Book Review
Now this is a series with a little difference.
If you are a cat lover, then this one is most definitely for you.
The second book in this series, you will meet lots of familiar characters from book one.
We meet lovely Josie who runs the Oyster Cove Guesthouse. She's quite a tonic isn't she....
While she is trying to impress her guests with her baking skills, a skeleton is found by one of the builders.
With the Biddleford family descending on Josie to search for their family treasure in the wake of the skeletal remains of one of their ancestors, she needs to have her wits about her completely.
Disaster strikes however when one of the family members dies and Josie with the help of her cats must solve this recent murder.
Cue for a light read with plenty twists and turns and it sure does give you many laughs along the way.
There are suspects galore and I do love the chatter between lovable cats Nero & Marlowe..
Definitely one to try out. Different but in a good way....

Thank you kindly to author Leighann Dobbs and her publishers Bookouture for my copy of this book. M7ch appreciated.

Josie is back, along with her mum, Millie and her two adorable kitties: Nero and Marlowe (plus their friends).

A skeleton is found in the walls of Josie's guesthouse and although he has been there for a while, the next body that is discovered on the grounds of the guesthouse is not nearly as old. Josie, Millie and Josie's mum (along with the cats), swing into action and try to figure out who the murderer is. The local police officer is also on the case but he seems like an afterthought here. There are some red herrings thrown in for good measure, but they work it out in the end. I love that the story is partially told from the cats' point of view and the author clearly knows cats quite well because their behaviour and mannerisms are accurately portrayed here.

All in all, this is a sweet story, a cosy mystery as described on the box. I do wonder what possessed Josie to buy a guesthouse without seemingly being unable to cook even the most basic of dishes without burning them, but that was a source of some laughter during the reading of this book and even though it wasn't realistic, it was fun anyway.

4 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Rating 4.5/5*
If you love reading great cosy murder mysteries, look no further! This is a highly entertaining, well written and enthralling story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading from start to finish. It is the first book that I’ve read by this author but I’ll certainly be looking out for more by her in future, including the first book in this series.

The Oyster Cove Guesthouse is being renovated by its owner Josie Waters and she certainly hadn’t anticipated discovering a skeleton hidden in a bedroom wall! As the remains are suspected of being more than 300 years old she didn’t expect any further trouble but she’d no counted on the descendants of the victim arriving absolutely convinced that there are family treasures buried nearby. As the family and locals endeavour to discover these treasures, the guest house grounds are being dug up and someone is murdered. This sets off another murder mystery for Josie and her cats, Nero and Marlowe, to help solve!

This is a great read, packed with humour, intrigued and potential killers. I can’t wait to read more from this exceptionally talented author and highly recommend you give her books a read, too!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley, and this is my honest review after choosing to read it – and absolutely loving doing so!

Another fun mystery in the series of Josie and her Guesthouse. This one has 2 murders, although one was over 300 years ago. Although it takes a bit to get used to the cats talking to each other, they are helpful in solving the crime. A lot of red herrings, but that is common in a cozy mystery. Would recommend this one and look forward to reading the next in the series.

I love cats and I am a fan of cozy mysteries. So when browsing through Net Galley one day, I came across this book. Read the blurb and requested a copy. I wasn't disappointed at all. A Whisker In The Dark is a fun read. The author Leighann Dobbs is clearly someone who knows cats. We may think we are in charge, but really the cats are. Josie is the owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse, she is slowly working on having the place renovated. A bit at a time as money permits. She currently is hosting the Biddeford's family. When a body is found in the wall. Its found out to be Jedediah Biddeford, when the Biddeford's find out its their ancestor the family legend of buried treasure comes up. Chaos rains as the family start to dig around the property for the buried treasure. When another body is found Josie is worried this will be bad for her business. Josie teams up with her Mum and Millie the previous owner of the guesthouse. Meanwhile Nero and Marlowe team up with the local cats to help their humans. A very worthy five star book. Purrrfect for fans of felines and cozy mysteries. Cant wait to read more from this series. ARC requested from Net Galley. This is my voluntary review.

This is the 2nd installment in the adorable "Oyster Cove Guesthouse Series"". by beloved cozy author Leighann Dobbs who writes the "Mystic Notch" cat related series as well I have read the first in series and it was one of my favorite books of this year ! I love the premises of the series with the two talking detective cats and their human sidekick . Add a mysterious old mansion and this is the "purrfect" catnip for cat lover and mystery lovers alike.

