This is such a great series! I was looking forward to reading this and it did not disappoint. I just love seeing all the familiar characters and of course Owen and Hercules.

When a young woman disappeared thirty-six years ago, everyone assumed she’d run away. She was pregnant, pressured to give the baby up for adoption, and wouldn’t tell who the father was. The problem was, her car was found in a ditch off a snowy road. There was a sighting at the bus station – but how did she get there? Can a case that old be solved?

The artists’ cooperative building is old and in need of repairs but a cold snap, cold for even a Minnesota December, bursts a pipe and ruins the drywall. Maggie, who runs the co-op, calls on Kathleen and her cat Owen for help when a rat is discovered. They’re also on hand when a body is found inside the wall.

Knowing the last time the building had that kind of work done was almost 40 years ago, it’s logical to assume the body is of the missing girl, Lily Abbott. Although Kathleen’s fiancé is on the case, Kathleen is asked to look into the case by a woman who has a vested interest in the outcome. It’s nothing dangerous, just a few questions – or so they think. One possible clue is a half heart necklace, common years ago where each of the lovers wore it as a reminder of the other.

Kathleen has helped Marcus solve a few cases in the past but none as old as this one looks to be. If it is Lily, some witnesses have moved, have forgotten details, or have died in the meantime. Kathleen and Marcus are planning a trip to Boston to be with her family for Christmas and are running into one obstacle after another. The case proves to be equally frustrating. Will they be able to solve a mystery that’s been long buried? And at what cost?

This is book 15 in the popular series, most reviewed in KRL. Kathleen is the dependable friend you’d call in an emergency, the one you’d want to go shopping with, or to have chocolate pudding cake with (not sharing) at Eric’s diner. Her friends would welcome you to join them. As Kathleen is the librarian, she’s at the heart of the town. Although her cats have magical abilities, it enhances the story rather than distracting from it. And in this book, readers will get to know Fifi, the male dog who lives next door and is afraid of the cats. What more could you want? A good mystery, a cat, and a dog.

This is book 15 in the Magical Cats series. It can be read as a stand alone but don’t miss the previous books. Kathleen and the Library Staff are getting ready for Christmas and She and Marcus are planning a trip East to spend the holiday with her family. When a broken water pipe at the nearby Artist shops unveils a human body behind the drywall the town is shocked to discover that it’s Lily, a young woman who they thought ran away many years ago. A good story that has the cats working overtime in the magic department to keep Kathleen safe.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

I initially requested this title as I was interested in reading a Canadian author writing cozies - and I did read most of the rest of the series first, as I wanted to be familiar with all the characters.

In Paws to Remember, small town librarian Kathleen Paulson is helping a friend clean up the local artists’ co-op after a pipe bursts, and they discover a mummified body behind the old drywall. Kathleen, as usual, tries to find out who, and then why the victim ended up hidden in the wall, as it turns out one of Kathleen’s friends, Ella, is actually the victim’s daughter.

Meanwhile, it’s almost Christmas and the neighbour’s dog wants to make friends with Kathleen’s unusual cats, Owen and Hercules; and Kathleen and now-fiancé Marcus are trying to plan a trip to visit Kathleen’s family in Boston.

This book is a fine addition to the series, but I didn’t find it as entertaining as some of Kathleen’s other investigations. All of Kathleen’s friends make an appearance, but for most of them it's very brief and they’re not much involved in the story. There’s a lot of detailed descriptions of making lunch and breakfast, and all the Christmas cookies and hot chocolate being consumed by everyone.

SPOILERS below:

Some quibbles that made this book less enjoyable for me:
For an engaged couple, Kathleen and Marcus barely touch or even spend time with each other here - they mention several times that ‘they’d just get married right now’ if there was a minister around, and then go off on their separate ways again - I’m very frustrated by the depiction of a relationship of two adults who are supposed to be madly in love who act more like casual lunch date acquaintances.
I don’t know where the author came up with a ‘36-year-old’ mystery (maybe so the killer wouldn’t have died of old age?), but it works out to mean that Ella got pregnant when she was around 17 if her daughter is in first year college - I found that strange for someone who grew up as an abandoned baby.
A large part of Kathleen’s investigation involves trying to figure out the events of the deceased’s last days - this is someone who was 9 months pregnant in the middle of a Minnesota winter, and it’s dealt with almost as an aside - so maybe there was an hour that involved the actual labour and birth, no problem, and we’ll take the baby to the church - it was just so unrealistic that it really disrupted the flow of the narrative for me.
The final confrontation with the killer is also pretty contrived here - Kathleen goes to have a quick look at something, which she shouldn’t have done alone, and runs into the killer - suprise! - and there is no reasonable explanation of how the villain got there.

