozy mysteries as much as the next person, but I admit, I was a bit concerned when the cast of characters was, well, all cats! Turns out the inhabitants of Aunt Fran's home really do have some unique personalities, and it was a perfect addition to get ready to read the book. I felt like Lara's return to Whisker Jog was way overdue, but life is like that. Between work and some sort of family estrangement, it's been almost two decades since she has been there. Aunt Fran needs Lara, and it turns out, Lara needs her too. I really liked this well written mystery. When a local town businessman/bully is the one found bludgeoned by Fran's shed, Lara extends her trip to town. Many of the townspeople are quite the characters and I was very surprised at the revelation of the killer in the end. Blue, the Ragdoll cat, was a fun and quirky addition to the book too. I look forward to more in this series, this was a great start.

I really enjoyed this first book in a new cozy series. Lara has returned to Whiskey Jog, NH to help out her elderly aunt and her cats. While visiting she finds the body of the town bully, Theo. Everyone in town had a problem with Theo including her Aunt. Lara starts asking questions in an effort to clear her Aunt and find the killer. I liked the small town setting and the characters. Aunt Fran is not a stereotypical cat lady. The mystery was good and there were plenty of suspects to make it interesting. I was surprised by the killer. Along with the humans there are also lots feline characters including Blue, Lara's spirit animal. The cats all have different personalities and the book was not a typical cat mystery. I am looking for word to reading more in this series. Enjoy

Fun cozy mystery with great characters. Good pickup read for the winter doldrums.

Escape Claws
Linda Reilly

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. I finished it in one day. Loved the cover.
What's more touching than an older woman with a big heart. Aunt Fran just can't say no to a stray kitten. But she needs some help. When her niece Lara came for a visit she saw what needed to be done and started in.
Don't think this is an easy murder mystery to solve. It's full of twists and turns. There is a bully who is threating Aunt Fran and others in town.
This is a well developed cozy mystery that cat lovers will enjoy. It has strong, friendly people in supporting roles. Not to mention adorable cats and kittens. But I think I liked Blue the best.
Read the book to find out why.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So glad I did.

This is an amazing read! Perfect for cozy mystery fans who love cats. Too adorable for words. I just loved this book. One cat in particular makes its appearance when Lara needs guidance.

Lara is visiting her Aunt Fran who she hasn't seen in sixteen years. Looks like Fran needs Lara's help more than she thought, especially taking care of a multitude of her house cats. When a dead body is found, Lara has to extend her stay and help find a killer.

This is the first book in this series and one of my favorites in this genre. I hope I won't have to wait too long for book two.

Linda Reilly is one of my very favorite authors. And her newest book, the first installment of her Cat Lady Mysteries, ESCAPE CLAWS, was one of my most anticipated books of 2017. On. My. Goodness. It completely lived up to my expectations! Purrfection!

ESCAPE CLAWS opens with an introduction to the Cast of Feline Characters. With a dozen cats in the story, this list is a wonderful and welcomed addition to the book. And Kudos to author Reilly for managing to give each cat its own distinct personality.

From page one, I knew this was a tale I wanted to read. Not just the mystery, but the story of protagonist, Lara Caphart, coming back to her hometown of Whisker Jog (love it) to help her Aunt Fran not only with her eleven cats, but with herself. With bad knees, Fran Clarkson is moving slow, and not able to do as much for herself and her kitty kids. There is tension at the very beginning when Lara doesn’t get greeted very fondly by her aunt. However, both characters grow immensely from the first page to the last, and I can’t wait to see them grow even more throughout the series.

The murder mystery in ESCAPE CLAWS is expertly handled by the author. Ms. Reilly truly knows how to keep her readers on their paws. From the discovery of the body, to the surprising reveal, I didn’t come close to guessing the killer. There is also a second mystery mixed into the story. Between the two of them, I was so entranced, reading for a couple of hours turned into “I’m not getting out of this chair until I’m finished”.

Starting a new series is both thrilling and exciting. You go into it with high hopes. Well, worry not with the Cat Lady Mysteries. Once you start reading ESCAPE CLAWS, you’ll know you’ve found a series you’ll want to follow for many years to come!

