Wonderful fall cozy mystery! There is a chill in the air and it's time to curl up with a good mystery. I would highly recommend this series and author!

I enjoyed this story. The mystery kept me guessing and I look forward to more in the series.
I like the characters and the setting.

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

It’s Halloween for the Reading Buddies at the public library where Kathleen Paulson is head librarian. Georgia just brought samples of treats, and they’re an instant hit. Not so good—Georgia’s former mother and father-in-law show up and announce they are going to be part of their granddaughter’s life, whether Georgia likes it or not. In other words, they’re rich with influential friends and Georgia is not.

Georgia got as far away from them as possible once before, and they intend to use that against her. Georgia and Larry are a couple now, and the situation isn’t going to go over well with him either.

In addition to the in-laws raising a fuss in public, the library has a prankster who sneaks onto the grounds at night and leaves ‘surprises’ in the gazebo. Once it was an inflatable pool filled with Jello. The squirrels loved it. This time it’s a half horse, half mannequin minus a head aka the headless horse-man. They’re funny and get attention, but it has to stop.

When one of Georgia’s in-laws is found dead near the library, the police believe Georgia lost her temper and murder was the result.

Kathleen and her cats, Hercules and Owen, have helped Marcus, the police detective, solve murders before. This time he knows the secret about the cats. Hercules can walk through walls and Owen can become invisible at will. It’s a big help when doors are locked except you can’t exactly tell a cat to go find a clue. Luckily, the pair seem to do alright on their own. Kathleen, Marcus, Hercules, and Owen are determined to find the real killer before Georgia goes on the run again.

This is book fourteen in the popular series. Although labeled Magical Cat Mysteries, after the first few pages, readers accept the cats’ special abilities and enjoy the antics they sometimes cause. It’s a series I always look forward to reading. With the hints given at the end of this book, the next one is going to be even better.

Under the name of Sofie Ryan, Kelly has written ten Second Chance Cat mysteries featuring Elvis the cat who works in a secondhand store. He doesn’t have magical abilities like Hercules and Owen although sometimes you’d swear…

This is book 14 in the Magical Cats Mystery series. It is remarkable that the series is still fresh and enjoyable with this many stories. I've read most of the books and they are enjoyable with their hint of magic. It's Halloween at the library and Kathleen is meeting with local baker, Georgia to order treats for the party. When Georgia is ambushed by her former Mother-in-law it's an ugly scene. It's even worse when the mother in law is found dead. As always Owen and Hercules help solve the mystery and romance is very prevalent.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Librarian Kathleen Paulsen is finalizing plans for the Reading Buddies Halloween Party with baker Georgia Tepper who bakes the most amazing cupcakes. Their meeting is broken up when Georgia’s former mother-in-law barges in threatening legal action against Georgia. The pair have a rocky and emotional past. When Georgia’s husband Scott was killed in a car accident his parents Margery and Hugh decided Georgia was unfit to raise her daughter Emmy and tried to get full custody. They even tried to steal the child. To protect her daughter Georgia took her daughter on the run and tried to disappear. That brought them to Mayville Heights where they made good friends and lives.

But now Margery and Hugh have found them and are demanding visitation and custody of Emmy. They feel they have the money that her mother never will and are determined to take the girl away. Later that night Margery’s body is found behind the library and a key piece of evidence implicates Georgia. Kathleen immediately decides to prove her friend had nothing to do with her ex-mother-in-law’s death. She with the assistance of her magical cats Owen and Hercules are quickly on the case to be sure the right person is tagged for the murder and ends up behind bars.

I really enjoy escaping to Mayville Heights to catch up with Kathleen, Marcus, Owen. and Hercules and all the other residents of this interesting Minnesota town. They have been through a lot over the years. Ms. Kelly has created wonderful and genuine characters that continue to grow in each story. Owen and Hercules always steal my heart with their mischievous and “helpful” ways.

In this installment, we meet Georgia, Emmy, Margery, and Hugh. Two are delightful and the other two are evil. They all are excellently crafted and invoked a variety of emotions for me. When people believe they are above the law and that money can get them anything they want including a child it makes me so angry. There was a twist that gave me pause for a minute but I pushed that feeling away pretty fast.

The mystery was well-written with several twists and a plot that was sadly believable. I was happy to see that the mystery that has run over the last few books was concluded and opened a new door for a very special character and that character had a really important clue to help solve who murdered Margery. When all the clues fell into place I was taken completely by surprise by an extra unexpected step. A very special kitty also plays a key role at the reveal which always wins praise from me. “Mrrr”

Whiskers and Lies was a very captivating cozy that I found hard to put down. While the cats are magical Ms. Kelly’s imagination is magnificent. She comes up with such marvelous ideas and brings them out in her books for all of us to enjoy. I look forward to each one. The ending teases some wonderful things set to happen in the next book that I am excited about. So until next year . . .