I’d normally rate the books in this series at a 4, but this one only gets a 3 from me.

This was a fun book. I always enjoy Sofie Kelly, especially at the holidays. A body is found in a wall of the artists’ coop store when a water leak is being repaired. Librarian Kathleen and her cats get involved in the cold case.

This series is delightful. I’ve only read a few but it seems to keep getting better. Three stars is a good score for me. It means I liked it a lot but it isn’t one of my most favorite.

This book was fun and different because it involves a cold case—something we don’t see as often in cozy mystery series.

It's early December and an extra cold winter has settled in on Mayville Heights, Minnesota, leading to a power outage and a burst pipe one chilly evening in an old building in town. The River Arts building houses the artists’ co-op owned by Maggie, who calls her friend Kathleen to help when she sees what she thinks is a rodent.

Librarian Kathleen Paulson and her cat Owen hurry to the building to help. While Owen handles the rodent problem, Kathleen helps the local handyman, Harry, tear down drywall to prevent mold. But as they work, Kathleen discovers something disturbing—a body wrapped in a blanket and plastic that had been sealed into the wall.

When the local paper comes out with a story speculating that the body in the wall belongs to a missing eighteen year-old named Lily Abbott who disappeared thirty-six years earlier, the town is shocked. Lily was seven months pregnant when she disappeared and most of the locals believed she ran away, but her brother Tim went to his grave insisting something happened to Lily. Meanwhile Kathleen’s fiancé Detective Marcus Gordon investigates who murdered Lily Abbott.

Though most of the locals who were around when Lily disappeared have moved away or passed on, one local woman comes forward claiming she believes Lily gave birth before her disappearance and that she is her daughter. Ella King was born around the time of Lily’s disappearance, so it’s possible she could be the missing woman’s daughter. Kathleen uses all of her research skills to look into Lily’s past and determine what happened to the young woman who died tragically before her time.

Sofie Kelly has done a great job with building depth into the characters and relationships in this series. I always enjoy librarian leads to cozy mystery series because they are researchers at their core. Kathleen is well-primed to tackle a cold case due to her skills and the resources available to her as a librarian.

The mystery is surprisingly well-paced for a cold case, which could run the risk of dragging on. The story has a few twists and turns that kept me engaged. I also like that while this isn’t an overly humorous cozy mystery, there are scenes throughout that offer some comic relief and keep the tone light. The conclusion to the mystery is surprising and satisfying.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I love these books! This one specifically had me feeling the interaction with the characters and the dilemma that occurs. Short books with heart...and a nice mystery that I can't help but try to solve as I read through the story. I love that this book in particular has a holiday flair to it.

Recommend this series to anyone who likes short mysteries with cute characters--quirky cats, a cute love story, and a community of friends.

A wonderful addition to the series. In book #15 in the Magical Cats series ,Kathleen and her feline companions get involve in a cold case . This installment will hold the readers’ attention from the very first page . Sofie Kelly has a way of keeping the stories fresh and continuing has a wonderful way of making the characters feel like old friends.

I just reviewed Paws to Remember by Sofie Kelly. #PawstoRemember #NetGalley

One of my current favourite cozy series; cats, crime, and books! This holiday instalment was delightful and I'm already looking forward to the next book :)

<i>ARC Provided by NetGalley<i>

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Cold cases fascinate me, and to have one of my favorite series include a cold case is like hot fudge on a dish of ice cream. The challenges are so different, especially with the lack of technological advances of this century. Kathleen, the library director, came to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, several years ago to be a temporary director and oversee renovations planned for it. She loves the people of the town as much as they love her, making it a simple decision to stay on when renovations were complete. I enjoy every aspect of this novel and series, including the library, Kathleen, her friends and the groups they are part of, and her two very special cats, Owen and Hercules.

Kathleen’s fiancé, Marcus, is the detective at the local police department. It hasn’t been an easy road for them, as she is quite good at solving homicides if someone she cares about is affected by the murder. Marcus prefers that she didn’t get involved, but there are times when someone will beg her to look into it for them. Any information she finds is turned over to Marcus, and she and her close circle of friends compare thoughts about clues or other information.

