A cast of characters that are definitely different from any other cozy I've read lately. When a lottery windfall and the best intentions mix, a murder and some serious questions will arise. An entertaining read that is recommended for just about everybody!

Thanks to Netgalley, Berkeley publishing and Deborah Blake for this ARC. I was hoping this would be a good cozy animal mystery, and it was.. I really enjoyed the protagonistic character of Kari .. I almost stopped reading this story when it read about animal euthanasia , as I won’t read those books,
But I thought that a cozy little cat story wouldn’t possibly have to much animal torture or death in it so I kept reading, and I’m glad I did. Because this is it’s beginning of the series I’m pretty sure I will read the rest.. 4 stars..
My reviews are in Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter, and book clubs both on line and in person..

Stop by and buy some kitty litter...buy a lottery ticket, too. Win $5M! And find a small stray black kitten. Try to use your windfall wisely. So you buy a failing pet shelter because all the local shelters are so full you can't find a place for the little stray kitten? And because you already have two cats and a dog you are already in violation of your apartment lease? Of course, that makes plenty of sense. Your best friend thinks it's cool. The volunteers are split. The dog warden is totally unfriendly, in fact, he's downright hostile. And then he's dead. Then things get twisty and interesting. Recommended

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed this book, the animals are adorable and the mystery was really interesting.

Is this fur real? Lol. Kittlies, doggies, and murder, oh my! This is the perfect cozy series if you love cozies, animals, and support animal rescue. What a fun and cute first offering to the series. I cannot wait to read more.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I love getting books from publishers to review but on occasion, one slips through the cracks. Thanks to an on-line book group, I discovered I had missed this one and I am so glad I am now able to give my opinion. I loved it.

Kari has won the lottery and while she is contemplating how to spend some of her winnings, she is adopted by a little black kitten whom she names Queenie. Before she resigned herself to the inevitable adoption, she wants to take Queenie to a local shelter where she is informed they are full beyond capacity thanks to kitten season. Anyone who has ever volunteered at a shelter knows what that means. Plus the local rescue that might have taken the overflow is crumbling and up for sale. In an impromptu decision, sight unseen, Kari and Queenie purchase the property. Not only is she thrown into a renovation money pit immediately, she is also thrown into the legal system as the shelter tries to fight for the life of a dog named Buster. Just outside of the courtroom, she has an altercation with the dog catcher who seems determined to shut down the shelter.

Little does she realize how many dirty tricks and illegal deeds involve this nasty piece of work. She finds out when she discovers his body on the shelter grounds. Naturally, she is considered a suspect as are some friends. The local police do not seem to be looking too far afield for the killer. By the time Kari and her associates are through, no one could imagine how far the tentacles of his heinous crimes are spread. It is a delicious spider’s web that will entertain the reader. There are some wonderful twists and turns but it is the characters that I love the most. Kari is a great heroine who faces more hurdles than she ever expected yet loves every moment. Her allies and volunteers are wonderful too. But it is her animals that bring the greatest smiles. You are going to love them and you are going to love Queenie, boss of her domain and quite the sleuth in her own fur. I am looking forward to more in the series. Five purrs and two paws up.

Winning the lottery completely changes Kari Stuart’s life. As she tries to figure out what to do with her multi-million dollar windfall, she comes across a stray black kitten looking for a home. Kari already has two cats and a dog, she couldn't possibly take in this kitten, too. She quickly finds out that all the local shelters are completely full. She comes across a rundown shelter looking for a new owner. It’s called Serenity Sanctuary. Kari is certain her newfound fortune would be put to the best use by rebuilding the sanctuary.

She fast discovers that it’s not such an easy thing to own a shelter. There’s quite a bit of work to be done not to mention a local dog warden who seems determined to shut her down. When the warden turns up dead, all eyes focus on Kari as the killer.

Kari and her friends, as well as her new kitten, set out to find the real killer. They soon learn there’s more to the mystery than one dead man. Strange things are happening at the shelter and Kari vows to learn what they are so she can continue with her new venture as owner of Serenity Sanctuary.

This is the first of a new series and I was drawn right into the story. As an animal lover, I was intrigued at the idea of a cozy mystery centered in a shelter. Kari’s love of animals won me over immediately. Not to mention she is surrounded by a caring group of women who are totally invested in making Serenity Sanctuary a success.

The storyline is filled with clues, twists, turns and a number of potential suspects. It is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. I, of course, put it together wrong. I didn’t see that ending coming, which made it even more exciting to read.

I never read anything by this author before but I’m a fan now. I’m looking forward to the second book in the series.







FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a great start to a new series! I love animal stories and murder mysteries! I have read all of Ms Blake's urban fantasy or paranormal books and loved them all, because of that I picked up this book and I am glad that I did! Her attention to detail is amazing and I love her storytelling.. Now I need to go get a new kitten, lol.. I just hope that she will be as awesome as Queenie! I can't wait for more in this cozy mystery series!

Charming! Take a varied cast of characters, a nicely done plot and a murder victim who you can't wait to die and you have a delightfully fun read! I really enjoyed reading this and can't wait to catch up with Kali and the gang in further books.

