I received this ARC via Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, in return for an honest review. While the fourth book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Maddie James lives on Daybreak Island and owns a unique cat-café. Even though she’s looking forward to celebrating the holidays with her widowed grandfather, she’s also dealing with the end of her relationship as her boyfriend is suddenly not in the picture. When caring for one of the feral cat colonies on the island results in finding a dead body, Maddie wants to solve the murder and ensure the feral cats and those who care about them are protected. This is even more important when one of her friends is implicated in the murder. The book changes from present day to leading events that happened a few days earlier and then back. The author does a good job of tying the timeline together. Holiday cozies are always fun to enjoy and this has the benefit of cats too!

Thank you Netgalley for the early release access of A Whisker of a Doubt by Cate Conte. Maddie James and Ethan Birdsong work together feeding feral cats around Turtle Point, MA. Things sometimes get contentious in certain neighborhoods. Shelters for cats are destroyed and most people in the neighborhoods hate the feral cats. During an evening feeding, Maddie comes across a man in the neighborhood who is dead. She calls the police and they arrest one of her friends. Maddie and her grandfather try to solve the case.
I found this interesting as I have a sister in law on Oahu who takes care of feral cats as well. The story gave me a better idea of what can happen. I loved the book. Cate brings her passion for helping feral cats into the book. Thanks for a great book.

This book is ok. I got bored in the middle, it felt like it was just dragging on. The ending was good. I was very surprised by who the killer was and the reasons. #A Whisker of a Doubt #NetGalley

This was a new to me series and I felt like there was no problem picking up with book 4. I ended up deleting the book rom my reader at 68% though. I really disliked Maddie and when you don't like the main character of a cozy, well, it's not the series for you. I tried. Maddie, herself, mentions she is the oldest of three and it showed. I just found her too judgmental and her response to her boyfriend (?) Lucas unexplainable and immature (perhaps the other three books would have set it up better for me).

There are a lot of potentially interesting suspects and secondary characters but they didn't get enough page time to interest me enough to finish the book.

I have another Cate Conte book, the first in a series, which I am going to read soon. Even long time favorite authors write other series which don't appeal.

I got my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is the fourth book in the Cate Cafe cozy mystery series and I enjoyed it just as much as I liked the first three!

In this one, Maddie finds a body (which she has a habit of doing) and her friend Katrina is the prime suspect, so of course Maddie is going to investigate. There’s plenty of red herrings with some surprises in store for us readers before we get to the whodunit. There’s lots of secrets and plenty of people who look like they’re suspects.

I liked the Christmas time setting, I love Maddie’s loyalty to her friends, and the wonderful relationship with her family. And the cats!

I’ll be looking forward to the next book by Cate Conte!

Maddie James is back on Daybreak Island for her for Christmas without her Grandma. Work on the Cat Cafe is almost complete, the volunteers are feeding the feral cat colony, and it’s time to celebrate the holiday. But then a contentious neighbor at the cat colony is murdered and Katrina is the prime suspect. Can the holiday get any worse? Yep, it sure can and Lucas has ghosted Maddie right at the holidays.

While Maddie can cut Lucas out of her heart, she can’t walk away from the cats and Katrina. Grandpa and Maddie are working the case and hope to save the cats and the holidays.

A cute series with a solid whodunit that gives you enough red herrings to keep you changing your mind on whodunit. New England and Island life were a bonus for me and I look forward to the next well written entry in this series.

I enjoyed the feral cat angle. Mystery did keep me guessing and liked the twist. I like how supportive the family is, without an annoying member which many cozies have.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

I love the cover of this book, and I knew the inside pages would make a delightful story.
Maddie is gearing up for Christmas, but things aren’t going to good for her.
Her new boyfriend has disappeared, residents are complaining about the feral cats, and Christmas decorations are disappearing from their neighborhood.
When Maddie discovers a dead body and her best friend is arrested for murder, she has no choice but to search for the answers, even if it puts her right in the path of the murderer.

I really enjoyed this book and this author has always been one of my favorites.