Josie buys a guesthouse from a family friend, Millie, and she inherits a couple of kitties, Nero and Marlowe, to go with it. She doesn't know much about cats or cat communication, but the cats are trying to teach her!

A guest is found dead and despite seeming to be the prime suspect by the police, Josie along with her mum and Millie, try to find out who the killer actually is, with some help from the cats and their friends.

This book was clearly written by someone who understands cats because there were a lot of descriptions of body language and traits that other cat people would also understand (I am one of those people so it was quite enjoyable for me).

There are some red herrings in the story and it is a cosy mystery which makes a nice change since I am usually reading gritty thrillers although I did find myself thinking that even though Josie seems to be a nice person, she is a bit clueless about a lot of things e.g. running a guesthouse, cooking etc etc! Just have to suspend belief a little bit, I guess.

A fun, light read which cat lovers in particular should enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

A Twist in the Tail by Leighann Dobbs is the first book in the The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series. This series is a cozy mystery with a bit of a twist as the title suggests in the fact that along with the main character, Josie Waters, and her point of view readers also get some sleuthing kitties who get to share their voices. As with most cozies though the story does have a completely contained mystery solved within each book.

In A Twist in the Tail we meet Josie Waters who had wanted to completely start over in life after her divorce and get away from her ex-husband. Moving from Ohio to Maine Josie purchased the Oyster Cove Guesthouse, a Victorian mansion turned into a bed and breakfast.

Josie didn’t realize the B&B would be and need as much work as it did and was struggling enough to get it up and running. Josie had also agreed to adopt the two residents kitties, Nero and Marlowe, and found the duo thought they owned the place. As if everything else going on wasn’t enough Josie ends up with a murder on her hands and needs to solve it before she’s suspect number one.

A Twist in the Tail was a solid start to this new cozy series. I’m always such a sucker for cute critters that I really enjoyed the cat antics as they help their clueless human solve a crime. Then on the flip side it’s also quite funny as Josie tries to figure out the animal antics, who hasn’t been there asking a pet just what the heck do you want? In the end I’d give this first book 3 1/2 stars and look forward to getting to know the characters better.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Josie Waters is beyond busy now that she is the new owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse. She purchased it from a close friend of the family. The guesthouse needs a bit of work, but things really take a nasty turn when one of her first guests is found dead. All fingers point towards Josie as being the culprit.

The guesthouse comes complete with two cats named Nero and Marlowe. They aren’t so sure they like Josie but they don’t think she’s a killer and they intend to prove her innocence. They turn towards a group of neighborhood cats to help them in the investigation. Meanwhile, Josie conducts her own investigation.

I loved this one right from the start. Yes, it helps that I love cats and there are a bunch of them in this one. The cats talk but only to each other, not the humans. It’s quite funny seeing them trying to get their message across to their human.

It’s a light-hearted, fast-paced read that gave me hours of fun. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Leighann Dobbs has been an author vaguely on my radar for a while, I have assorted of her previous books sitting on my kindle waiting for me, but I'm ashamed I'd never quite got around to reading one until now.

And I'm so glad I have finally given her a chance, as I really enjoyed A Twist in the Tail, and the residents of Oyster Cove.

I am always partial to a cosy mystery, and this is an excellent example of one, it kept me guessing from start to finish, I really hadn't worked out much, apart from what the words on the ripped up note may be, but the actual murderer was beyond my guess work.

I found it a really quick read and it was really enjoyable. The setting of a massive guest house in Maine, is a fabulous setting for this series, as it has plenty of nooks and crannies for potential secrets, and hiding.

However without a doubt the real stars of the book are not the humans, but rather Nero and Marlowe and their band of cat friends - for these are no ordinary cats, they are mystery solving ones. They can't talk to humans, but they are able to eventually get their humans to notice and get the hints to the clues which match with what the cats have been discovering, which in turn gets the humans thinking differently.