Kathleen Paulson may seem like a quiet librarian, serving her community with books and information, but she’s also someone that people feel like they can talk to. That’s why she thinks she can help solve crimes, well, that and the help of her magical cats Hercules and Owen. And it’s a good thing she can solve mysteries, because there are some odd things happening around her.

The library has a prankster. There is a gazebo out back, and over the summer someone had started leaving them gifts. First, there were 15 bales of hay, perfectly stacked. Then there was the inflatable pool filled with Jell-O, which was a big hit with the local squirrels. Then things were quiet for several months, and Kathleen thought maybe the prankster had moved on. But then she saw their latest creation—a sort of centaur, with its head missing. It’s a headless horse/man, and no one can figure out who is doing this to the library. But Kathleen and her staff decide to use this one as part of their Halloween decorations, with some spooky lighting and lots of pumpkins.

The library is also planning a Halloween party for their Reading Buddies program, and Kathleen has hired local baker Georgia Tepper to make cupcakes for the kids and cookies for the adults, all with fun holiday decorations and delicious flavors. They are finalizing the plans when an elegant older couple walk into the library. Georgia pales when she sees them and explains to Kathleen who they are.

Hugh and Margery Wyler are Georgia’s in-laws. Georgia says that they had never liked her. They had always wanted better for their son Scott. But Scott loved her and married her anyway. They had a daughter together, and they were talking about moving to a different part of the country, to get away from his parents, when he was killed in a car accident. The Wylers had threatened to take her daughter from her, so Georgia took her daughter and left. She changed her name and started a new life in Mayville Heights, where she thought she was safe from the Wylers. But they have money and influence, and they have discovered Georgia’s new name and tracked her down.

But when Margery is found on the beach, Kathleen’s boyfriend, detective Marcus Gordon ends up arresting Georgia for her murder. Kathleen is convinced that Georgia couldn’t have killed her former mother-in-law, and she starts asking some questions, even though almost everyone warns her not to. It’s gotten her into danger before, and it might again. But she just can’t stop herself, or stop her cat Hercules, who apparently has a way with internet research.

Kathleen’s research into the Wylers’ legal problems, and her questioning their former lawyer, who just happened to show up in town around the time Margery was killed, nets her some information. But it also puts her in the sights of the killer. Will Kathleen and her magical cats be able to break the case in time, or will this Halloween be her last?

Whiskers and Lies is the latest in Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cats Mystery series, the fourteenth book in this series. At this point in the series, these characters feel like old friends, and the world has been created so seamlessly that reading about it is effortless. The plotting is smart, the characters are friendly, and the ending satisfies.

While I’m not a big fan of magic in cozy mysteries, Hercules and Owen are quietly powerful but also limited in their magical abilities, and they come across as fairly normal pet cats, with their frequent requests for treats and general stubbornness. They add charm and texture to this story, but Kelly also adds plenty of humor, with the prankster leaving a pool full of Jell-O in the library’s backyard. I think cozy readers will really like Whiskers and Lies. I thought it was smart, whimsical, charming, and a joy to read. I only wish that there were recipes for those desserts, because I could really use a slice of apple galette with vanilla whipped cream or (even better) a piece or two of that chocolate pudding cake.

Egalleys for Whiskers and Lies were provided by Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I do so enjoy this series. This particular installment a had a wonderful ending. I always look forward to the next.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This is one of my favorite series, so I always look forward to the new mysteries, and this one is even better than the prior ones. It has a rich blend of humor, loyal and loving friendships, engaging characters, some of my favorite fictional felines, and a challenging murder and ongoing mystery. Kathleen, her friends, and coworkers at the library in Mayville Heights are my kind of people. You can’t go wrong with folks who love cats and books!

Kathleen, the library director, is from the east coast, the only one in her family to not be in the performing arts. She and her boyfriend Marcus, a police detective, are planning a holiday trip to Boston to visit them.

Kathleen and her friends have been preparing a special Halloween party at the library for the children’s Reading Buddies program. Georgia, a talented baker, has brought samples of the cupcakes she is making for the event. While she is talking with her boyfriend, Larry, and Kathleen, Georgia’s former in-laws came in to see her. Hugh and Mary are the parents of Scott, her late husband. They blamed her for Scott’s death several years ago and had tried to kidnap her daughter. Georgia disappeared with her daughter and legally changed their names. She and Emmy have a good life now, one in which they have a community of friends who are like family. Scott’s parents are threatening litigation to, at minimum, get regular visitation with Emmy if not outright take her away.