When power went out and pipes froze in some of the downtown areas, unfortunately, some pipes burst, and could quickly cause water damage and mold if not acted upon. Early one morning, Kathleen received a call from her friend Maggie, the former president of the artists’ co-op. Despite the early hour, she asked Kathleen if she could bring one of her beloved cats to help with a pesky rodent at the co-op building. She and Owen, who has more unusual feline talents than simply rodent patrol, joined Maggie and the handyman, Harry, in the shop area of the co-op. Much of the water had already been vacuumed up, and Harry began pulling out drywall in the area that required repair. Owen quickly handled the furry intruder. Kathleen had time before work to help pull down drywall. Owen began to stare at an area of the wall. When a piece of drywall had been removed, Kathleen saw something large wrapped in heavy plastic between the studs, and Harry removed it. They opened it to find every remodeler’s nightmare, the mummified remains of a person wrapped in a heavy blanket, then in the heavy plastic sheet.

The room will be almost dry enough to replace the wall by the time the police are finished with their investigation. Harry knew the last time a major renovation had been done in the shop area was almost forty years ago. Somebody remembered a young woman had disappeared about that time but was thought to have left town. Then a woman came forward who thought that the missing teen, who would now be old enough to be a grandmother, was her birth mother.

I would love to spend time with most of the three-dimensional characters! The women are very close friendships, as do many of the couples. They are not shallow friendships; they have a depth that comes from similar values, loyalty and respect, and in many cases, even a shared love of cats. They welcome newcomers, and Kathleen appreciates being counted amongst them. They share laughter, joy, and sorrow, and some help Kathleen when she is on the trail of a killer. The men in their lives are similar with regards to close friendships, similar values, and willingness to help others. One of the endearing traits of Kathleen’s, along with her affinity for cats, is her memory for many unusual tidbits of fascinating information that would make her a popular partner when playing trivial pursuit.

Her cats are amazing! Kathleen had learned something very quickly about them when they were kittens in a feral colony she sometimes helped feed and care for, as is Marcus’s cat. They have special talents that Kathleen prefers nobody find out about, and their antics will keep the cat-loving reader entertained.

This fast-paced mystery is very well plotted and executed, with plot twists that kept this reader guessing throughout. There is comic relief interspersing serious scenes or struggles. I would not have guessed who the bad guy is, and was completely surprised – and sad – when I found who did it and why. The end was very satisfying with no outstanding issues. I highly recommend this cozy mystery!

Dollycas's Thoughts

Kathleen and her frisky felines are back and wrapped up in a cold case brought back into focus when a water leak repair exposes a gruesome find at the artists' co-op. Kathleen's boyfriend, Detective Marcus Gordon, is investigating, but a friend has asked Kathleen for help too. So she, along with Owen and Hercules and their special talents, start digging through clues and uncovering secrets. Secrets that could solve a 30-year-old case, but could also put Kathleen in grave danger.

____

The characters in this series are some of my favorites. The humans, the felines, and a canine too. Each has their own unique traits and personalities. Kathleen is so genuine and caring. She jumps in to help wherever she can which is why she was right there when this body was found. Her relationship with Marcus has grown so much and they are so comfortable together. Owen, Hercules, and Micah steal my heart every time. Fifi, the next-door neighbor's German shepherd, has wiggled his way in there too. All of Ms. Kelly's characters continue to evolve and feel fresh even after 15 books in this series. She introduces relevant new characters that have depth in each story too.

The cold case mystery was complex and Kathleen was very careful with the questions she asked. Observations and research on the computer with feline assistance helped bring everything together but Kathleen still wasn't 100% sure if she was right. I wanted to jump into the book to stop Kathleen when she wanted to get the final answers she thought she needed. But she went there, and what a showdown and rescue followed. Some of it was pretty freaky.

There was one situation where I had to suspend reality a bit. There should have been aftermath or evidence of an event that happened 30 years ago that wasn't mentioned, but that may just be me being too picky. It didn't detract from enjoyment but I did make note of it while reading.

I do enjoy visiting Mayville Heights. A great midwest town filled with wonderful people. It reminds me of the way my small town was growing up.

There was a subplot of Marcus and Kathleen's plans to go to Boston to spend the holidays with her family that wove through the book. There were outside elements that kept popping up to try to ruin their plans but I have to say I loved the heartwarming conclusion. It gave me some great holiday feels.

Paws to Remember is a solid addition to this series. Engaging characters, a compelling mystery, set in a charming small town. I am looking forward to my next visit.

These characters are old friends to me, and I love being able to visit with them again. The setting is great, such a neat town. The mystery kept me guessing.

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

"Paws to Remember" is a cozy mystery. This is the 15th 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 asked questions without being pushy or accusing, but she also seemed unusually reluctant to ask natural questions that needed answers. The cats helped out a lot with this one. 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. The police seemed content to leave the investigating to Kathleen. I mean, the obvious suspects would be the men working on that wall back when the girl disappeared, but Kathleen eventually had to ask a friend to find out who those people were and what had happened to them.

