I had really hoped that some of the issues I had with the first one would have been resolved by the second book but unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. My absolute biggest pet peeve with cozies (except love triangles) is when the MC doesn't go to work. The premise of the series is based on what the MC does for a living so when they shirk their responsibilities to sleuth and then hem and haw about how their business is going to survive is counterintuitive and irresponsible. Why then, when common sense is not their strong suit, would anyone turn to her to solve the murder? Also, there is so much superfluous writing in this already short book. In several places, the author repeats herself and spells things out when it's unnecessary; it was just mentioned in the last chapter. This book didn't flow well as a result. I will not be continuing with this series.

I disliked the first book in this series and in looking back at my review of it, I can almost cut and paste that review for this one, except that this one was a little bit worse [which I didn't think was possible]. There was just so much wrong with this book and I found myself skimming simply because I just didn't care anymore.

Things that were problematic in this book:

* The MC NOT DOING HER JOB and passing her shop off to someone else to run it ALL while lamenting that she "has no idea how she will keep her store open" [UMMM, I have some ideas, but apparently that is way to "adulting" of me]. Every single time she complained that she had no idea how she'd keep the shop open/pay her bills, I sprained my eyes from rolling them. DO. YOUR. JOB. THEN. GO. SLEUTHING. FFS.

* Again, there was just too much romance in this book. If you want a crapton of romance in your "mystery" book, then JUST WRITE A ROMANCE BOOK. I honestly don't mind if the MC has a relationship with someone as so many do within the genre, but when it muddles the whole mystery part and more is written about that than there is about the mystery itself, it becomes very problematic for me.

* <b>ATTENTION AUTHORS!!!!!</B> Your readers are not morons. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop writing as if we are. We do not need to be told something over and over and over again. This happened quite a bit in the first book of this series, and that continued in this book. At one point, I started counting how many time the author told the reader something [in vaguely different ways, though not always] and in ONE chapter it was seven times. S E V E N. That is when I started skimming. Clearly I could just read the beginning of the chapter and then move on. I was only going to get the same information over and over again. It is extremely belittling to the readers.

* I despise a rushed ending. I despise a rushed ending with little information and resolve even more. If there are 23 chapters in a book and your halfway through chapter 23 and the reveal STILL hasn't happened, you know you are going to be wildly disappointed.

* THIS is just a silly thing, but the sub-title of the book is "Whit and Whiskers" and it makes you think that its Whit and her cat, out solving mysteries. It is not. The cat barely makes an appearance. If you are looking for a book like that, this is not it. It is very misleading.

There was little to like in this book. Just when the whole "feud" sub-plot was getting off the ground and getting good and you are hoping for more, the book ends and it gets shoved under the carpet so to speak. There is NO resolution. It was just SO FREAKING FRUSTRATING. It is also too bad because the premise is great [I mean, living on Santa Catalina? Yes please], the MC and her family are decent [though Goldy takes some getting used to, but overall isn't too bad]. But you can have all those things and if the writing is bad, then you are going to have a crappy book and unfortunately, for me, that this what this series has been. I had hopes that this book would be better than book one because often book 2 is better as it finds its footing etc. That was not the case here, and I think it might actually be worse than book one [again, PLEASE stop treating the reader as if they are morons] and I am disappointed. I also will not be reading anymore of these. There are just too many books out there to read meh books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gabby Allan, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a continuation of Gabby Allan's Whit and Whiskers Mystery series and having read book one (Much Ado about Nauticaling) and also as a lover of cozy mysteries, I jumped at the chance to read Something Fishy This Way Comes.

I got to meet up with Whitney Dagner again, who has returned to Santa Catalina Island, her, hometown, after living in Los Angeles. She is running Nautically Yours, her family's tourism company, alongside her brother Nick. They have a gift shop, Dame of the Sea, as well as a glass-bottomed boat that Whitney pilots. When a boat tour client, Leo Franklin who has recently got engaged to Janina is found dead; did he commit suicide? Whit dons her sleuthing cap when she gets involved at the request of the Franklins. Could the Aherns, a local clan that has feuded with the Franklins, be responsible?.

I really enjoyed this intriguing story and I like Gabby Allan's portrayal of Whit and Goldy, Whit's sassy gran. Whit's cat, Whiskers plays a good part, too. The mystery itself was well done; there was a good stock of suspects and the madcap tale delivers on humour, too. I'm already looking forward to seeing what's in store for Whit in book 3.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Mystery family fued.
For me it just a so-so. It wasnt that bad and wasnt interesting enough. Though it was pretty interesting enough to rack my brain together with Whitney who was the real killer. The familt feud between the Ahern and Franklin was a bit confusing to me and it took time for me to remember who was in what family. Overall, it was a good read.

