In this second Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery, the three cats – Harriet, Laurel & Clara – are a little more developed as characters, but Becca, the witch detective, still seems somewhat adrift.

Advertising as a witch detective, two separate women try to hire Becca to help them. The mystery, in which both end up suspects, is the murder of Frank Cross, the husband of one of Becca’s possible clients and the boyfriend of the other prospect.

The three cats, the actual witches of the series, support Becca with their various powers, unbeknownst to her. (In the series’ first book, a magical move made by Harriet is incorrectly attributed to Becca who actually believes she performed the magical feat herself.)

So, Becca is an amateur detective who believes she is a witch coming into her powers. She lives with three cats who are actually witches but cannot reveal their powers to her. Becca stumbles through the story trying to solve the murder with a little help here and there from the suspect/clients and her good friend Maddy.

This series has a lot of potential but what’s missing is the backstory for the cats. Becca’s character seems a bit clueless but hints at the book’s end will keep this reader reading – for at least one more adventure.

I am a huge fan of cozies and cats but this book just fell flat to me.
I found the human characters rather annoying and although the premise was promising, having the story told from the point of view of the cats just didn’t work for me.

This is the 2nd installment of the Witch Cats of Cambridge series. The story is from the three cats (Clara, Laurel and Harriet) who are the real witches and siblings work together to keep their owner out of trouble. Becca Corwin is running a witch detective agency and she thinks she has powers when in fact it is her cats who have all the power. There are two cases that are connected and she decides she can only work on one. Clara and her sisters are fighting and Clara finds a dead body and the rest of the story is to solve the case. This is a clever premise and executed very well. Enjoyable story and good mystery.

An Incantation of Cats by Clea Simon
Book #2: Witch Cats of Cambridge Series
Source: NetGalley and Polis Books
Rating: 2/5 stars

I would like to make it clear from the very beginning, I went into this book with a good attitude and true hope for a solid book that had worked out all the kinks found in in the first book. Alas, my hopes were once again dashed.

I had really hoped from book one to two, Becca would have figured out she is, in no way whatsoever, magically inclined. Becca is one of those very sweet, very kind souls who ultimately find herself earning a Darwin award – that’s funny if you know what the Darwin’s are 😊 Not only has Becca not realized she has no magical abilities but she has also decided to turn down a real job in favor of advertising herself as a Witch Detective. Inexplicably, not only is Becca hired, but she is approached by two clients on the same day.

In truth, it is Becca’s three cats who have the magical abilities though they are forbidden to reveal them to their people. The youngest of Becca’s cats, Clara is the most devoted to Becca and the one most interested in helping her human succeed. Clara often finds herself out in the real world chasing after Becca and learning all she can in order to help Becca work out the solution to her problems. Though Clara is young, she is crafty and clever – far more so than her human – and finds ways to nudge Becca in the right direction. More often than not, Clara has to enlist the help of her older and far more awful sisters as they have abilities different from Clara’s and necessary for helping Becca.

Against the advice of literally everyone she knows, Becca continues to investigate multiple crimes that are all, ultimately linked to one another. From the beginning, everyone involved is lying and/or hiding something, everyone is terrified of being caught, and no one actually wants to involve the people who can actually help them, the police. Each new clue Becca uncovers leads her closer to the truth, but, as is her wont, it also leads her right into real danger. Thankfully, Becca’s cats are far smarter than she is and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to save Becca from herself.

The Bottom Line: I just don’t even know where to begin. I sincerely wanted this book to be better than the first but that just didn’t happen. So many of the complaints I had from the first book crop up again in this installment. Topping my list is Becca’s naivete and reckless behavior; she is utterly convinced she has magical powers because of a pillow which has, in turn, led her to start a business as a witch detective. Though her research skills are strong, Becca has no experience or business working as a detective and that is made abundantly clear in this book! I was also very much hoping the cats would even out and become more likeable in this book but that didn’t happen either. Once again, the two older cats are wretched and treat Clara with contempt most of the time. I say this as a cat lover ☹ Finally, I found myself skipping over large passages because of the repetition – there’s only so many times you can read about how much a cat loves her person – and the predictability of the plot. I always like to try and find something positive to say about a book, but alas, I just can’t come up with anything this time around.

This is a fun mystery with a lot of twists and turns. I enjoyed the story being told from a cat’s point of view. The three sibling cats are really witches, but they aren’t allowed to let their caregiver, who is a witch detective, know. Together they solve the mysteries in this unique and entertaining book. If you like cats, mysteries and witches, you’ll really enjoy this book.

“An Incantation of Cats” is the 2nd book in the “A Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery” by Clea Simon. It can be read as a stand-alone but I found myself wondering what happened in the first book. I have now purchased it and hope to be all caught up.