I loved the conversations between Marlowe and Nero, but what frustrated me was that it clearly wasn't their first mystery, nor was it the first time that Josie's mum and best friend have dropped into crime scenes and helped the local detective solve crimes in the past. However its these veiled references that made me wonder whether this was really book 1 of a series, or rather a republished edition of something from the authors vast back catalogue and not the first book either - or failing that whether the characters had been used elsewhere before. Was rather unsettling, but apart from that I loved the book.

I'm already eager to read book 2, and to find out how all their mystery solving skills develop. I have a feeling this is a series that I am going to greatly enjoy.

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

What a fab premise for a book! The cats (highly intelligent beings, obviously) can investigate murders! I LOVE this idea!
Nero and Marlowe help their hapless human ‘owner’ to find out who, why and how a well known food critic was murdered in her guesthouse. I really loved their interactions with Josie which we as readers get to see from both the feline and human perspective.
A Twist in the Tail is described as ‘cozy’ (US spelling) and it definitely is. There is nothing gruesome, nor any graphic detail. But the danger and anticipation are there!
Josie has bought the guesthouse from her mum’s best friend Millie and is working hard to establish herself as the owner, renovate the property and cater for her guests while keeping bossyboots building inspector Barbara happy. The cats are struggling to make their opinions known and keep trying to communicate with her in order to ‘train’ her to get their own way.
The body of a guest is found in a closed down part of the building. It appears to be an accident but is then found to be murder. The police seem to suspect Josie so she, her mum and Millie start their own investigation: was Charles killed for personal or professional reasons?
There are plenty of suspects to eliminate from their suspicions and lots of red herrings to keep the reader misdirected too (but not the type of herring the cats would like!)
The cat element of the book is a ‘purrfect’ method to add a new dynamic to a murder mystery novel. Apparently, author Leighann Dobbs likes to include animals in her stories so I’m very interested to read more books to see how this works in her other series.

Nero and Marlowe are the stars of this story! Their tantrums and intelligence - superior beings, indeed!

There are two POV characters in this story. One is Josie and the other are the cats - so three POVs?? The cats tut-tut, sorry, meow-purr on Josie's lack of detective skills. Meroop! Overall, the story was enjoyable and entertaining. There wasn't much of sleuthing going on. Josie is so desperate to clear her name that she makes a lot of mistakes. Giving this a second thought, Josie's 'mistakes' can be considered as red herrings.

If you love cozy mysteries and felines that you must read this book!

This author is one of my favorites so I jumped at the chance to read this new series. I wasn't disappointed. The word that comes to mind when I think of this book is charming. Charming characters, charming setting, and anything with animals in it just adds a bit more to the story. The mystery was well written and executed. I cannot wait to read more of this series.

A Twist in the Tail is the first book I have read by Leighann Dobbs and I really enjoyed it! I will be looking for more books written by Ms. Dobbs. This was an easy read with great characters. I particularly loved Nero's and Marlowe's group of cat friends. It's a cozy mystery where a guest turns up dead but without the need for descriptive gore. The cats try to help Josie find the clues to solve the murder, but every time you think they have it solved, it has a twist in the plot. A fun story that kept me guessing until the end.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and I voluntarily wrote an honest review.

I don't know what happened to my first review...

This book has all the elements of a cozy mystery with the unique addition of talking cats. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I am a cat lover, and I enjoyed some of the quips, but it felt contrived...gimmicky.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Twist in the Tail by Leighann Dobbs is the first The Oyster Cove Guesthouse Mystery. Josie Waters has moved back home to Oyster Cove, Maine after her divorce and has purchased the Oyster Cove Guesthouse from Millie Sullivan. The guesthouse is a beautiful 250 old Victorian mansion that needs extensive renovations. Barbara Littlefield, the town’s building inspector, has been a pain in the backside since the very beginning. Josie promised Millie to care for the inn’s two resident cats, Marlowe and Nero who take offense when Josie states she owns them (big mistake). She inherited Flora, the maid, who spends more time watching soap operas than cleaning. Josie might not have thought through the cooking part of the operation completely. It is a good thing that Millie tends to drop by regularly and takes over the kitchen. Josie has invested all her savings into this venture, and she is determined to make a go of it. But then the cats start howling and lead Josie into the dilapidated west wing where one of her guests is dead at the bottom of the collapsed stairs. Maybe this was not one of Josie’s best ideas.