After the older couple left, Larry picked up Emmy at school, then they went to see Georgia’s attorney. One of her biggest fears has been realized in that Scott’s parents found her. She must protect Emmy at all costs.

That night, Kathleen and Marcus are walking to where they were parked when they noticed that the local practical joker has struck again. The gazebo outside the library has been the staging area for elaborate, yet harmless, schemes. No damage has ever been done, except for the time and effort required to remove the materials. One past joke was a portable swimming pool filled with Jell-O. Tonight’s is perfect for Halloween, a large, headless centaur that will require a couple people to remove.

While looking to see if a culprit was nearby, Kathleen looked down the nearby riverbank and saw what looked like a body lying at the rocky shoreline. Marcus called it into the station, then climbed down behind her. It was Margery, Georgia’s former mother-in-law. The couple desperately attempted CPR until paramedics took over, but it was too late. It looked as though she had fallen, or been pushed, down the embankment and hit her head on the rocks. In her hand was a scarf that looked like one of Georgia’s.

Kathleen is a well-liked member of the community. She is also one of the staff members people go to at the library when looking for anything from a special recipe to a rare publication related to local history. As such, it is easy for her to ask questions and get answers more easily than the police in the murders she has helped solve before. Kathleen and her friends are defined very well and continue to grow throughout the series. We get to know the hobbies and hang outs of these three-dimensional characters, including those near to my heart who care for the feral cat colony.

Kathleen’s cats, Hercules and Owen, and Marcus’s cat Micah come to life through the cat-loving heart of the author. Their pets are unique due to the location where they had come from and the special traits they have. Kathleen had not told Marcus about the traits until his cat, Micah, like Owen, began to disappear and reappear at their feline whim. Hercules can walk through solid things – there is no house or vehicle that can keep him in or out.

Marcus would prefer that Kathleen not get involved in yet another murder case, as he has almost lost her more than once to a killer. She has to at least see what she can learn from others, however, when Georgia is arrested, then Hugh tries to get emergency custody of her daughter. This intriguing tale led me through unbelievable plot twists to an incredibly startling resolution. I was satisfied with the ending in every way, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I highly recommend this novel and series!

This provided lovely cozy fall vibes with a touch of magic (magical cats!) and Halloween fun. I really enjoy this series and alway look forward to reading the latest instalment.

Another fun installment in this uber cozy series. I love the library as the main setting and seeing all the Halloween décor described (Especially the Halloween themed cookies). This book really gives you that late October feeling. As always, Hercules and Owens are my absolute favorite and steal the show for me, though I do love Marcus , Kathleen and all their friends. This story was a bit tough with Georgia's past coming to haunt her and her desperation to protect her daughter, and I felt for her immensely. There were also some tough themes of bad (if not outright abusive) parenting that made me want to just gather up the characters and squeeze them. I love the prankster storyline and kind of hope it continues in the future. The mystery had me stumped and then very shocked in the end. The ending gave me ALL THE FEELS and now I'm dying for the next one.

Another great magic cats mystery with a shocking conclusion! Kelly's writing is fantastic and the world she's created keeps getting deeper and more developed.

Whiskers and Lies by Sofie Kelly is a charming cozy mystery. I like the characters in this series especially Kathleen. Her cats, Owen and Hercules are adorable and clever. I also like Marcus’s cat, Micah. The characters are developed and relatable. I love the interactions between Kathleen and her cats. They seem understand Kathleen and react appropriately. The cats and their antics (especially Hercules) add humor to the story. I like the descriptions of Mayville Heights. It is a town filled with friendly people who watch out for one another. The prankster and the pranks were entertaining. It added another mystery to the story. The main mystery was interesting and entertaining. Georgia Tepper moved to Mayville Heights a few years ago with her daughter, Emmy. She was running from her in-laws who were determined to gain custody of Emmy. Unfortunately, Margery and Hugh Wyler have found them, and they have not given up the fight. When Margery ends up dead, all evidence points to Georgia as the killer. Kathleen with help from her two feline sidekicks works to uncover the truth. I liked this mystery. It was different. There are clues to help readers solve the crime before the tense reveal. I like how Hercules and Owen help by finding clues and leading Kathleen to them. Their magical abilities are helpful (becoming invisible and walking through walls) when investigating a murder or facing down a killer. Kathleen knows that her cats have her back. Kathleen is good at asking questions without being aggressive or accusing. The reveal was tense and illuminating (there was a touch of humor too). Whiskers and Lies is the fourteenth A Magical Cats Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. I did find the pacing to be a little on the slow side. I wish there had been more action. The book does contain a small amount of foul language (less than six words). I enjoyed the Halloween party planning and the descriptions of Georgia’s spooktacular cupcakes. The ending will surprise readers and will make fans of the series happy. Whiskers and Lies is a magical tale with appealing pranks, Halloween happenings, clever kitties, a murdered mother-in-law, delectable cupcakes, an alarming arrest, and an unexpected present.