When two new clients seek Becca’s professional services, the fledgling witch detective is overjoyed. Finally, she can use her skills to help her magical community. But as the young witch finds the new cases intertwining, things grow more complicated. Becca’s three cats – the ones with the real power – can smell something is wrong with these clients. But not even Clara, the calico, knows what to do when a man ends up dead and a powerful and poisonous root appears – and disappears – in the case. To make matters worse, Clara and her littermates are feuding – and she can’t tell them about an unsettling interaction she’s had with one of the client’s sisters. Is it possible that some humans may have the same powers as the magical felines? What does that mean for Clara’s beloved Becca – and for the potent poison that has already taken one person’s life? In this second Witch Cats of Cambridge mystery, Clara and her sisters must learn to work together if they are to save the person they all love.

I enjoyed the setting of Cambridge , along with Becca’s BFF Maddy who tried to keep her out of trouble. The story is told from the cats perspective and I enjoyed that. I found the secondary story was to do with true friendship and how no matter what they stick by you. In the case of the cats it was siblings who learn that no matter what squabbles they have they will always have your back. Clara the chubby calico was the center of the story as she discovered her true abilities as well as trying to protect her person and I always love when a furbaby is center stage in a book. I had a huge smile on my face by the time I finished this book!

The mystery was well written with plenty of twists and turns and had a steady pace, even had a few surprises. I suspected but didn’t fully figure out whodunit until it was revealed at the end.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal mysteries and cats.

I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Polis Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a cute cozy mystery that includes two of my favorite things, cats and witches. I’ve always been drawn to anything dealing with witchcraft, i love the magic of it.
In this book, Clara the cat is busy trying to help her owner, but things don’t always work out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a light, page turning cozy.

This book was fabulous. The characters were original and real. The story was well written and very entertaining
Becca and her kitties solve crimes. I loved the clever little banter between the kitties and the love and concern they have for their human. The mystery itself was rather brilliant and I could not lift my eyes from the pages. All in all, I found this story delightful.

You ever read a book that, in theory, is perfect for you but find yourself not connecting to the work like you normally would? That was me with this book. Perhaps it is because I started with the second in the series, but for whatever reason I found myself not either immersed or particularly engaged. I adore the concept of a cozy mystery fromy the perspective of cats but I wasn't especially found of Clara, Laurel, or Harriet, and nothing about Becca stood out either. The writing and plot is not bad so others may very much enjoy the series, but either it is not for me or I am not for it.

I didn't like this book. I didn't like the cats and their attitudes, i thought that the main character Becca was making major assumptions in her investigation, which really didn't feel like an investigation. She just kept going back and forth to the same shop. #AnIncantationOfCats #NetGalley

There is no denying that this is simply a fun book. It isn’t great literature, but reading this story is a great way to relax. It certainly kept me turning the pages.

Our heroine, Becca Colwin, has lost her job and decided that she would become a detective who helps members of the local witchcraft community. Two clients show up at her door on the same day. Becca ultimately decides that she can work for only the first one as they are both connected to the same event. Unbeknownst to her, Becca’s three cats have special powers and do their best to try and steer her in the right direction.

There are many creative twists both in the human and feline sides of the story. Some of the things Becca does defy common sense, but the cats see to it that everything works out. As a reader, I found it hard to guess just how the story will end. However, I was pleased with how things worked out. This book has a touch of potential romance, moments that made me laugh as the cats fight as if they were human siblings, and just enough tension to keep me wondering about how things will ultimately work out.

This is a new to me author and my advance copy was provided through NetGalley. Any opinion provided is strictly my own.

Cats with power that argue like siblings and a witch who wishes for power combine with a tangled mysteries for an entertaining read.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Polis Books, in return for an honest review. This is the second book in this series but easily read as a stand-alone. Becca is a fledgling witch detective. Her challenge is that she doesn’t realize her three Siamese cats are the actual witches and they aren’t allowed to tell her. The story is told from the cats’ perspective. Two female clients, unbeknownst to each other, visit Becca on the same day, with the second accusing the first of petty embezzlement. The first woman believes someone is trying to kill her with witchcraft. Realizing the two present a conflict of interest, Becca notifies the second woman that she can’t take her case. Things begin to heat up when a husband goes missing, along with other items. There’s a dead body, suspects, the witch cats and Becca. Ms. Simon does a good job of keeping each character clear and easily understandable. Telling the perspective from the cats’ point of view is clever. I do wish the two older cats were more sympathetically written as I find them a bit of a pain, particularly to their youngest sister. Each has unique magical powers, which is an excellent plot device to bring each of them into the story. This is a good cosy and I look forward to more by this author.

The second in the series. I would give this one 3.5 stars, mainly because all the fighting among the cats got tiresome after awhile. Tended to skim a bit in the middle, and probably missed a few details because of it. Overall though, if you like cats and young and learning good witches you will enjoy this book.

Becca is a brand new “Witch detective” who finds her latest cases not only challenging, but also seemingly related. Luckily she has three cats with incredible powers to help save the day. Cat lovers will enjoy this mystery that casts the four legged characters as the real heroes