Purrder She Wrote by Cate Conte is the second in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. This is the start of a great series.
A minor disagreement occurs when a local socialite comes into the newly opened cafe and demands special consideration in adopting a cat. One of the volunteers knows her history with cats and refuses to allow her an on the spot adoption. Tempers flare and things are said in the heat of the moment. Later when the socialite is found dead the first suspect is Maddie's volunteer. Maddie knows she couldn't have done it or could she. Maddie starts her own investigation. Then another suspect comes into play that is a family member and Maddie is thrown deeper into the mystery.
This is a fun, easy read and has a great flow and plenty of twists and turns and a little romance and humor. I want to visit the Cat Cafe myself.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley for an honest review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Maddie and JJ are back and I am glad. It is opening day of the Cat Cafe and Maddie’s jitters are compounded by an altercation between one of her volunteers and a rich spoiled snob who demands to take one of Maddie’s cats home, right on the spot. The woman has a bad track record of poor care of her cats and Maddie smoothly defuses the situation by pointing out she must do checks before any cats leave the safety of her shelter. Or does she?
She has good reason to doubt when the woman is found dead face down in the sand with one of the catnip toys sold at the cafe stuffed down her throat. It is pretty obvious who is going to be the prime suspect. Maddie doubts her guilt but when she confesses, Maddie Princess Fuzzypants here: Maddie and JJ are back and I am glad. It is opening day of the Cat Cafe and Maddie’s jitters are compounded by an altercation between one of her volunteers and a rich spoiled snob who demands to take one of Maddie’s cats home, right on the spot. The woman has a bad track record of poor care of her cats and Maddie smoothly defuses the situation by pointing out she must do checks before any cats leave the safety of her shelter. Or does she?
She has good reason to doubt when the woman is found dead face down in the sand with one of the catnip toys sold at the cafe stuffed down her throat. It is pretty obvious who is going to be the prime suspect. Maddie doubts her guilt but when she confesses, Maddie feels there is another reason for the confession- she is protecting someone else.
Between the dead woman and her equally obnoxious twin, a caterer and her troubled daughter and a contractor who is the nephew of the accused, there is a wealth of choice as to who did it and why. Aided by JJ and assorted humans, Maddie must sort through the murk while trying to solve all the problems of her family and friends. They turn to her as the “fixer” but it is just possible even Maddie cannot do everything.
There is such a tangled web.
I enjoyed the mystery and the final face=off. The ending was unique.:no great threat to life and limb, simply a reveal and some resolutions. It was refreshing. I like the exciting finishes as much as the next cat but it was novel to dispense with it for a change. I think this series has lots of legs for future growth- four to be precise. JJ,, naturally, is my favourite character. He is irresistible.
I give five purrs and two paws up.

My rating: 4.5 Stars

JJs House of Purrs is Daybreak Island's new cat café where customers can get cozy with an assortment of friendly felines―and maybe even adopt one or two. She and her business partners have done all they can to establish the "purrfect" grand opening. However, a cat fight ensues, but the fight is actually between two women. Things get back on track rather quickly, and the opening day becomes a wonderful successes. However, almost immediately after, the café is visited by the police to state that one of the women in the argument has been murdered. The other lady in the argument, one of Maddie's volunteers, is the main suspect in the murder.

Maddie's café may be open, there is still a lot of work to do. If that isn't enough to completely stress Maddie out, the fact that one of her volunteers is being questioned is truly disturbing to her. Meanwhile, another of her volunteers has been acting rather oddly. There is the possibility of someone else being responsible, but there is no love lost between them and Maddie. Her family is now involved, and her family means the world to her. Her love for family is just as intense as her love of cats.

This is a cozy mystery with just the right air of intrigue and quite a bit of humor. Maddie doesn't set out to be an investigator by any means, but can't help but be involved in trying to figure out what happened. Purrder She Wrote was an enjoyable, fast-paced read with a delightful plot, really likeable characters and wonderful little felines.The conclusion was rather a surprise. This is the second book in the series, and no doubt, several of the characters make repeat performances. I love Cate Conte's writing style and definitely look forward to reading more in this series. Maddie's cat JJ is a smart, fun cat and I hope he shows up in future books.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

PURRDER SHE WROTE by Cate Conte
The Second Cat Café Mystery

Maddie James is ready for the grand opening of her cat café, but not for the catfight between her volunteer and the island's resident society bad girl. When Holly is found dead, everyone assumes Adele did it. She not only had a history with the woman, she also had a temper. Maddie, however, has other suspects in mind. Adele's flighty young protege, Holly's own sister, and Maddie's brother-in-law could also have committed the crime. As Maddie works to make her new business a success, she can't help but get involved in the investigation. After all, good volunteers are hard to find.

