Dollycas’s Thoughts

Mayville Heights has decided to bring back its summer festival in hopes of bringing more tourists to town. This year festival goers were surprised when a local band reunited to give a special concert. Johnny Rock and the Outlaws had kept their reunion a secret rehearsing just one night a week and even using Zoom to connect all the band members. They sounded great and everyone hoped they would stay together for more performances.

While most of the community was still talking about the reunion Monday morning Kathleen receives a call from Marcus at the library to tell her he has a new case. One of the members of the band and local endodontist has been found dead. Mike was a beloved resident of Mayville Heights. Recently he was spending time at the library researching his family tree. Kathleen and Marcus think his research may be the key to his murder. Doing a little research of their own they find an earlier death in his family may not have been from natural causes. Kathleen can’t get these deaths off her mind so she enlists the help of her magical cats, Owen and Hercule to try to solve the case.

This series just gets better and better. While Kathleen is a wonderful protagonist Hercule and Owen are the stars. The ways they help Kathleen, even when she doesn’t always want their help, is absolutely priceless. Sometimes they just save the day.

I really enjoyed the genealogy theme of this story. I have wanted to research my own history for quite a while. When I read books like this one it gives me a little push. I just need to find the time. The way the author twists family trees throughout the story was so interesting.

The victim was well-liked so it was hard to get a true list of suspects but Kathleen kept asking questions and pushing forward. I like that she reports to Marcus with any information she gets or finds. Her discovery of the truth set up a very gripping and tragic ending.

Hooked on a Feline was a very moving cozy mystery filled with fantastic kitties, wonderful humans, and an unexpected mystery that left me feeling conflicted. Make no mistake, this book kept me entertained from beginning to end it just struck me differently from other books in this series or most of the cozy mysteries I read. Some of that may be due to my own family history but most is the way the author plotted out and cleverly wrote this story.

Each book in this series can be read on its own but for maximum enjoyment start at the beginning to really get to know these characters.

A great entry in Kelly's magical cats series, this time exploring the death of a musician, which has repercussions throughout the community. I enjoy these cozy mysteries, with their varied cast of characters and lovely setting.

I loved this story! I'm always a fan of Hercules and Owen's antics. I felt like they were in this story more than the last few and I loved it. They are so funny and remind me so much of my own (non-magical) cats. I love this series and really can't wait to read more.

A nice addition to the series. The ending was a bit too twisty but as will all cozy mysteries, it was a fun read with a good ending.

I have loved the antics of Hercules and Owen for all 13 of the books in the series. While my cats aren’t magical, they do some of same silly things and create similar havoc. I also enjoyed the musician thread…reminded me so much of my earlier years.

Ms. Kelly manages to keep each new addition to the series fresh and interesting. Looking forward to the next one in the series!

This is book 13 in the Magical cats series. A musician in town for the music festival is found dead after researching his family tree in the library. Kathleen and Marcus along with their cats try to solve his murder and discover another murder in his family. Owen and Hercules are both available to help their human solve the mystery. this series is a good one for pet lovers and fans of cats that have special powers. It will be easier to understand this book if you've read some of the previous books. I received a copy of this booknin exchange for a fair and honest review.

Librarian Kathleen and her police detective boyfriend Marcus have managed to attend a concert without interruption. Their friends are there and one of their favorite singers is back on stage after a long absence—with a surprise in store for the audience. Best. Night. Ever. They even run into the group at the diner when stopping by for a midnight snack. It was truly a night to remember which made things even worse when a band member was found dead.

He was a likable guy, enjoyed everything he did to the max, including a new interest: genealogy. He’d been stopping by the library to research his family tree at least once a week. It’s first assumed that he interrupted a burglary, but nothing was taken and there was no sign of a break in. When it’s determined to be a murder, it causes Kathleen to rethink an accidental death several months before. That too, proves to be a homicide.

Who could have had a motive for both murders, the ability to carry out the plan, and access to the victims? It’s a puzzle Kathleen wants to solve before another death occurs. With the help of Owen and Hercules, her magical cats, she gets closer to the truth, until it all becomes apparent—just a little too late.

This is book thirteen in the series. I love the antics of Owen and Hercules. They are magical but in a way cat lovers will understand is possible. The relationship she has with Marcus is loving and respectful. Kathleen makes the library a place you’d love to visit and once there, you’d love to stay all day. I look forward to more adventures for Owen and Hercules—and the humans, too.