Who doesn't love a story with a magical ghost cat? Lara is returning to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire to help out her Aunt Fran. Aunt Fran is know as the Cat lady in this quaint small New England town and is being bullied by a developer to sell her family home. When Lara finds the developer dead in the back yard she and her aunt are suspects number 1 and 2. With the help of her ghostly animal spirit cat Blue, Lara sets out to discover who else in town had reasons to kill. Book 1 in the Cat Lady Mystery series, we get to see the beginnings of the new local cat shelter and meet some interesting characters before winter hits.

Escape Claws by Linda Reilly is the first book in the Cat Lady Mystery series. This is a delightfully fun series and a excellent series debut!
Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. She has not been home in 16 years and needs to check on her estranged Aunt who is in need of help with her 11 cats and her home. Lara and her Aunt reconnect and Lara decides to stay and help her Aunt. Her Aunt is being bullied to sell her home and soon the town realtor and bully is found dead. Lara must clear her Aunt's name while caring for her cats and her Aunt's health. She connects with a cat she believes is related to one from her childhood which is endearing and sweet part of the story.
I found this enjoyable from cover to cover. The plot was well crafted, the sleuth was wonderful and the addition of the cats is catnip to every cat lover. This held my attention throughout and was impossible to put down. I was entranced by the clowder of cats, the sleuth, the cantankerous Aunt and the investigation twist and turns. All in all a wonderful cozy series with all the right elements for every mystery lover. I highly recommend this series and look forward to the next book and a long successful series.

Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my personal review. .

*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

Great start to a new series. Lara goes to visit her Aunt who needs some help due to a bad knee. She arrives to find a slew of cats and a really messy house. While following what she thinks is a cat from her childhood she instated finds a dead body in the property. The combination of Lara's strong charcyer, the aunt's quirkiness, and the cute cats create the most spectacular cozy mystery that had me totally engrossed wondering what would happen next. The end was heartbreaking me hope for many future installments. This is an absolute must read for fans of cozy mysteries that feature lots of really cute kitties. I loved it so much I give it 5/5 stars.

I enjoyed this story immensely. I love a good mystery, especially with animals, and this book gives that in spades. The author created a well thought out plot, engaging characters, and a delightful mystery. A great book to get lost in.

Escape Claws by Linda Reilly is the first book in the Cat Lady Mystery series. Lara has returned to her hometown after 16 years to check in on her aunt. Aunt Fran is dealing with health issues and 11 cats all while being pressured to sell her land by town bully Theo. When Theo is found murdered on Fran's property, Lara adds solving a murder to her to do list. This was a wonderful start to a new series. I look forward to seeing how the characters (human and feline) develop. The mystery was strong, and the ending leads well toward a second book.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Lara hasn’t been home in quite a while, but when one of her friends contacts her about her Aunt Fran and her house full of cats she knows she needs to head back and reconnect with her aunt. She finds her aunt does not only need help with her felines but she has some medical issues to attend to as well. Fran is also being harassed by one of her neighbors who is determined to have a portion of her land. It seems Lara has arrived just in time. Just in time to find the bully, Theo Barnes dead on her aunt’s property and it wasn’t a natural death. She and her aunt quickly become the prime suspects so Lara adds “find the real killer” to her already long to do list. She may have an unlikely partner helping her solve the crime that makes her pursuit very interesting.

Aunt Fran, aka “the crazy cat lady” and Lara and all the feline companions have pawed their way right into my heart. Heck, if I had a place like Fran’s I would be a crazy cat lady too. Her genuine desire to care for these rescue kitties drew me into the story. Lara’s devotion to caring for her aunt and the cats was heartwarming. These are two formidable women and make a great team.

I like the way the author took time to introduce us to the characters, including the kittens. The first page of the story introduces the “Cast of Feline Characters” including Blue, a very important feline in this story. They are all unique with different personalities, just like real cats.