This is my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last!
After Kari Stuart wins a 5 million dollar lottery, she decides to buy a struggling animal sanctuary that is in desperate need of trying to stay afloat. Kari is determined, despite someone trying to shut her down, even to the point of having a dead body show up on her property, where she becomes the prime suspect. I could not put this book down. I was totally hooked! I especially loved the antics of Queenie, the stray kitten that attached herself to Kari immediately. Great read!

This has to be one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a very long time!!!!
Just what I needed....a light enjoyable mystery AND cats and dogs!!!!
The medical aspect of the animals and treatment was spot on!!! I do some animal medical things and I loved how they incorporated this into the story.
Definitely a great read and I really enjoyed it!!!!!
And ANY book that supports animal rescue and adoption makes me an automatic fan!!!
Great book!!!!

Forbidden Fatality by Deborah Blake

A lottery winner uses her good fortune to save a pet sanctuary, but when a body is discovered on the property, she just might be in the doghouse.

I enjoyed reading this book. Main character took on a large project, stayed with it, and met her goal at the end. I liked the characters and hope to meet them again in the author’s next book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

A waitress wins the lottery and, on a whim, decides to buy a pet sanctuary that has been the target of the local animal control inspector. When that inspector winds up dead shortly after, the whole staff goes into investigative mode. I liked the emphasis on the sanctuary, its mission and its struggles, which are very realistic. I think that's a good message to include in a book like this one. The characters were interesting enough, and the plot moves along at a good pace. It will be interesting to see where the next episode takes us.

First book in this mystery series

Kari Stuart’s life is about to change when she wins the lottery. The 29 year old instant millionaire is still tryouts to figure out what to do with the winnings when she rescues a black kitten in a semi abandoned animal shelter.

The dilapidated rescue is going to the dogs, literally with a pending lawsuit, hard to adopt animals and the towns dog warden.
When the dog warden turns up dead outside the kennel, Kari finds herself up a creek.

With help from volunteers, a cute vet and a kitten who shows up when she needs it most. Kari needs to prove she is innocent all the while saving a dog on death row. Let’s hope her luck doesn’t run out.

This was a great first book and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

This was fun! I liked that I've never read a cozy with this type of setting (an animal shelter) and all the side plot lines and characters that stemmed from that. Light and easy to read, this was a nice weekend read.

Debut of a charming new cozy set at an amimal shelter in the Catskills proves to be as good as premise is engaging. Well written and packed with interesting characters. Winning the lottery showed Kari Stuart's true colors. Instead of buying expensive clothes or toys for herself, she decided to buy a dilapidated animal shelter to save it from closing its doors. Needing an infusion of money wasn't the shelter's only problem, as it was being harassed with code violations and aggressive dog reports from an exceptionally hostile dog warden. When he turns up dead on tne shelter's property, the only way Kari can save the shelter is to find his killer.

My Review: I am still new to the Cozy Mystery genre but this synopsis hit all of my buzzwords so I couldn't resist trying it out and I am so glad I did, this might be one of my new favorite series! I adored the main character, Kari, in this book; when we are introduced we immediately find out that she is a pet lover and who can resist a character who loves animals. We later find out she is also a lottery winner and she does some great things with those winnings but it leads her to some rather difficult people and some even more difficult situations. We also get to know a great cast of side characters, who share the love of animals, they are all so quirky and unique and I could totally picture them as friends. I really enjoyed how the story developed, it was definitely a gripping story that keeps the pages turning as the clues are revealed and the story unravels. I will definitely be anxiously awaiting more books in this series!

My Rating: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a super fast and engrossing book that I didn't want to put down. I loved all the characters (especially the little furry ones). I can't wait for more books to come out and excited to be getting into a series right from the beginning. I give this one a rating of Four Paws and Stump Wag!

I knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw the cover! This has to be my favorite cozy mystery cover yet. I really enjoyed this new series starter and look forward to reading the next. I always gravitate towards mysteries with an animal theme, so this was a treat. The setting and characters were a lot of fun and I just fell in love with the main character using lottery winnings to help an animal shelter!

A recommended read for animal lovers and cozy mystery enthusiasts!

To the publisher and author, thank you for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Great new cozy mystery series! This is the first book in a new series, I can't wait to read others! i really love animals so I was excited to read this. I found the characters delightful and the story charming. Highly recommended!

Publish Date: February 23rd 2021
📖 📖📖📖📖

You know the old question “what would you do if you won the lottery?” Kari is about to live that question when she becomes a multi millionaire over night! Through a series of circumstances she decides to invest the money in Serenity Sanctuary. Which is literally falling apart. They take the hardest to adopt animals and give them hope. When a body shows up on the property, can Kari clear her name and keep the door of the shelter open?

This is the first book in the #catskillspetrescuemystery series. The cover really drew me in, who can resist cats and dogs?! I absolutely love the development of the town and the characters. Kari is a strong heroine, Mr McCoy is still developing but I look forward to seeing them interact more! I read this book in one sitting, I had to keep going to find out who the killer was. It was so well written and enjoyable! Highly recommend and can’t wait to read the next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#bookstagram #netgalleyreads #bookrecommendations #furbiddenfatality #catskillspetrescuemystery #deborahblake