I have not read the first book in this series so I am coming from reading this as a stand alone. The other sad thing is I lived near Catalina for most of my first 16 years and never visited the place.

I found the plot to be a bit strange, especially with the deceased being of the dynamic of the Hatfields and McCoys... Catalina is not that big.

The story sort of meanders through itself and then comes to an abrupt and not all together surprising conclusion. I think I'd pass on this series.

I always hate when I give a book less than four stars because I know how much time and energy, along with a bit of the author’s soul, goes into each book. While the elements of what I really enjoyed in the first book in this cozy mystery series, Much Ado About Nauticaling is still there, it felt to me that Gabby Allan isn’t completely sure what direction she wants this series to go in (the main character already has two jobs and is thinking about doing another) and that made the story lag for me.

And then there’s my biggest annoyance when it comes to some Cozies; when there is so much going over the list of suspects and their motives and not nearly enough story. I found myself skimming a lot because the same information was given again and again. Give me more details of the town, the stores, take cruises on the glass bottom boat, describe some of the food or the animals or smells of the seaside. Have the characters get together for other things besides listing the motives, give Goldy and Pops even more page time then they had.

As for the ending, it felt really rushed (and I usually let this pass since a lot of Cozies do this), but it also felt really, really far-fetched, even for fiction. Having two warring families together in one place with barely any conflict. And then once the whodunnit is announced, none of the family reacts violently, and then the book is done.

I’ll try one more in the series since I did enjoy the first one, but with so many great Cozy series out there and not enough time to read every book, sometimes I have to drop series from my to be read pile..

It was great to travel to Catalina Island and visit with Whit and all her friends again. I'd enjoyed the first book and was really looking forward to the next one, and it didn't disappoint. I just love Pops and Goldy's characters! Those two crack me up. They're the kind of older couple you just wanna be like when you're their age. Whit and Felix were at a comfortable spot in their relationship. I liked how she was quick to rely on him and didn't always make him feel like she wanted to go sleuthing alone. They did make a good sleuthing team. Goldy came up with a great little moneymaking idea, and Whit had to admit her grandma had what it took to run the front of the shop.

The mystery was very twisty but for some odd reason, I named someone fairly early and they ended up being the perp. It was great how Whit assembled all her suspects for a little dinner cruise on the family boat. Long ago grievances and feud reasons were aired, and those needing punished got their comeuppance.

I hope there'll be more in this series. I'm eager to see Maribel eventually become a police officer since she's studying for that. With one of her roadblocks out of the way, she's sure to succeed!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Readers will either be drawn to this title by its cover or they won’t. Cozy lovers will see many elements of what makes these stories so loved. There is the pet, of course and also a pretty cheerful illustration for a story that is about murder and detection.

From the publisher:

In Gabby Allan’s second Santa Catalina Island-set mystery series with a rom-com twist, boat tour guide Whitney Dagner, her chonky cat Whiskers, and Whitney’s not-so-ex police diver boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood…

Take in the wild beauty of Santa Catalina Island with tour guide and eclectic gift shop owner Whitney Dagner. On the itinerary: dramatic Pacific coastlines, diverse marine life, and murder!

Since returning home from mainland California and finding her groove with the family tourism business, Whitney Dagner’s daily routine has become a wonderfully chaotic adventure. She and her nimble kitty, Whiskers, often find themselves at the center of the action on Catalina, from staged treasure hunts to gossipy birdwatchers. But before Whit can get too comfortable in the place where she grew up, a gift shop order leads to a stunning discovery—someone’s dead body . . .

One of Whit’s best boat tour client’s, Leo Franklin was young and newly engaged when he unceremoniously took his own life. Only it doesn’t seem like that’s what really happened—not after the suspicious activity displayed by his family’s old rivals at the scene of his death. As a bitter, generations-long feud between Leo’s kin and the local Ahern clan comes to a head, Whit and her police diver not-so-ex-boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood to figure out who’s innocent . . .and who’s covering a killer’s tracks.

I enjoyed this title. It was fun to spend time with the characters, including a cat. In addition, Catalina makes for a lovely setting.

Those looking for an easy summer read might want to try this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this title. All opinions are my own.

I adored the seaside setting of this book. I enjoyed the characters and their personalities. However, I felt this book was a bit too frenetic and we didn't get enough of the rom-com feel that was marketed. I do plan on continuing on with the series.

Whitney finds another dead body on the island. This time she's not getting involved! Until the family asks her to look into it and it leads to a old family feud with another island family. This second book is delightful and fun.