I really enjoyed the second Cat Café mystery as we see Maddie open JJ's House of Purrs. There's a cozy atmosphere with enough laughs to counteract the drama. The characters and their motivation are what really drive the story. The abrasive, yet devoted, Adele, for whom it's all about the cats, the flighty, if not mentally unstable, volunteer, the entitled socialite and her equally mad twin, the cad of a brother-in-law, and the possibly too good to be true romantic interest combine to create a volatile world.

Maddie is an intriguing character. She's hardworking and dependable with plenty of love to give, yet ultimately flawed. She can sometimes see the errors of her ways, but is unable to stop her actions. Familial love and and an unquenchable curiosity continually propel Maddie into trouble, despite her efforts to have a quiet normal life with a successful business.

PURRDER SHE WROTE provides an interesting mystery while bringing attention to responsible pet ownership, cat rescue, and feral care. I share Maddie's desire for happy endings and homes for all of the strays and applaud those who struggle to make as many happily ever afters as possible.

I received this ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review. First time I've read this author and I do recommend this book. It is the second in a series and doesn't require reading the first one to appreciate it. The owner of a new cat cafe on a small island is not happy when her new venture provides the setting for an altercation between a snobby rich girl on the island and one of the cat cafe volunteers. The snobby rich girl ends up dead and things are not looking goof for the volunteer, the heroine's brother-in-law or the contractor that she finally found (via the suspect volunteer). The descriptions are well done; the story flows well; the mystery's logic works. I recommend this book and will look for others by this author.

3.5 stars

Maddie James is proud when her new cat cafe opens on Daybreak Island in New England. Customers can enjoy a meal in the company of several rescue cats that are available for adoption. However, her grand opening is marred when one of her volunteers has a heated exchange with Holly Hawthorne, a wealthy customer. When Holly is found dead on her private beach, not only the volunteer but someone else connected to Maddie become suspects. Maddie is as curious as one of the cats and does some sleuthing of her own to identify the real killer.

This is the second book in this series. There are so many characters in this book, Maddie's family, friends, and employees, customers, and residents of the island. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters even though background information is given. Maddie's business partners are her grandfather and a friend and I would have liked to get to know them better. Maddie's father and sister come across as shallow and more worried about their social standing than anything else. Her sister shows some growth by the end, but her father never becomes likable. Maddie herself is hard to figure out. She loves animals and worries about everyone in her social circle, constantly overextends herself, but is rude to her new boyfriend because she's too busy with everyone else's problems. She does show some self-awareness by the end, so I think she could become a character to root for. There are several quirky characters populating Daybreak Island and their eccentricities sometimes feel forced. I would rather the author had concentrated on making the main characters of Maddie, her boyfriend, her best friend, and her partners more three-dimensional.

The plot itself is interesting. I love the cat cafe setting and the murder victim made enough enemies in her life to keep you guessing as to who really killed her and why. I was eager to find out what happened and was surprised when the murderer's identity was revealed. I enjoyed the ending and because of that and the premise of the cat cafe, I would be interested in reading a follow up to this book. I've never been to a cat cafe, but I enjoyed spending time at Daybreak Island's "JJ's House of Purrs."

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin's/Minotaur Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Purrder She Wrote
Cat Cafe Mystery, Book #2
Cate Conte
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Second in the paws itively charming new feline mystery series set off the New England coast, where curiosity leads to some killer small-town secrets....