In this next in series I was delighted to return to the world of Nero and Marlowe . Josie their human is likable and a fun addition as a cozy protagonist. She lives with her Mom who is a great addition to this series. The dialogue is smart and the story well plotted from beginning to end. ,

When a skeleton is found in a wall it is found to be a victim of murder over 300 years ago ! Josie and her intripd crime fighting cats are on the case as the victims relatives happen to be visiting at the time and may have discovered a treasure map . The discovery of the map leads to chaos. Everyone wants to find the treasure and soon Josie and her home are overrun with people looking for buried treasure . .When a 2nd murder takes place the mood turns to fear and soon suspects abound and many are under suspicion.

This was a very well crafted enjoyable mystery with a pleasing conclusion. I love the (Agatha Christie) feel to the mystery with the treasure hunt and the two murders. It was fun to read about all the charcters and enjoy the crime solving cats once again . The lovely well crafted setting by the seaside adds to the enjoyment of the mystery. A winning addition to this fun cozy mystery series and I cannot wait for the next in series.
Very well done to the author.

Well after reading this book, one thing is clear–humans are TERRIBLE at solving mysteries! Cats are the real detectives!! Do yourself a big favor if you are a fan of cute and cozy mysteries and check this book out!

The wrong people would certainly be arrested for murder if not for Nero and Marlowe (detective in training), a pair of felines who not only live at Oyster Cove guest house, they solve murders there! And I’ll just say, Oyster Cove might be a dangerous guest house to stay at. Murders and skeletons galore at that house!

The local sheriff is a bit bumbling when it comes to the skeleton found in the walls, so thankfully Nero and Marlowe are willing to help out, with some assistance from their human frontman, Josie. When a family happens to be visiting the very home where their ancestor’s skeleton is found, they know it is the sign that his treasure is buried on the grounds of the guest house. Frankly, I was shocked she let them dig up the grounds at all, though it was begrudgingly!

When the second body is found after the guests and townsfolk show up for an all-night treasure hunt, it becomes clear there is a murderer on the loose! Nero has Marlowe for help, but he employs a gang of other cats to help as well. It might sound weird to have chapters narrated by the cats talking to eachother, but that was all part of the cozy charm!!!

I couldn’t NOT grin while reading this book (something that was probably quite odd to the passengers on the train with me yesterday)! With tons of cute moments and obscure clues, cozy mystery fans will LOVE this book!

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy. Opinions are my own.

A Whisker In The Dark by Leighann Dobbs is the 2nd book in The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series, and another fun addition. Josie Waters hastily purchased a Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine. Nero and Marlowe, the resident cats who came with the mansion, are delightful. When a 300 year old skeleton is found in the ballroom wall, people come out of the woodwork to find the rumored buried treasure. When one of Josie's guests is found murdered in the guesthouse garden, she is determined to find the truth and protect her reputation. I found this book delightful, and look forward to reading the next book in the series. I recommend this book for cozy mystery lovers.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

What a great story! I haven't read the first book in this series, but plan to go back and read it. I was able to follow the story with no issues. I enjoyed the mystery in a mystery. This story has a great setting and plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. I am looking forward to the next book in this series as well!

I've been a fan of Leighann Dobbs for a long time and always appreciated her books and her characters.
I fell in love with this series when I read the first book and was more than happy when I was able to read the ARC of the second one.
It was great to meet again the quirky characters, I think they are well written and likable. My favorite characters are the cats, Ms Dobbs' cats are always fantastic characters, quirky and adorable.
The plot was engrossing and entertaining. I appreciated how it was developed and if flows keeping you hooked till the last page.
The mystery was excellent, it kept me guessing till the end as it's full of red herrings, twists and turns.
I look forward to visiting again Oyster Cove.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I love this series! This is a well crafted mystery with engaging characters. This book gives us a 300 year old mystery, a current murder, and Nero and Marlowe, the cats who have it all figured out. I highly recommend this book.

This is the second book in the Oyster Cove Guesthouse cozy mystery series. Attracted by the cover, I love cats, and still fondly remembering reading ‘The Cat Who…’ cozy mysteries when I was younger, I dived in.