We also meet several other residents of Whisker Jog, friends and suspects. The victim was not well liked so many people should have been on the list of suspects but Police Chief Jerry Whitley set his sights on Fran and Lara immediately.

I am a big fan of Linda Reilly, all of her Deep Fried Mysteries were Perfect Escapes for me. I love the way she tells a story and sets the scenes. She has a very descriptive style that makes you feel you are right there with the characters. Again in Escape Claws, the mystery unfolds at a very comfortable pace. It was not an easy mystery to solve and it is offset by the inner turmoil Lara is facing. Her aunt needs her but she has to go back to her job. The storylines are woven together very skillfully.

You don’t need to love or even like cats to enjoy this story, but if you do you will absolutely love this book.

This series is off to a fabulous start! I cant’ wait to return to Whisker Jog!

Lara's visit to her estranged Aunt Fran in New Hampshire starts out as just a short trip to check on her well-being amidst rumors she's accumulating too many cats. Little does she know how attached she's going to become to everyone involved, much less that she's going to find herself needing to catch a killer.

Fire up your Kindles right now, cat lovers! This is one you won't want to miss. So many of the cats involved in the story have unique purrsonalities of their own, especially the mysterious Blue (you have to love it when the character list in the beginning of a book is all the feline characters, not the human ones!) but I also enjoyed meeting all the residents of Whisker Jog and witnessing the cozy little world Lara and Fran inhabit. The killer ended up being one of my favorite characters (!) and I was completely shocked by how twisted this person actually was. The plans Lara and Fran have for finding their furry charges new homes is pure purrfection and I can hardly wait for subsequent books in the series!

What a terrific read! I'm proud (and slightly sad) to say that I guessed the murderer, despite all the lovely red herrings scattered throughout. It was chock full of cats, great characters, terrific writing and an excellent mystery. I particularly liked that the MC was an artist - an unusual career choice for cosies - and had 'real world' struggles with income, had no boyfriend/significant other (quite refreshing not to deal with exes of various sorts), and decided to stay with her aunt for her own reasons and after a lot of careful consideration. It was nicely done and I will definitely be adding this series to my list of favourites.

Escape Claws
A Cat Lady Mystery #1
Linda Reilly
Lyrical Underground/Kensington
ISBN 978-1-5161-0419-2
Trade Paperback

From the publisher—

Here, killer, killer, killer . . .

For the first time in sixteen years, Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. She wants to reconnect with her estranged Aunt Fran, who’s having some difficulty looking after herself—and her eleven cats. Taking care of a clowder of kitties is easy, but keeping Fran from being harassed by local bully Theo Barnes is hard. The wealthy builder has his sights set on Fran’s property, and is determined to make her an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.

Then Lara spots a blue-eyed ragdoll cat that she swears is the reincarnation of her beloved Blue, her childhood pet. Pursuing the feline to the edge of Fran’s yard, she stumbles upon the body of Theo Barnes, clearly a victim of foul play. To get her and Fran off the suspect list, Lara finds herself following the cat’s clues in search of a killer. Is Blue’s ghost really trying to help her solve a murder, or has Lara inhaled too much catnip?

When Lara goes back to Whisker Jog (don’t you just love that name?) for a short visit, it’s mainly because an old friend has let her know that her aunt needs help and Lara decides it’s time to get past all the years they’ve been out of each other’s lives. Soon after arriving in town, Lara learns that, besides Fran’s physical troubles, she’s also being bullied by a land developer who wants her property.

As it turns out, the bully is murdered and there are legitimate reasons for both Fran and Lara to be prime suspects. Since Lara really doesn’t know who can be trusted, it’s natural that she’d set out to do her own sleuthing, with a little help from Blue, a cat only she can see. This is no easy investigation with its multitudes of possible killers and plenty of red herrings.

A nice touch is the cast of characters…feline characters, that is, and it’s needed because there are so many of them and, as you might anticipate, they demand attention. The pacing of the story is a bit slow but, since character development is so important in a cozy, I kind of expect an author to focus on that in the first book. I liked Lara and Fran but I did wonder at first why Lara would ignore her “beloved” aunt for so long yet stay in touch with an elementary school friend. Ms. Reilly settled my misgivings about that as the tale progressed and, at the end, I was ready for more adventures with these people and cats, not to mention the charming town of Whisker Jog.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2018.