A Twist in the Tail is a lighthearted, engaging tale. Josie Waters is recently divorced from her chef hubby and has returned to her hometown where she can keep an eye on her mother plus start over. She has purchased the Oyster Cove Guesthouse which needs massive amounts of renovations (a beautiful yet rundown Victorian). I like that the protagonist is in her 40s and starting a new chapter of her life. The chapters alternate between the human and the cat’s point-of-views. The cat chapters are entertaining and will have you chuckling. Marlowe and Nero are not certain about the new human in their lives. They are working on training her, but they have a long road ahead of them. Josie fails to understand them, and she actually believes she owns the felines (she has not been around cats before this as we can tell). Josie’s mother, Rose and Minnie Sullivan have a police scanner app on their cell phones and usually arrive at crime scenes before Sheriff Seth Chamberlain (who should have retired years ago). Mike Sullivan, Millie’s nephew, is doing the renovations on the guesthouse. He broke Josie’s heart back in high school and Josie would rather avoid Mike especially since the old attraction is still present between them. It does not help that Stella Dumont, her high school nemesis, seems intent on flirting with Mike and keeps popping up in her kitchen. Now Josie has a dead guest which can ruin her new business venture before it begins. It does not help that Sheriff Chamberlain considers Josie his prime suspect and Barbara Littlefield, the town building inspector, has issued another fine. Josie must investigate the murder to clear her name and save the guesthouse from ruin. Millie and Rose are determined to help along with Marlowe and Nero (want to guess which pair are the better sleuths). The mystery was straightforward with the murder occurring in first chapter. There are good clues to aid readers in solving the crime before the reveal. There are multiple suspects, misdirection and plenty of action. Avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem solving this whodunit. I would have liked less repetition of case details and speculation. There are recipes at the end of the book. There is a hint at what will happen in A Whisker in the Dark. A Twist in the Tail is a humorous cozy mystery with sleuthing cats, meddling seniors, a handsome handyman, a clueless sheriff, scintillating secrets, and one new guesthouse owner who is in over her head.

Josie Waters is recently divorced and has moved from Ohio back to Maine. Why move to Maine? To run the Oyster Cove Guesthouse, a B&B she bought. A decision that might not have been fully cooked when she acted upon it. She's barely making enough money to cover the repairs the place needs, the building inspector is always finding something wrong, the former owner, Millie, and Josie's mom pop in as if Millie still owns the place, and there are two demanding cats, Nero and Marlowe, that came with the Guesthouse. Could things get worse? Of course they can, and do, when one of the guest is found dead in a closed off section of the house! Josie is the sheriff's top (and seems to be only) suspect. Lucky for Josie the sheriff seems to be sweet on Millie or she would've been in jail and not free to figure out who the real killer is. She also gets help from Nero and Marlowe, who are crime solving cats and do their best to help Josie find clues and point her in the right direction.

We're introduced to several of the townspeople besides the sheriff, and there are more cats than just Nero and Marlowe. Did I mention there's a hunky handyman working on the Guesthouse, and although Josie denies it I'm pretty sure she's attracted to him. I found the dialogue between the cats as they try to figure out how to get human's to pay attention to them pretty funny. Marlowe is a calico and reminds me of my calico baby, Pandora, who protects us and our home from all kinds of things we may not see but she does and they send her racing from window to window.

I liked the character of Josie--she makes some snarky comments in her head, my favorite one was about Stella who owns the restaurant near the Guesthouse--it seems Josie and Stella went to school together and don't really get along. "Stella looked up at the sky as if that's where she kept her memory--apparently we hadn't called her an airhead in high school for nothing."

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Leighann Dobbs. The author is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors (I think I own almost every series she's written), and several have cats in them, which is a plus for me since I'm a cat lover. If you enjoy the author's Mystic Notch mysteries you'll enjoy this new Oyster Cove series. I like that the author included recipes served at the Guesthouse at the end of the book

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are mine alone.