I was surprised that the characters didn’t immediately draw me in. Maybe, I needed to read the first book in the series? As I read on, there is the necessary backstory to Josie, her friends and family, to see how their story got to this point. The murder mystery is standalone, and the cats Nero, Marlowe and their friends are so perfectly characterised, they tell their own stories.

The characters, once you get to know are delightfully quirky, the family of guests staying at the guesthouse, less so, but they are flawed, and therefore realistic. The plot has plenty of twists and false leads, so just when you think you know who did it, another suspect appears.

The cats are major characters in this story, their detective musings are like a parallel universe to the main story. This story relies on a little ‘magic’, but everyone who has shared life with a cat or two will find this easy to accept.

The ending ties up all the loose ends, and guess what? The cats find the culprit.

If you enjoy reading cozy mystery with a New England setting, quirky characters, and cat detectives, this is for you.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Will Nero and Marlowe ever get Josie trained to their satisfaction? I can’t wait to see what else will be discovered in the Oyster Cove Guesthouse while all the renovations are taking place. Do you think Josie will ever be comfortable in the kitchen? Thank goodness for Millie. Love these characters and their antics. They have the most interesting guests at the Guesthouse. Have you ever had a cheese sculpture? I’m loving this series and I think you will too. I would like Nero and Marlowe to come live with me. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This book was cute, cozy, and catatastic! Leighann Dobbs knows how to create the perfect comfy environment for a cozy mystery. This book checked off all my cozy mystery boxes: quaint Setting✔️ quirky characters✔️ compelling Mystery✔️ adorable animals✔️ Nero and Marlowe were paws down my favorite characters in the story. Even though I’m still not sure what to think about the cats talking to one another, I liked how smart and savvy they were. Josie, Lily, and the gang were all very likable I just wish there were a tiny bit more character development, and maybe a little more eccentricity. The mystery was fun even if it was a little convenient. This dysfunctional rude family is at the guest house and their ancestors bones are found in the walls of the house. Is there a curse? Is there a treasure? Soon everyone is digging for the treasure and then one of the family members ends up dead. And thank goodness Nero, Marlowe, and friends were on the case leading Josie in the right direction. The cats were definitely smarter than the humans in this book, especially the bumbling local sheriff. Josie was also sometimes a little more concerned about baking the perfect Bundt cake rather than the fact that people were dropping Dead at her inn. Also I have to add in that this dysfunctional families business was creating cheese sculptures, is this a real thing? I need to know! This was a quick cozy read perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.

*** Big thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of Leighann Dobbs’ ‘A Whisker in the Dark’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in her Oyster Cove Guesthouse series of cosy mysteries. Dobbs has quite an extensive body of work including a number featuring feline characters. I am definitely adding her to my list of authors whose books I turn to for comfort reading.

During the renovations of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse a 300-year old skeleton is discovered in a cavity wall. It is believed to be Jedediah Biddeford who legend says buried a treasure nearby. As it happens members of the Biddeford family are staying at the Guesthouse for the 250 anniversary celebrations for Oyster Cove. Overnight members of the family along with local residents are digging up the grounds in search of buried treasure. Then one of the guests is found murdered.

New owner Josie is concerned that the guesthouse will get a bad reputation and decides to investigate. Unknown to her the two cats that she inherited, Marlow and Nero, are also on the case. They round up their gang of local cats to assist.

This was a delightfully fluffy mystery including its clowder of feline sleuths. I already have the first in the series, ‘A Twist in the Tail’, lined up and look forward to reading the next one, ‘A Purrfect Alibi, coming out in September.