It is always a delight to visit Catalina whether fictionally or in reality. This is a charming and delightful series. A nice cast of characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Maribel runs into another dead body. The mystery of this dead body involves an ancient, misunderstood mysterious family squabble.

Maribel realizes she is over her head, though she can’t seem to get out of the investigation.

This story involves twitching and rocks and a perky heroin.

I loved reading this story. I thought the use of swearing superfluous and unneeded.

Did the feud between the Franklins and the Aherns lead to Leo's death? He was engaged to be married to Janina Ahern and there didn't seem to be any reason for him to commit suicide except.....was it murder? Whit, who helps her family tourism business on Catalina Island, finds herself trying to sort through a lot of deception to get to the truth. She's got help from her grandmother Goldy, her friend Maribel, and her sorta ex Felix. I like the setting for this series as well as the characters (including Whiskers the cat). The mystery, this time centered around a Romeo and Juliet situation, has enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read.

This series is really shaping up to be a great one. Something Fishy This Way Comes is the second installment. The characters are super relatable and the plotting is great. The mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.

Once again Whiskers plays a minor, minor role in the second Whit and Whiskers Mystery, so for readers looking for a feline that lends sleuthing help, Something Fishy This Way Comes is disappointing. Gabby Allan writes a sound mystery around a multi-decade feud that ends in murder. Whit, Goldy, Maribel, Pops, and Felix decide a joint investigation is the safest approach since Whit gets threats to leave it alone after the dead man’s family asks for help finding the culprit.

Ms. Allan’s second effort in this series is a bit better organized but still lacks the polish other cozies offer.

I'm happy to say this second book of the Whit and Whiskers series is another winner. The combination of Whit, her cat Whiskers and the setting of Santa Catalina make for a very enjoyable reading escape. This time there is a death - was it suicide as the police say? Or is Leo's family right to say it was murder. He was young and soon to marry but it may have been a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet. Family feuds can turn deadly and Whit sets out to get answers. Whit has the questions but the people who have the answers are silent which makes catching a killer an uphill battle. Besides helping Leo's family find his killer, Whit runs the family gift shop and helps with the glass bottom boat tours with her brother.
Whit is a great character but her grandmother, Goldy is my favorite. With the lovely island setting and a well crafted mystery plus a cat, this is a cozy mystery series that checks all of the boxes.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Something Fishy This Way Comes by Gabby Allan is the second book in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series. It's a two family feud. Shades of the Hatfields and the McCoys. Both the Franklin family and the Ahern family are against the marriage of Leo Franklin and Janina Heller. The question is who is willing to go to any length to stop the marriage. This storyline is full of suspense and has great characters. I really like amateur sleuth Whitney Dagner and her cohorts in investigating. Whitney's grandmother Goldie is quite the quirky character and adds a lot to the story. Goldie sure knows how to get her own way for sure! This was a fun read and I am looking forward to more mysteries in this series.

Maybe it was because I missed the first in the series, but I had many issues with appreciating much of anything about 'Something Fishy This Way Comes.' The culture of decades old feuding families was hard for me to swallow. I knew people who worked on the island decades ago and I have spent much time in my life on Catalina Island. The description of sandy beaches and peaceful beauty near the busy main port of Avalon was nothing I could imagine compared to real life experience. This all being said, the pathos of two abandoned children being raised by eccentric grandparents was understandable in the story. It was to me, however, just not appealing. I'll give future offerings another chance, but I have my doubts.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

When Leo had unceremoniously took his own life Whit is encouraged to look into his death to see if he had really committed suicide or if he was murdered. She discovers a generations long feud between Leo's family and the Ahern family, of whom the police chief is a member of. This book depicts island life as well as small town life, both the good and the bad.

Something Fishy This Way Comes is the second book in the Whit and Whiskers cozy mystery series by Gabby Allan.

I absolutely LOVED the first book in the series [book:Much Ado about Nauticaling|55841947] and was so excited to receive an early copy of this book from the author. Thank you!

I love the setting of Catalina Island as a backdrop. The author creates such a vivid picture in the readers mind and I felt like I was there soaking in the sun, going on an island tour of a glass bottom boat.

Whitney (Whit) is asked to investigate the death of a man by the name of Leo Franklin.
The police are callilng it suicide but the family thinks something nefarious happened.

The "family feud" aspect of this book is fantastic. There is a family feud that Whit didn't know about and no one seems to want to tell her how the feud started.

I love the characters in this book , including Whiskers the cat.

The mystery is complex and well written. There are some red herrings that really kept me guessing until the very end.

I really enjoyed this mystery and can't wait for more books in this series.