Lara Caphart is a struggling artist who lives in Boston. When she receives a telephone call from her friend Sherry telling her how her Aunt Fran is in trouble and needs help, she takes time off from her part-time job to return to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire and see if she can help her.

When she arrives, she finds that her aunt has knee problems and has trouble getting around, and that she's turned her home into a mini-cat sanctuary, with eleven of the furballs. Lara immediately begins cleaning up while reconnecting, and tries to decide how to get Fran part-time help when she returns to Boston.

She coaxes Fran into having lunch with her at Sherry and her mother's cafe, and while there they witness an encounter with blowhard Theo Barnes and townspeople. She also discovers that Theo is intent on buying a parcel of land Fran owns, and since he's also Sherry's landlord, has given them notice to vacate by the end of the year. It seems he has grand plans which includes condos nearby.

Lara also discovers that Fran is caring for two children - Brooke and Darryl while their mother is working. It seems Darryl has trouble reading, but when she looks in on him, she sees that he is reading perfectly...with her childhood pet Blue by his side. But Lara wonders how that could be, knowing Blue, a Ragdoll, couldn't still be around. When she tells Fran, Fran insists it must have been one of the other cats she saw.

Then Lara is awakened in the middle of the night by voices outside, she looks but only sees her aunt. Not wanting to disturb her, she goes back to bed. The next morning while doing chores, she sees Blue again and follows her, but before she can get close she sees something that startles her - the body of Theo Barnes.

When the police arrive, they determine he's been murdered and Lara thinks they're trying to pin the murder on her aunt. Knowing it's not possible, she's determined to find out who killed him. But after speaking with Sherry, she discovers that Theo wasn't liked by anyone except his niece Mary, which isn't going to make her task an easy one. Yet she discovers that she has help in an unlikely form - that of Blue, who seems to be an expert at finding clues for Lara to follow...

First off, let me say that I love books with cats, and so was intrigued by this book. I was pleased that Blue played quite a large role in the book also. I liked the fact that Lara was pretty much a normal person. She didn't go around poking her nose into everyone's business, most of her questions were 'in her head', so to speak. Which is why it puzzled me when Josette called her nosy and said she was trying to pin the murder on her. All Lara said to her was "Josette you must have been so horrified when you got back that morning and heard about Theo." How can you interpret that as saying she killed her husband? It's an innocuous question you might ask anyone if you didn't know them well enough to realize they disliked their ex-spouse.

I also would have liked to have known what happened to the letters Lara wrote. We understand that Fran had hers, but she never said how they were returned - in which case if Lara's mom returned them, then why would Fran be upset with Lara? Wouldn't she be able to decipher the fact that if her letters were returned, then Lara's were probably not sent? Clarification would have been nice. We also gather that Lara's mom wasn't a nice person, but is she still alive? Nothing is ever said; only that her father passed away; and we're not told what her upbringing was like in Boston with a mother like that. I would like to see this expanded on.

The last thing that irked me is that 56 is not old; while it is middle-aged, I know people in their fifties who have fulfilled lives and are as active as younger people. (I live in Las Vegas and see it quite a bit). From the way Fran was described earlier in the book, I pictured her closer to eighty. Yes, I understand the knee problem, but she's withdrawn from life, so I thought she was a lot older. Even with bad knees, she must be taking some sort of medication to help that will at least allow her some ease of pain. It's like her entire zest for life (if she had any) was taken away.

Aside from this, I liked most of the characters and also liked the fact that she's opening the cat sanctuary. It will be interesting to read about the stories of the different cats that pass through along with the people who adopt them (with Blue's approval, of course).

When the mystery was solved and we find out the identity of the murderer, I can say that it came as a surprise, which is rare. The plot was very well done and the ending was thoroughly satisfactory. It is a great start to a new series, and I look forward to the next and where it will take us. Recommended.