I adore cats. So i was all in, but the mystery and all was boring and meh. I am not too fan of mystery like that. But i adored the cats in the book.

A lovely little cozy mystery,. I love cats and cozies and this was perfect for a rainy Saturday afternoon. I highly recommend it.

This is book 2 in the Witch Cats of Cambridge and it can be read as a stand alone. Becca is a witch detective and is happy to have 2 new cases. When the two cases start to intertwine and a man is found poisoned, Becca and her three cats need to solve the cases quickly before they are dead too. Clara and her sister cats are lovable and talk to each other to discuss the case and their beloved Becca. But the 3 of them are feuding about which one will be Becca's familiar. Any animal and magic cozy lover will enjoy this series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really wanted to like this series - I mean, it has magic cats! - but while the cats were well written, I wasn't terribly fond of the people in the book, particularly the heroine. Not my cup of tea after all.

I didn't find this as enjoyable as I had hoped. Human character was a bit flat and cats seemed to want to bicker more than assist in solving murder.

‘#An Incantation of Cats by Author #Clea Simon is #2 in her series of Witch cats of Cambridge. Being really a serious reader this was a nice break for me.The book is a magical tale with a dose of mystery.
The talking cats and Becca the witch with all the mayhem is perfect.
Thank you,
#Netgalley,#Clea Simon and #Polis Books

I’m not usually a mystery reader, but the cats on the cover drew me in. From the first few pages I was invested. Great story and will recommend!

imon began her publishing career in 1997 with the harrowing memoir Mad House. Since then she has published 2 other non fiction works. In 2005 she turned her talent to writing mysteries that featured amateur sleuths, cats, and New England settings. In addition she is a well regarded book reviewer for the Boston Globe.

Simon is a disciplined writer. From 2005 to today, she has created 5 cozy mystery series in addition to one stand alone suspense novel. An incantation of Cats is book 2 in the Witch Cats of Cambridge series. The hook for the series is the humans do not have paranormal abilities. The cats are the holders of magic. They adopt their human. In essence, the human is the familiar.

The human in question is Becca. Devoted to the craft, she believes in her nascent powers. She recently decided to become a 'Witch Detective' supplementing her trained research skills with
her Wiccan Beliefs. She is delighted to have two new clients; sadly the clients are two sides of the same coin and she must decide who to serve. When a possible poisoning, followed by a probably murder happen, Becca feels the pressure.

The real pressure belongs to Clara. She is the one who 'dogs' (forgive me couldn't resist) Becca's feet. She is the one who feels mistreated by her sisters. She is the one who suspects humans might have magic. Are feuding cats like feuding humans?

There is a lot to like in this new series. The puzzle was well plotted and not easily solved. Becca is an endearing character. The cats are likeable. Yet, this reader found some quibbles . It seemed the book needed a good editing. Adjectives used to describe the characteristics were over used. One cat continually yowls, another is always hungry, and so on. The writing felt pedestrian. I enjoy Simon's take on cats and the paranormal world. This series is bound to improve.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from netgalley and Polis books in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I think I'm sadly going to give the next in this series a miss; although this book is from one of my favorite authors, and the genre is so up my alley it isn't funny, both books out so far haven't held my interest long. There are the three cats, the main character and her friend, as well as the characters involved in the murder. They all have traditional, older names, and even the author/editor in this early edition uses the WRONG name on multiple occasions. I had to go back and see when a cat had entered the room, only to realize the wrong name was used instead. I honestly think this story would work better if the main character only had the one cat, and the sisters were owned by other neighbours/friends. There is too much pull towards them and inconsequential dialogue and situations that ultimately pull the story down.

This is a case of personal opinion I suppose, because I have to give some reasoning as to why I kept putting it down no matter how much I wanted to get it out of the way. It was the same with the first book. Ultimately, life is too short for bad books, but I did finish this one and was glad to. Three stars, for potential and a great idea that just doesn'y translate to the page.

This is the second book in the "Witch Cats Of Cambridge" mystery series by popular cozy author., Clea Simon. Her books are catnip to her readers with her vivid understanding of cats and her wonderful ways of writing them into mysteries. I was thrilled to receive this for review. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

In this second in series we return to Becca and her intuitive cats that can read minds. Becca is using her new witch detective skills to help her town . Clara, the calico, knows what to do when a man ends up dead and a powerful poisonous root in the case mysteriously disappears. . Clara and her littermates are feuding – and she cannot put her paw on certain clues . It is entirely possible that some humans may have the same powers as the magical felines do now?

This was such a fun read with enchanting feline antics and likable humans. I always enjoy returning to this series . The author knows cats and she brings them to life and pairs them perfectly here with Becca the new witch working with her very smart cats to solve crimes. I love reading the book from the cats point of view. Very well done to the author.

First book by this author. Cats on cover drove me to want to read this book.
A magical mystery, talking cats.
Sweet cozy mystery.

The book has things I enjoy, cats and a delightful cozy mystery.
The story line was pretty good and held my attention .
The banter between the kitties was clever. The kitties and their human solve mysteries.
I liked the concept and enjoyed the cats more than the main character, she fell flat for me.

Published January 14th 2020 by Polis Books.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you
All opinions expressed are my own.

Cats? Check! Witches? Check! Mystery? Check! This is everything I love wrapped up in one appealing little package. I highly enjoyed this read .

I tried to enjoy this book – but it fell flat to me. While the premise was promising, with the story told from the cats’ viewpoint, it could not engage me. The human characters were … annoying, flat, one-dimensional … the cats were overly complicated. I loved the idea, but it did not deliver.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Some humans would be a danger to themselves if they did not have feline help. Becca is a heroine who desperately needs all three of her kitties as she is rather hopeless without them. In the first book of the series, she fancies herself a witch detective thanks to the actions of one of her cats. While she is a fine researcher, her detective skills are still AWOL but she has two people engage her in the same day. The problem is they work together and there is a strong suspicion each one could be responsible for the other’s concerns. It is even more complicated than it seems originally. Not only is one of them the employee of the other but she is also having an affair with her boss’s husband who ends up poisoned.
Neither one of the ladies is exactly honest with Becca and the mystery confounds her until she realizes there is more to the situation than is apparent. But without the assistance of Clara and her two sisters, Becca would remain befuddled. However, it does appear that there is some hope for both her witch skills and her detective skills in the future. It cannot happen soon enough.
I love the three kitties and their banter back and forth. They each have some very cool skills. Now, if they could just bring their human up to speed. Four purrs and two paws up.

This was a fun book to read. I liked the concept and enjoyed the cats immensely. The only drawback for me is that Becca is just so clueless. I'm hoping that won't always be the case.

Clara and her sisters are fast becoming part of my favorite cozy mystery cats.
And also this series is becoming one of my favorites.
I like how the book is told by the cat POV and how sweet and naif but also sharp Becca is.
This was an excellent story that kept me hooked till the end, the cast of characters is likable and well thought, the mystery is solid and the solution came as a surprise.
I can't wait to read the next instalment in this series.
A gripping and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was a really cute cosy mystery with the cats. I found the plot so-so and sometimes I felt the author could have been a bit more clear in transitions from one scene to another, as it sometimes was place A, then place B within one paragraph and not mentioning anything about the change (like from being in a car to being in the apartment).

Set in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the narration of this novel is shared by a witch detective's litter of beautiful cats--who are actually witches themselves! The plot winds delightfully around the cats' assisting their owner in solving a mystery. The writing is delicious!

I think I would have enjoyed An Incantation of Cats more if I had read the first book in the series. But all in all it was an interesting concept...witches with familiars who were magical also.