A Whisker in the Dark is book two in The Oyster Cove Guesthouse 2 book series. This was my first introduction to the works of Leighann Dobbs therefore, I read the book with open eyes and an open mind as this is a novel a little out of my comfort zone but I have to admit I was drawn to the cosy cover with the bookcase and the cats; I'm a lover of books and cats so I thought I was destined for a good read and I was. A Whisker in the Dark can easily be read as a standalone story but after reading this delightful novel I wouldn't hesitate in recommending reading both books in the series to gain an all round reading experience and enjoyment. The books in the series are:
A Twist in the Tale
A Whisker in the dark
A Whisker in the Dark is a charming whodunnit set in a small American town were the resident cats of the local guesthouse kept their eyes peeled, their ears alert and their whiskers clean for any unsavoury business that may occur. It was like a story of two half's were the proprietor of the guesthouse, Josie, with the help of her mother and friends would investigate any wrong doings and then we have the cat's story who seem to pick up the pieces that the humans have left and put everything together making their master, Josie, know who is top cat! The cunning cats knew a thing or two about sleuthing and were soon weighing up suspicious individuals.
The cats felt very much an extension of the characters in the storyline and they were so clever and witty, I loved their thoughts of the suspects and of their master Josie, the author had created some lovely charming scenes that made me smile.
There's a definite cosy crime mystery to the story with a myriad of characters/suspects. It's quite an endearing and comforting story and I quite liked the secret sleuthing by the feline members of the guesthouse. Chaos may have taken hold but the cats have kept their cool!
A Whisker in the Dark is a nice, gentle easy read that will charm and entertain you and have you eyeing up your own feline friend wondering what their inner thoughts are!

Cozy Coastal B&B Mystery
Josie and her superior pussy cats solve the mystery of a skeleton found inside a 300-year-old plaster wall. This is a slightly 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. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

A Whisker in the Dark by Leighann Dobbs is the second book in The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series.
I enjoyed the first in the series and was excited to read book two and I was not disappointed.
When the skeleton of the original owner of the inn, Jedediah Biddeford, turns up buried in the walls, talk of a hidden treasure starts and shovels are flying of the shelves at the local stores. Throw in the remaining Biddeford family that happen to be staying at the inn, and did I mention, they get along like the Hatfield's and McCoy's, the hunt is on. When a body is found floating in a pond, Josie knows she will have to move fast to solve the murder, after all, her livelihood depends on it. What Josie doesn't know though is the residence cats, Nero and Marlowe along with their feline friends are already ahead of her.
There is plenty of plot twists that have you guessing until the end along with humor, a hint of romance and cats. Over all this is a fun, easy to read cozy mystery. You will want to visit Oyster Cove.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher and have given an honest review.

A Whisker in the Dark is a cosy crime with a slight difference. Not only do you get the usual police investigations into a murder that takes place at the Oyster Cove Guest House but there are others that are taking an interest in what is going on… Nero and Marlowe the resident cats. This is the second book in the series but is just as good as a standalone.
When the skeleton of the Guest Houses original owner is found in the walls, it starts of chain of events that leads to the murder of one of the guests. To add to the twist this guest is one of his descendants. The discovery of the body brings back to the surface the legend of a curse that has the whole town trying to find buried treasure in the grounds.
None of the murder victim’s family are very pleasant and all of them could have a motive for the murder and I found their business of cheese sculptures a little bit odd(if this really is a thing I have to ask why) but with so many others acting suspiciously you have to follow the twists and turns to find out who the killer actually was.
You can’t help but like Josie. She has moved back to the place she grew up in and taken on the running of the guest house. A self-confessed bad cook she is often found utilizing the skills of the previous owner to make sure all her guests at least get a decent breakfast. As she is once again thrust into the middle of a murder investigation, she decides that along with Millie and her own mother they would try to find out what happened. Its fun to watch Nero and Marlowe and their motley crew of cats dig and sniff their way round clues and try to communicate them to the humans whilst remaining aloof as cats do.
I will admit that this book may not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially as the cats talk to each other but I have to say I enjoyed it and I found myself smiling quite a lot whilst reading it. Leighann Dobbs has certainly captured the true essence of the cats and has created central characters that you will enjoy reading about. If you love cosy crime then give this series a shot.

When I first picked up A Whisker In The Dark I had only recently finished the first book in the series. I have read Leighann Dobbs before and like her stories which are usually very cute.

A Whisker In The Dark was ok. I certainly didn't want to put it down and never pick it up again but I wasn't rushing to finish it either. It took me a little over a month to read which is insanely slow for me.

At the Oyster Cove Guest House a skeleton is found in the wall while construction is being done. This story line is never resolved except for saying who the body is assumed to be. The second mystery in the book is who killed one of the guests. He is an adult staying there with his mother and siblings. Although it was explained who they all were I didn't really care who was who because I wasn't drawn to any of those characters so all I found myself wondering was: was it a family member or was it one of the other characters? The reason ended up being not that interesting and not to big a mystery.

All that being said I really enjoyed the other main characters in this book who are the characters who will continue in this series. Oh, and I love a good book with cats :)