This book started off with a different feel - a slower beginning without our intrepid heroine stumbling over a dead body. It began with Kathleen, her boyfriend Marcus, and their friends enjoying their small Minnesotan community. Most of the series recurring characters are included in the first few pages - but you don't need to have read any of the other titles to enjoy this one. But eventually our local librarian and small town cop have to try to figure out what happened to local endodontist and musician, Mike. And then what about his aunt's death several months earlier - was is an accident or they both murders. But who would want to kill them and why. A great addistion to the series.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

It was so much fun to visit Kathleen, Owen, and Hercules in this delightful, intriguing new mystery in the Magical Cats series! Kathleen moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, four years ago. She loves being there and is a perfect fit with small-town values where family is about more than being related by blood. I enjoy how the author brings to life the historic setting as well as the people who live there with her rich descriptions. The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing throughout.

Almost everyone is at the Last Bash event being held for the first time in 25 years. It may become a regular event again, celebrating food, music, and small-town life. Mayville Heights’s very own Johnny Stone is one of the musicians. A popular vocalist in his teens and twenties, he had since become a highly successful businessman. Recently he decided to return to his first love, music, and his fans from the past were thrilled to see him take the stage. The surprise for the attendees is that his former band, the Outlaws, joined him in a performance that many deemed magical. The band members were local and well-established in their chosen careers. While at least one would like to go on the road with Johnny, it would probably be a rare event. Kathleen, her boyfriend Marcus, and their close friends loved it, agreeing it was the best night ever.

Two days later, Mike, an endodontist by day and bass player by night, was found dead in his home. It was a few days before Marcus, a detective with the local police department, received confirmation that Mike had been murdered. It was heartbreaking; almost everyone in town knew and loved Mike.

Kathleen and some of her library assistants had helped Mike research his family tree. He got the idea to do so after the matriarch of the family died a few months earlier. Mike’s cousin Jonas was interested in working on the family tree now, so Kathleen put together the items she had been collecting for Mike’s research for Jonas. The police theorize that maybe Mike came home and confronted a burglar. Kathleen thought often of the day that Mike’s great-aunt died going home after attending a presentation at the library. Yes, the lady was elderly, but was in remarkable health. Could there be a connection between the two?

I really like the mix of characters in this series, especially Kathleen’s cats. Yes, they have the same traits that most other cats do, yet they are not the average felines! Owen, a gray tabby, can disappear and reappear at will. His will. Hercules, a black tuxedo cat, can walk through things such as closed doors. Could you imagine your favorite feline disappearing even as you watched it? These darling cats are as well defined as the people around them. Kathleen has even been able to find clues through their unique communication skills!

This delightful cozy mystery invited me in on the first page and kept my attention throughout. The mystery, friendships, and history of the town and library contributed to the whole. While Marcus would prefer that Kathleen stay out of the case, Mike was a friend to her and her close friends. To her credit, whenever Kathleen learned something about the case, she told Marcus rather than acting on it herself. The author kept me engaged throughout with one surprise after another. All is resolved at the end, leaving no open issues. I highly recommend this excellent Magical Cats Mystery and the series!

I enjoy this series and always look forward to sitting down with the latest instalment. This was the perfect read for a rainy weekend! I like the small town and all its citizens with all their side stories and goings on. I thought that the mystery was interesting and kept me engaged until the rather exciting big reveal. I'm interested to see where Kathleen and Marcus's relationship goes in the following books since he still seems to have an issue with her being involved in solving mysteries so we shall see!

Another good read in the series. I love the characters and the town. The cats (Owen, Hercules, and now Micah) are great and I love what they can do. I love that they can understand their owner and usually have a hand in saving her. The mystery kept me guessing. I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series loses none of it's charm in this lovely 13th addition, which is so impressive for a long running series.  This book was so easy to read, the characters returning like friends you catch up with from time to time. You want to reach out and pat Hercules and Owen and give them big hugs because they are the smartest and quirkiest cozy sidekicks I've read. Marcus and Kathleen have settled into such a comfortable relationship that is satisfying to read about without feeling the need to spur them along more (okay mostly, though sometimes I do wish for more fireworks between them). 