This wasn't the first crime the cats has solved. Of course, the humans didn't realise the cats' involvement. Nero often thought it would be so much easier if humans would just be more aware. The humans' lack of cat-communication skills made the cats' job that much harder because they has to practically hit the humans over the head with clues to make them think it was their idea.

I think this summarizes the book nicely. It was first time I read a cozy murder mystery where the crime was solved by cats. It was really clever and at times hilarious as well.
I think there are tons of books might have same thing but this was my first book which has combined my love of felines and cozy murder mystery and combination was a hit!

Aftermath: (possible spoilers)
If you like murder mysteries, you should definitely give this a try...don't take it to seriously and have fun and gobbel like comfort food on rainy days...

This is the first book in the delightful new cozy series "Oyster Cover Guesthouse Series:. I loved this book and found myself laughing and smiling as I read along the pages. I love a cozy that has a witty repartee and humor throughout. This made me laugh and I was sorry to see it end. I love the setting of Maine and its descriptions by the author are so richly done the reader feels as if they have visited Maine while reading. That is truly the mark of a fantastic writer that can place the reader present in the location and story.
Our protagonist we are introduced to is 40 something divorcee Josie who has taken on the running of a crumbling old guest house in Oyster Cove, Maine. She has no idea how to run the guesthouse but is determined to make a go of it. The house comes with two very smart cats, Nero and Marlowe. These cats have special talents as she is soon going to find out.
When she finds the body of one of her guests in the guesthouse she must investigate on her own to save her business and her reputation.
I loved the repartee between the cats, as all cat lovers will ! The author even added seagulls, a hot maintenance man and possible romance for her future. As the guest house comes together we see Josie step up and take on not just the investigation but the running of her new business. This is a fun. laugh out loud read with appealing cats, a savvy protagonist and a fun whodunit . Very enjoyable read ! Thank you for the advance reading copy . My opinion is my own.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This is the first book in a new cosy series by Ms. Dobbs. Josie, the human owner of a rather dilapidated Victorian guest house, is trying to both get renovations completed and open it to guests. Unfortunately, one of the first set of guests ends up dead in the 'under renovation' part of the house. Josie is helped, without her knowledge(!), by the two cats whom she inherited along with the property. Nero and Marlowe, who occasionally advance the story with their insights, are a great addition. This is wonderful start to a new series and I look forward to more at the Oyster Cove Guesthouse!

I have a bit of a confession to make. I must admit that I haven’t heard of Leighann Dobbs before. Well I have certainly heard of her now and I will most definitely read more of her other books. I read the synopsis for ‘A Twist In The Tail’ and I must admit that it intrigued me and it caught my attention. I managed to get my hand on a review copy of the book and without further ado I jumped straight in.
I love the strong female lead characters in this book. The main character is Josie Waters, who has a messy break up with her husband who is a chef and he is unbelievably self centred. Josie needs to get away for a bit and so she agrees to buy a guesthouse from a family friend called Millie. I loved seeing the bond develop between Josie, her Mam and Millie. Girl power and all that. Josie is feisty, determined, stubborn, fair, hardworking and she is the sort of person I would love to have as a friend. She’s always there for her friends and she would be there through the highs and through the lows. I would love to sit down for a cup of tea and a gossip with her. I loved the cats Nero and Marlowe, who Josie ends up adopting. They are cheeky but adorable. Some of their antics really made me laugh and I loved their interactions and escapades with all their feline buddies. I often wonder what cats are thinking.
‘A Twist In The Tail’ is billed as being a cozy mystery and it does exactly what it says on the tin because it is a cozy mystery but it is also so much more. It has a bit of everything in that there’s humour, drama, surprises and twists galore. Even though some cozy mysteries can be predictable, I didn’t find ‘A Twist In The Tail’ to be at all predictable. Yes I guessed some aspects of the story but other aspects of the book kept me guessing.
I have to say that I particularly loved the striking cover, even if I did have to hide it from my gorgeous but extremely loopy Labrador, who has a hatred of cats. This is the dog that once barked at one of my birthday cards because it dared to have a Labrador on the front. Whenever she spots a cat outside she goes beserk, uses the couch as a trampoline and then proceeds to have a mad five minutes round the garden. Anyway enough of my mad hound and so back to the book I do go.
‘A Twist In The Tail’ is very well written. The author has one of those writing styles that draws you in. She certain dangles enough bait to keep you interested in the story all the way through. It didn’t take me long at all to get into this book and it certainly didn’t take me long to become addicted to reading it. I just had to keep reading to see how things panned out for Josie and to discover what the cats got up to next. I would pick the book up with the intention of only reading a chapter or two but I would still be say there six chapters later. I was so wrapped up in the story that I noticed neither how quickly the time was passing nor how quickly the pages were turning. I soon got to the end of the book and I enjoyed it so much that I immediately started on the next one.
In short, I loved reading ‘A Twist In The Tail’ and I would most definitely recommend it to other readers. I will most definitely be reading more from Leighann Dobbs. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