It’s the grand opening of Daybreak Island’s cat café, where customers can get cozy with an assortment of friendly felines—and maybe even take one or a few home. Co-owner Maddie James is purring with excitement over her new warm-and-fuzzy venture. . .until she becomes entangled in a petty drama between one of her volunteers, an ardent animal-rights activist, and a wealthy woman who insists on adopting a calico kitty—right this instant. The catfight that ensues is bad enough for business. But when the snubbed socialite is found dead with a tell-tale catnip toy on the scene, suspicion lands squarely on Maddie’s staffer. Now, with her reputation and her career prospects on the line (to say nothing of her budding romance with a handsome pet groomer) Maddie must do whatever it takes to solve the crime—before her nine lives are up. (Goodreads)


Review:

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place in the cat cafe. I could see all of the cats lounging in their cat apartments and in all of the nooks and crannies. The writing style allowed me to get a real feel for the characters through their words and actions.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Maddie is smart, caring and loyal. She does not like the fact that one of her volunteers is being accused of murder or the fact that her brother-in-law might somehow be involved. She is very willing and able to snoop around to find the killer. I enjoyed reading about her relationships with her family. She and her sister have some issues but they just may be able to work them out. And the relationship she has with her grandfather, Leo, is very special. Lucas seems like a great boyfriend and we will see how that progresses in the coming books. And J J, the cat is a star.

The mystery is well plotted and moved along at a steady pace. There are enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and it is not easy to solve. I did not figure it out until the reveal at the end of the book, which is fine with me.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. Both of the books in this series are really great and I am looking forward to the third book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it. We have Maddie, her business partner from a different business, Maddie's grandfather and a few other characters in this book. The setting is a cat cafe that runs with the help of a couple of volunteers. One of the volunteers gets into an argument with a customer wanting to adopt a cat. The customer ends up dead. Guess who is the prime suspect?

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for on honest review. - I like this series and am looking forward to more.

Things are going well for Maddie James with her new cat cafe. She and her business partner are really making things work. Of course they have a little help from Maddie’s grandfather and a few devoted volunteers. The goal is to give people a chance to grab a cup of coffee, a pastry and adopt a cat. Or, at least, play with one. The cat cafe has many too choose from.

When a wealthy woman demands to adopt a cat, one of the volunteers gets her back up and refuses. It seems this woman has a past that is not conducive to adopting a cat and this volunteer definitely will not allow it. They fight in the middle of the cafe. Maddie does her past to defuse the situation, but later things take a terrible turn. The wealthy woman is found dead with a catnip toy stuffed in her mouth. Of course Maddie’s volunteer is the prime suspect.

Maddie’s new business will close very quickly if she can’t solve this crime. She’s sure her volunteer is innocent and she will do everything she can to prove it. Unfortunately, there are many suspects, not to mention some personal issues get in her way. Still, Maddie is determined.

I loved the first book in this series and I love the second one even more. Admittedly, I’m a cat lover so I was excited to see a cozy mystery series based on a cat cafe. The characters are colorful, including Maddie’s own kitty JJ (aka Junkyard Johnny). I would have liked to see JJ more involved in the story, though. There’s, also, some romance with a hint of a triangle involved, too.

The plot is fast-paced and grabs you right into the story. There were quite a few twists and turns along the way. I was totally taken off guard when the killer was revealed. I didn’t see that coming. Well done.

I don’t think it matters if you didn’t read the first book, but it’s always fun to start at the beginning. Fortunately, it’s a new series and this is only the second book, so you don’t have too many to catch up with.

There is so much potential for this series to become one of my “must read” cat mysteries. I’m so looking forward to the next book.

Engaging and enjoyable cozy mystery. Love the cat café. Some interesting characters. A little romance. Lots of cats, but they certainly don't overwhelm the story. A clever mystery with many suspects. The culprit was a bit of a surprise.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy of Purrder She Wrote by Cate Conte. In this second book of this series, Maddie, the protagonist is trying to balance the responsibilities of her newly opened cat cafe, a socialite’s murder which was first reported by her sister’s husband, a volunteer who has all the makings of “crazy cat lady” and another volunteer who appears to be extremely fragile. Add to that, she’s trying to avoid sabotaging her budding relationship with a new boyfriend while resisting the interests of an old boyfriend all against the backdrop of a dad who has asked her to take on coordinating a gala at his hospital at the last minute and committing to her animal rescue friend to help drive for a new “pet meals on wheels.” Whew. It’s a lot to be happening in the pages of one book and still have time to sprinkle clues and red herrings for readers who are trying to solve “who done it.”

Perhaps because there is so much happening, the characters came across as somewhat one dimensional to me. This is also the second in a series, and while the mystery seems self contained it feels as if I might have a better sense of the characters if I had read the first book in the series before reading this one. There are several secondary characters I would like to get to know better, particularly Maddie’s grandfather and her business partner. Can’t say the same for her father who comes across as self-centered and willing to sacrifice his family and family relationships for his job as the head of a non-profit hospital. It’s hard to like someone who seems to put his job before the welfare of his entire family.

As for the mystery, it felt as if Maddie eventually solves it more from intuition rather than actual information she has received and therefore shared with the reader. Throughout the book she is running from one suspect to the next, based on suspicions and incomplete information and the only reaches the correct solution because of a random thought she has than any puzzle-solving based on amassing clues and information.

The concept of a cat cafe is one of those things that has come into its own in the past few years, and provides a good setting for a book series, I would just like to have more depth to the characters and perhaps the cats than I found here. I also applaud anyone who shows adoption as a positive way to add pets to the home and I wouldn’t object to seeing more of the personalities of the cats who are featured in this series.

If you are interested in reading this series, I suspect you would do well to start with the first book in the series to see if it provides you with more in-depth clues as to the personalities are the primary and secondary characters. It may also be a series that improves over time as the character’s personalities grow and deepen.

Maddie, Ethan, and Grandpa Leo are having a blast with their new cat cafe until Holly ends up dead ! Holly was a rotten privileged snot to be sure but would Adele, who worked at the cafe, murder her over a cat? Or, more likely, is there someone else out there with some other issue? This is a fine cozy, with classic characters (including JJ the cat. It's not too complicated, there aren't too many twists, and the whole thing wraps up nicely. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I did not read the first book but didn't have any problem with hopping right into this one. Looking forward to the next!

My rating is more of 3.5 stars. I struggled to get into the story. There is so much going on and I found myself getting confused.
This read as more of a first in a series, where the author is introducing the reader to the cast of characters.
I'm hoping the next book will be less confusing.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

This is the second book in this series. I read the first and obviously enjoyed it. This one was fun. The concept of a cat cafe was unique. I like the characters. Maddie can be exasperating at times. She is a busy-body and many times thinks people expect her to do too much when she is the one actually doing it to herself. The mystery was entertaining with interesting twists.

Purrder She Wrote by Cate Conte is the second book in the cozy Cat Cafe Mystery series. In this series Maddie James had returned home to Daybreak Island, just off the coast of Massachusetts, to attend her grandmother’s funeral and got caught up in her grandfather’s troubles. She hadn’t planned on staying with her own business across the states but when a solution of opening a cat cafe in her grandfather’s place came to her Maddie was all in.

Now with the cafe opening Maddie is glad she is back with her family and running another successful business, her business partner had even joined her to help get things up and going. Things start off pretty busy for the new cat cafe when one of Maddie’s volunteers happens to get into it with a wealthy patron. To make matters worse after leaving the lady sends to the local police to investigate.

After everything is calmed down and the police are satisfied it was just a mutual disagreement with no need for the law Maddie forgets all about the incident. That is until she and her grandfather get yet another visit from the law, this time with the news that the very same patron had been murdered the night before. With Maddie’s staff in question she can’t let the crime stay unsolved for long so she begins to look into the matter herself.

Again the Cat Cafe Mystery series had all of those cozy elements you would hope to find in this genre, likable characters, frisky felines, and a murder to solve. Maddie again has her hands full with plenty of suspects as she tries to clear another person she knows. In the first book I warned it had the makings of a love triangle going on but that seems to be fizzling out and the hopes on one love interest although the “romance” is barely touched on in favor of the crime solving. And of course again I’ll look forward to seeing where the series goes next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Purrder She Wrote is the second in a fun new cozy series featuring cats, of course. The story begins as JJ’s House of Purrs, a cat café, celebrates opening day on Daybreak Island. The cat café is a place where folks can visit with cats waiting to be adopted, have pastries and coffee and fill out an application to take a cat home.

The story of how JJ’s House of Purrs came to be is told in the series debut, Cat About Town. This adventure starts with volunteer Adele arguing with Holly Hawthorne about adopting Georgia, a pretty calico. Adele accuses Holly of mistreating previous cats she had adopted. Maddie diffuses the argument and Holly leaves in a huff claiming she no longer wants the cat.

Later, that evening, as Maddie is celebrating the successful opening with family and friends, Katrina, Daybreak’s animal control officer and source of adoptable cats for Maddie, breaks in with news that Holly is dead, choked with a catnip toy made by Adele.

While Holly’s murder is the primary mystery, the book’s structure is multi-layered and well developed. Realistic and interesting characters, engaging situations, and enough red herrings to keep readers alert throughout populate this cozy. Daybreak Island and JJ’s House of Purrs, skillfully crafted by Cate Conte, is someplace readers will want to visit as often as Ms. Conte allows.

Purser she Wrote is a great cozy mystery. Loved the plot and the quirky characters. I look forward to future books in this series. Mystery lovers will enjoy this one.

Purrder She Wrote is the second installment in Cate Conte’s A Cat Café Mystery series. The storyline is well plotted and this book has a great cast of well-developed and affable characters. This steadily paced book has lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and there is no shortage of suspects. This is a clean read and the reveal in came as a surprise to me.

Maddie James and her California business partner, Ethan Birdsong, are excited about the grand opening of their new business, JJ’s House of Purrs, on Daybreak Island off the coast of Massachusetts. The cat café is housed in Maddie’s grandfather’s Victorian house and will sell food and beverages to humans while they spend time with felines who are available for adoption. Grandpa Leo, the former police chief of Daybreak Island, is a co-owner and lives in the house along with Maggie, her cat, JJ, and Ethan. Maddie’s parents and two sisters, Sam and Val, also live on the island. Things should run smoothly at the cat café because Maddie has prior experience as an adoption counselor, Ethan is great in the kitchen, Katrina Denning, the local animal control officer, provides cats for them, and they have two volunteers, Adele Barrows and GiGi Goodwin, to help with the cats. Holly Hawthorne, a prominent socialite, comes in on opening day, demanding to take a calico kitty home without going through the application process, gets into a shouting match with Adele Barrows, one of the volunteers, who says Holly isn’t fit to take care of herself, let alone a precious cat. During a party at the house Holly shares with her twin sister, Heather, Val’s husband, Cole, discovers Holly’s body, face down in the sand on the beach. Due to the recent confrontation between the victim and Adele, and evidence found at the scene, she becomes the prime suspect. With the help of her friend and local newspaper editor and reporter, Becky Walsh, and Grandpa Leo, Maddie begins to investigate, uncovers secrets, and discovers there are plenty of people with motives. Both Officer Craig Tomlin, her old boyfriend, and Lucas Davenport, the owner of a local pet grooming salon, are vying for her attention.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I like the title “Purrder She Wrote”. 😊 JJ’s House Of Purrs on Daybreak Island is having it’s grand opening as book two begins. Protagonist Maddie James and her business partner, Ethan, are excited with the turnout and already making plans for expansion. Grandpa Leo, a retired police chief, also has a stake in the Cat Cafe. When a disgruntled customer has a cat fight with one of the cat rescue’s volunteers, the sharp claws come out. Volunteer, Adele, is later accused of murdering the customer, and the gang struggles to clear Adele’s name which is difficult due to her troublesome disposition.

My favorite character in this book is J.J., aka Junkyard Johnny, who is Maddie’s cat. He’s the purrfect leading man for this story. I enjoyed the plot which deals with several characters who are experiencing lots of emotional problems that make them appear suspicious. Book two didn’t quite peak my interest as well as book one immediately did; however, the killer was well concealed to me. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next story.

I reviewed a digital ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. Thank you.

I received a free copy of Purrder She Wrote by Cate Conte in exchange for an honest review. Maddie James has just opened a cat café on Daybreak Island. On opening day, an argument breaks out between one of the volunteers and a wealthy woman over whether the woman would be able to adopt one of the cats. Later on, when the wealthy woman is found stifled with a custom catnip toy made by the same volunteer, that volunteer becomes the focus of the police’s investigation. Maddie is concerned and begins to investigate in order to clear the volunteer’s name. During the investigation, Maddie is further stressed when her family members, friends, and acquaintances heap additional responsibilities on her and try to make her responsible for the wellbeing of their careers and egos.

This was a fun book. I liked it and think you will, too. You do not need to have read the prior novel to enjoy this tale. I do agree with Maddie that she has terrible taste in men. She has either a saint’s or a doormat’s patience with both the egotistically unrealistic expectations and the blame/shaming foisted upon her by her family, her partner, and especially her tentative boyfriend.

#PurrderSheWrote #NetGalley