"Whiskers and Lies" is a cozy mystery. This is the 14th 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. I correctly guessed whodunit based on the question (also asked in the book) of who would most benefit from the death. It took Kathleen a little longer as she figured out the full motive and sequence of events along with whodunit. 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.

Whisker and Lies by Sofie Kelly is the 14th book in her wonderful Magical Cats Mystery series. Our heroine in this series is Kathleen Paulson, the librarian of Mayville Heights, as well as her adorable two cats, Hercules and Owen, who have some strange magical abilities like walking through a door, or just disappearing. It’s fun to see Hercules and Owen find ways to give Kathleen little hints to help solve crimes.

Kathleen’s friend, Georgia, is a baker, and helps with the Halloween party. Georgia went on the run, when her husband died, and his parents wanted to take full control of her young daughter, Emmy. Years later, they find her and threaten to take her daughter away. When the mother-in-law is found dead off a cliff, Georgia becomes the suspect. Kathleen is determined to find the real killer and prove Georgia’s innocence.
There are so many wonderful secondary characters, and Kathleen will talk to the local people in trying to find clues. I loved Hercules and Owen, who were so much fun. I also loved Kathleen and Marcus (her detective boyfriend) together, as they made a great couple.

Whisker and Lies is a lighthearted, fun and comforting mystery, that was so very well written by Sofie Kelly. Again, Hercules and Owen were delightful, as they always managed to get Kathleen’s attention ‘pawing’ out the clues. The story was fast paced, and kept me glued to my kindle. If you want a fast cute fun mystery, I wholly suggest you read this series.

Whiskers and Lies has two ongoing mysteries - who killed Georgia's former mother-in-law, and who has been prank decorating the library gazebo? Unfortunately the murder mystery fell a little flat in this one, though it's always fun to go along for the ride with Kathleen, Owen and Hercules. The red herrings were predictable. I did enjoy the other character development and it's a nice continuation for series readers.

I’m happy the Magical Cats series is continuing its long reign. Kathleen and friends are getting ready for the library Halloween party when Georgia is accosted by her crazy ex-in-laws who once tried to kidnap her child. There is no love lost between them so when one of them os killed of course Georgia is blamed.

Baker Georgia Tepper has been hired to provide delicious and spooky cupcakes for the Reading Buddies Halloween Party at the library, and she and Kathleen are meeting to finalize the menu of festive confections. Unfortunately, once Georgia’s former mother-in-law ambushes her at the library and threatens Georgia with legal action, the afternoon of fun is soured. When Georgia’s ex-mother- in-law is later found dead and the friendly baker is implicated, Kathleen is eager to help prove her innocence. Luckily, Kathleen and her intrepid magical cats, Hercules and Owen, have solved their fair share of mysteries. With the help of the Chief of Police, and her boyfriend, Marcus, she knows that in life as well as crime solving, it is all relative, but with hard work, she can make sure the right criminal is booked.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and I have read them all. Hercules and Owen are like little people, and I love their antics, and I am not even a cat lover! I look forward to each book, and Sofie Kelly continues to give us good stories with good characters, and of course Hercules and Owen. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read this latest in a wonderful series.

I absolutely love cozy mysteries and "Whiskers and Lies" was a wonderful addition to the genre. Great read!

Kathleen, a small town librarian, has two formerly feral cats who have some unique qualities that have helped her solve mysteries. Her friend Georgia, who is baking the treats for the library Halloween party, is suspected of murdering her ex mother in law, who has been trying to get custody of Georgia's daughter. Can Kathleen, with the help of Owen and Hercules, help to clear Georgia's name? I'd recommend this enjoyable cozy mystery with likable characters and enough plot twists to keep me guessing to cat lovers and cozy mystery fans. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advance copy.

Georgia went on the run and changed her name when her in-laws tried to kidnap her daughter after her husbands death. Years later they have found her and are threatening to gain custody of her daughter. That night her mother in law is found dead at the bottom of an embankment, with all signs pointing to Georgia. Will Kathleen and her magical cats find the real killer before Georgia is convicted? I really enjoy the magical cat mysteries. This book has interesting characters and plot twists and I love Owen and Hercules. I literally could not put this book down and stayed up late to finish it in one sitting. I highly recommend this book and series.