A Twist in the Tail by Leighann Dobbs is the first in the new series, The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series. What a great intro to the series.
Josie has returned home to Oyster Cove, Maine and bought a run down guest house. She has plans to renovate it and has her first guests checked it. When one of those guests is found murdered in the closed off section of the house, everyone is looking at her. Not only does she now have a murder on her hands but is trying to figure out to deal with the two felines that came the house.
This cozy has it all, plenty of twists and turns, loveable, relatable characters. a great setting and also has some humor and romance. The favorite part of the book for me was reading the commentary from the cats, Nero and Marlowe. This is an entertaining and easy to read cozy. I can't wait to return to Oyster Cove.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.

Cozy Coastal B&B Mystery
This is truly a different sort of cozy mystery. A group of cats helps to solve murders and communicate well with each other. Meanwhile, a group of people is also sleuthing crimes. The problem is the communication issue between the cats and the people. It makes for a cute sideline to the story. The basic murder/crime plot is very good. Just as the reader and the heroine decide on a culprit, a better one reveals itself. The final reveal was quite a surprise. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Loved this story and absolutely love Nero and Marlowe! I wish my cats were so talented. I looking forward to see where a couple of these relationships might be heading. Josie may need to get some cat talk training, but I’m sure she’ll get better with time. Oh, and maybe a little more practice in the kitchen. How fun would it be to run a guest house? You would definitely meet some interesting characters. I can’t wait to hang out with Nero, Marlowe, Josie, Millie, Mom, Mike and Seth again. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

I like to read cosy mysteries and this was the first I have read by Leighann Dobbs, a well-known author in this genre.

Josie Waters thought her day was bad enough. She was just about to present Charles Prescott with his perfectly cooked boiled egg when the building inspector arrives. She has only just taken ownership of the large, rundown Oyster Cove Guesthouse and parts of the ancient building were closed off from guests for renovation. As well as the building, Josie finds that the previous elderly owners two cats, Nero and Marlowe are included in the purchase!

When the building inspector insists on finding out where the persistent purring is coming from they stumble upon a body in a disused part of the guesthouse. No wonder Josie couldn’t find Charles to present him with his perfectly cooked egg, he was lying dead at the bottom of the stairs!. It looks like he has been murdered.

When suspicions turn to Josie, her elderly mother and best friend set out to solve the crime. However, they are not alone. Marlowe and Nero are very special sleuth cats and they too are determined to find the killer and solve the crime.

This promises to be an excellent series with rich, multi-layered characters a location with generations of history and also the very unique investigating cat duo. It held just the right amount of tongue in cheek humour I love to see in a cosy mystery and the plot was clever and kept me guessing.

A quick, refreshingly different murder mystery, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will have my eyes peeled for the next one in this brand new series.

I love Leighann Dobbs books and her quirky feline characters.
This was a very good cozy mystery, full of humour, twists and turns.
I liked the quirky and well written characters, the plot, and the setting.
This is an engaging and entertaining book that will make you more than once.
The mystery was good and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine..