The Trouble with Truth is the second book in Gourmet Cat Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.
This is the first boom in the serues that I have read and I quickly and easily got familiar with the cast of characters and the setting.
Colbie's business is taking off and she is ready to expand it. She is trying to juggle her father, work, son and his father who just showed up unannounced.
However the real trouble begins when her eighteen year old chef is the prime suspect in neighbour's death.
Very good writting style with many twists and turns. Realisticaly portrayed family relations. Cleverly plotted and quite suspensful but with lots of humor thrown in.

THE TROUBLE WITH TRUTH by Kathy Krevat is a great addition to a darling series! In this second book in the Gourmet Cat Mysteries, the reader finds Colbie Summers expanding her gourmet cat food company and has hired additional personnel. One of the newly hired teenagers working for her comes from an abusive foster family situation and is eventually accused of murdering her abuser. Kudos to Ms. Krevat for weaving a heartbreaking social issue (that is often hidden away from the public) into an entertaining story with a deft hand. I appreciate that she also highlights what is right with the system and not just the dark side. To balance the somber issues, the author intersperses humor and lightheartedness via Colbie’s cat, Trouble, along with a doorbell ringing chicken and a strawberry-stealing rabbit. While a seemingly odd concoction of animals, each steals the scenes they are in and are adorable additions to the story. The reader also gets to see more of Colbie’s young teenaged son, who is struggling to connect with his newly found father. Ms. Krevat provides emotional scenes to connect the reader with her characters.

The murdered victim is an unsympathetic character with many suspects who were happy to see him dead, including Colbie’s employee. This provides the need for a lot of clues to help narrow down the field until the culprit is identified, and the author does so at an even pace. Each chapter is well plotted and I was kept guessing until the chilling finale and reveal!

Colbie Summers's life is a balancing act of single parenthood, business owner, friend, love interest, and daughter. She is dedicated to her family and friends, she is also ready to help out in any way she can. She also likes to play amateur sleuth. Mira Bellamy is finally seeing success in her life, she has become an award-winning play writer. She has beaten the foster care system and come out better, she is working multiple jobs to save money to be able to better herself. Her life takes a turn for the worst when Dennis Franklin's family is not happy with her play and then he ends up murdered and she becomes the prime suspect. 

The story is written in first person narrative told by Colbie. There are an excellent character and storyline development. The author has used good story elements in order to create a logical storyline with excellent twists and conclusions. 

Yes, I would recommend this book. It has an excellent writing style and you feel for the characters. The storyline has a good amount of real life thrown in and does not seem like it is completely fictional. It would be good for anyone interested in mystery stories or looking to get into the genre.

Colbie hops in when her assistant Mira's former foster father Dennis is found murdered= and she's a suspect. This is classic cozy territory as Colbie, a single mom to Elliot (great kid, btw) and Trouble the cat, has a small business in a small town and a host of friends and family (love her dad). At the same time, Krevat has introduced a serious issue, that of the abuse of foster kids. Dennis was not a good guy, on many levels, and Mira is not the only one who wished him gone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a well plotted followup which you can read as a standalone.

The Trouble with Truth is the second in the Gourmet Cat Mystery series by Kathy Krevat. I liked that this story revolved more around solving the mystery and dealing with Colbie’s everyday life of raising a teen that doesn’t know his father but is working towards knowing him. It also deals with her startup pet food business. It also deals with the foster system to some extent and families that take in foster children. Needless to say, not all foster families are like the one portrayed in this story.

The circumstances in the story can be overbearing but the author uses humor to diffuse the severity of this topic and getting acquainted with a parent.

The story is well thought out, the characters show growth, and there is plenty of potential for this series.

Colbie’s part time worker is a prime suspect for the murder of her foster father. Colbie and friends try to prove the young woman did not kill the developer.

I think the amateur sleuth takes way too many chances with her safety since she is a single mother.

Colbie Summers is preparing to launch Meowio Gourmet Cat Food at Twomey’s, a local health food chain, featuring guest appearances by Cat Chef Trouble during the stores’ Take Your Cat to Shop Day. Mira, one of Colbie’s part time workers, is attacked by members of her former foster family. Mira has written play that is being produced locally. The play is about growing up in the foster care system and the Franklin family believes it is all about them.

The next day Dennis Franklin is found dead at one of his building sites and Mira becomes an immediate suspect. Colbie pleads with Mira to speak with the police but Mira hides instead, leaving Colbie to find the murderer. Meanwhile, Colbie and her 12-year-old son Elliott are surprised when Elliott’s father drops by to introduce himself, announcing he wants to have a relationship with the son he’s never met.

So, Colbie must: manage production of enough Meowio for the all-day event at seven stores along with the schedule for Cat Chef Trouble to appear and pose for pictures; support Elliott’s desire to spend time with his Dad; and figure out who really killed Dennis Franklin and why.

Once again author Kathy Krevat has pulled together an intriguing read with lots of moving parts, good humor and an uncanny ability to keep it all on track. To find out just how well The Trouble with Truth turns out, pick it up for an entertaining afternoon read.

The Trouble with Truth by Kathy Krevat is the second book in the cozy Gourmet Cat Mystery series. Each book in the series contains it’s own mystery and could be read as a standalone but with most cozy series there will be come character building carrying over book to book.

In the first book of the series single mom Colbie Summers had packed up her twelve year old son and their cat, Trouble, and moved back to Sunnyside, CA. Colbie’s father had taken ill so she needed to be closer to him and decided she could move her gourmet cat food business to Sunnyside and continue to work from there.

Now with her business growing and looking to sign a contract to expand even further the last thing Colbie needed was another murder in Sunnyside. Unfortunately for Colbie that is exactly what happened when a body is found and her eighteen year old part time chef is accused of the murder so Colbie of course needs to find out just what happened and clear her name.

Jumping back into the Gourmet Cat Mystery series I will have to admit it took me a good minute or two to remember the characters and setting of this series. Not really a good sign for a reader to struggle with familiarity but once going I did enjoy Colbie, her family and Trouble the cat but they seem to miss that extra spark to make them really stand out to me in the crowded cozy genre. The mystery is solid though and while I wouldn’t say this will be an absolute favorite in the genre I did enjoy the book and will probably continue on in the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Kathy Krevat has provided a sharp and believable story in her latest in the Gourmet Cat Mystery series. The characters are engaging, with real life problems and the book is laced with encouraging kindness throughout. I wanted to see how it turned out, but I really didn't want it to end. I look forward to spending much more time with Colbie in the future.

The Trouble with Truth is the second book in Kathy Krevat’s Gourmet Cat Mystery series. The storyline is well plotted, the characters are well developed and relatable, and it’s filled with humor. Not only is there and intriguing mystery, but a strong message about the importance of natural and chosen family and friends. It also addresses the important issue of the plights suffered by foster children, both in the system and once they’ve aged out of the system. Twists and turns, plus plenty of plausible suspects, keep the reader engaged. I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.

Colbie Summers and her twelve year old son, Elliott, who is an aspiring actor, and their cat, Trouble, have settled in with her dad in her small hometown of Sunnyside, California and her dad has recovered from severe bouts of pneumonia. Months ago, Elliott contacted his biological father, Richard Winston III, and asked to meet him. Richard, who broke Elliott’s heart when he replied that he didn’t want to have a relationship with him, shows up unannounced at their home claiming someone else was responsible for that reply. Colbie met her dad’s neighbor, Joss, a certified organic vegetable farmer who also raises chickens, when she escorted Charlie, his doorbell ringing chicken, home; and their relationship is heating up. Trouble was the inspiration for Meowio Batali Gourmet Cat Food, Colbie’s organic cat food business. Things are going well for her business; she’s landed a contract to supply organic cat food to Twomey’s Health Food Stores in the San Diego area and has hired people to help her prepare the cat food. Eighteen-year-old Mira Bellamy is a former foster child who was abused, works four part time jobs while saving money to buy a car so she can attend college, and has written an award winning play about her experiences as a foster child. Colbie is one of her employers and is present when Mira is threatened by two of her ex-foster brothers, Rocky and Will Franklin, and their mother, Sybil, who warn her to stop the play. When her former foster father, Dennis Franklin, is murdered, Mira immediately becomes a person of interest. Colbie, who helped solve a previous murder, and her best friend Lani, set out to prove Mira is innocent. Colbie shares their findings with Detective Norma Chiron, who isn’t happy that Colbie is asking questions and messing with her investigation, but welcomes the information they uncover.

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

This is a great cozy mystery and it was a lot of fun to read ,
The plot is great, the cast of characters very likeable and the mystery kept me guessing till the end.
I love the topic of abuse of children in forster system and the how the relationships amongst the characters were developed.
There's a lot of humanity and tenderness as well as humour and fun. Trouble the cat was lovely and the rabbit was a great addition.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC.

As a cat lover I’m always drawn to mysteries which include a scene stealing feline. Naturally I picked up a copy of The Trouble with Truth. Single mom Colbie Summers is working to make her cat food company a success, but when Mira, a friend and employee, comes under suspicion for murder Colbie once again endeavors to find a killer. With the help of friends and family and the occasional tidbit she can glean from her detective friend Norma, Colbie sets a trap for an enterprising killer.

The Trouble with Truth addresses a topic not often discussed - the abuse of foster children. It’s often assumed being placed in an affluent home is better, but abusers come from all income levels. The more money present, the easier it is to hide wrongdoing from prying eyes. Mira’s play based on her experiences and those of other foster kids is causing unwanted attention to be drawn to her former family. The last thing they want is for the truth to come to light. The abuse of children, employees and others by those corrupted by money and power is a recurring thematic element. That isn’t to say there aren’t those who use their influence to help others, but that there are many lacking empathy and understanding who are willing to hurt anyone in order to get what they want.

The Trouble with Truth makes the reader care about Colbie, Mira and her friends. On the other hand, the victim is so detestable that it is easy to see why many would be glad to see him dead. As well as trying to solve a murder, Colbie is working to protect her family, both natural and chosen.

4 / 5

I received a copy of The Trouble with Truth from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

This story has all the bigs! A great mystery, great characters, and humor! It picks up right where the previous story left off which is great! The way the author constructed the mystery and the whodunit was a writing marvel. I loved this story and this is a series I hope has staying power!

This is a compelling mystery with likeable characters and a polished plot. It also tackles an important issue - the plight of foster children both in the system and their lack of support once they age out of the system. Colbie and her son Elliott have moved in with her father while she is growing her gourmet cat food business, Meowio Battali. Colbie has received a contract to supply Twomey's health food stores and has hired people to help her prepare the cat food. One of those is Mira, a former foster child who is working 4 jobs while she tries to save money to buy a car. Mira has written an award winning play about her experiences as a foster child, which is about to be produced locally. She is accosted and threatened by one of her former foster families, telling her not to let the play proceed and when the father of that family is murdered Mira becomes the prime suspect. Colbie, who has solved a previous murder, gets involved because, as her best friend Lani reminds her, we do everything for family and Mira has become family. Colbie is quick witted and clever as she investigates the crime, and once again is successful in identifying the true culprit. This book held my interest from the very beginning, as it is not only a mystery but also a family drama as Elliott gets to met his bio-dad, and has just a touch of romance for Colbie with the farmer next door. I highly recommend it.