This mystery was quite a blank. The murder victim Mike just seemed like such an all-around amazing guy that I couldn't fathom why he would be murdered and I know Kathleen had that same stumped attitude. The story slowly came together piece by piece and though I had it figured out before her, I enjoyed watching it all click into place. I love how Owen and Hercules aid in her sleuthing and seeing their special powers shine in each story. The ending was dramatic and also very sad. Luckily, we were left with a hilarious fun scene that put back the smile on my face that I had at the start of the story. I am very much looking forward to the next installment in this series!

This is one of my favorite cozy series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to receive it for an honest review.

It’s summer in Mayville Heights, and Kathleen Paulson and her detective boyfriend Marcus, are eager to attend the closing concert of the local music festival. The concert is a success, but then one of the band members is discovered dead shortly after it. At first it’s assumed the death is a robbery gone wrong, but Kathleen suspects foul play. With the help of her cats, Owen and Hercules, Kathleen starts to ask questions hoping to find out what happened. Before his death, Kathleen had noticed the victim in the library researching his genealogy, and when she and Marcus take a closer look at the man's family tree, they begin to think a previous death of one of his relatives now seems suspicious. The more Kathleen thinks about it, the more this murder feels like it could be connected to the current death.

This series just continues to get better and better. I love how the author continues to develop all the characters, and we find out something new about at least one of the main characters in each book which keeps me coming back for the next installment.

"Hooked on a Feline" is a cozy mystery. This is the 13th book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous books.

It's a clue-based mystery. Kathleen is intelligent and knows how to ask questions without being pushy or accusing. While one might guess whodunit before then, the critical clue to knowing which suspect was a murderer came near the end. Kathleen figured it out at that point. The cats are intelligent and have cat abilities (disappearing and getting out of places) taken to a magical degree. Their actions drew attention to clues but they also provided humor with their antics. They're also acting more and more human-level intelligent as the series goes on.

There was no sex. There were just a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun mystery.

One of the fascinating aspects about mysteries is that readers usually discover there’s much more to the dead than met the eye. This is true of Hooked on a Feline and it’s also fascinating because in this case, the dead man, Mike, really was well-liked by those around him. He wasn’t a perfect person, but doesn’t have any secret enemies and everyone is sad about his death. It’s not that there’s no shortage of suspects, it’s that there are no suspects. Marcus, the detective investigating, is also facing anger from Mike’s family and friends for having no leads and no answers. It happened in Mike’s home, so the odds of it being random are low.
Kathleen’s cats are once again also on the case. Their unique ability to interfere (*cough* help) at the right time and place continue as Kathleen is peripherally involved with a few things Mike was involved in.
I found the lack of suspects enjoyable because it really did make the mystery a challenge. It was a great idea for a fresh approach in a long-running series. Cozy mystery readers will once again enjoy Owen and Hercules (the cats) helping their human Kathleen as she looks into Mike’s family history and see if it’s connected to it all.

Great to see the new antics of Owen and Hercules, the magical cats. Can not wait for Herc and Owen to be introduced to Micah.

Magical cats, books, and mysteries to be solves. What's not to love about this book/series. I love the high jinks that both Owen and Hercules get into, and the way they help solve the mystery. Great series, can't wait for more.

Another in the long-running Magical Cats cozy mystery series, which is not nearly as too twee for words as it sounds. This one isn't bad, but it fell a little flat for me. Well worth reading, though.

Kathleen is a librarian in the friendly small town of Mayville Heights, Minnesota. She starts to wonder--was beloved town resident, Mike, murdered in his home? Was a previous death of an elderly resident really due to natural causes, or are the two deaths related? Kathleen's boyfriend, Marcus, is a police officer so he is investigating, but it is her two magical cats, Owen and Hercules, who help to crack the case. If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery with cats, likable characters, and a bit of magic, you might like this series as much as I do. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Another amazing book by Sofie Kelly. Kathleen and Marcus have an amazing time at a music concert but when all the fun and dancing is over they are devastated to find that one of their friends has been murdered. As everyone reels from the loss and suspicion, friends ask Kathleen to look into it. With the help of her two magical cats Owen and Hercules, She digs into the last days of a friend to find his murderer. I could not put this book down. Sofie Kelly takes her readers on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, laughter and tears. And the lengths someone will go to keep a secret.