I correctly guessed whodunit shortly before Kathleen did (and I had no firm suspect before then). When she figured it out, she foolishly tried to confirm her guess by herself. The clue she was trying to double-check wouldn't hold weight in a court of law, so why bother? Instead, whodunit saw her and attacked her. Kathleen? You ARE allowed to hurt murderers trying to kill you. You had a weapon, hit back once, and knew whodunit was still aggressive. You're allowed to take whodunit down and not just hope someone will come and rescue you...

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

When Kathleen Paulson was asked to bring Owen to the art co-op building for his assistance, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Owen is a cat, after all. But when they got there, they found her friend Maggie and Harry already in the basement. A power outage in the cold Minnesota winter meant that a pipe froze and then burst. Maintenance man Harry had started to pull off the drywall, and that’s when Maggie saw a flash of fur, so they decided to call in an expert before they got much further. Owen got right to work and caught the rat in record time.

Maggie is one of the artists who works at the co-op, and she was filling in for the co-op president, who was working on her art exhibit in Minneapolis. And with the rat out of the way, Harry and Kathleen get back to the drywall, to see what damage may be hiding in the wall. But that’s not all they find hidden in the wall. Kathleen finds a large package wrapped in plastic. When she and Harry pull it out and she takes a peek inside the plastic, Kathleen is certain that she’s found a body.

While the police are called in and start to investigate the crime scene, Kathleen talks to her friends about how long that body could have been there. When they think about how long that drywall had been up, it’s possible that the crime went back almost 40 years.

It doesn’t take long for the newspaper to announce that the woman found in the wall was Lily, a local teenager who had been seven months pregnant when she went missing 36 years ago. At the time the police had assumed she had run away, but her brother always knew that something had happened to her. But when a friend comes to Kathleen and admits that she thinks that Lily had been her mother, Kathleen and her librarian instincts kick in. Hercules agrees, and he’s a cat with excellent research abilities.

So armed with her ability to connect with people, her investigative experience, and her magical cats, Kathleen sets out to figure out what had happened to Lily all those years ago. But what if the killer finds her first?

Paws to Remember is book fifteen in Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cats Mysteries. While the cats do tend to steal the scenes they are in, there are also lots of charming holiday touches throughout (like the Cookie Monster Christmas Tree) and lots of talk of delicious food. It’s Minnesota in winter, so there is plenty of snow and cold temperatures, and talk of the differences between so cold, freezing cold, and bitterly cold as well as the types of snow. And there is a lot of time for Kathleen and her fiancé Marcus to talk about the case, play games, make plans for holiday time with their families and plan their upcoming wedding.

I really enjoy Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cats books, and I thought the cold case written into this one was compelling. It was fun to see all the touches from that time in history—the disposable camera, the videotape, the jewelry, the fashions. Overall, I think Paws to Remember is smart, cozy, and magical. Sardine crackers for everyone!

Egalleys for Paws to Remember were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Another delightful book in this series. Okay, yes there is murder, but my attachment to this town and these characters and especially the magical cats trumps all that and it's like jumping into a cozy setting just at the right time. This book deals with a cold case that is just heartbreaking in so many ways, but especially for the daughter that wants to find her birth mother, but gets disappointed all over again. This is a really tough one for Kathleen to look into as so many people are gone or passed that she would want to interview, but luckily it's something that sticks in the mind of everyone else who was around. I was absolutely shocked by the ending and it made me so angry. I always love Owen and Hercules and their antics and dare I say I wish we had more of them in this book. This book takes place before Christmas and despite mentions of carols, Christmas cookies, and holiday plans... I wish there was more of a festive feel to remind me of the holiday. I can't wait to continue this series with Kathleen, Marcus (who I just love so much for how he allows Kathleen to be involved in his investigation) and their marvelous cats!

Paws to Remember is book 15 in the Magical Cats Mystery series by Sofie Kelly.
A fun, exciting and entertaining cozy mystery!
The mystery and humor are entertaining. The story kept me engaged the entire time.
The story moves at a fast-pace. There were many twists and turns. I couldn't put this one down.
It drew in my attention from the beginning and kept me riveted throughout.
I like how the book had the right amount of suspense to keep the reader engaged.
The detailed descriptions throughout the book are great and I could visualize everything that happened in each scene. The plot flows along really well, making the entire novel easy to read and understand.
With extremely well-written, realistic, and quirky characters, you cannot help but fall in love with this book.
I loved being in Mayville Heights with Librarian Kathleen Paulson and her adorable feline detectives. The supporting cast of felines, friends and family add to this solid, well crafted mystery.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written cozy mysteries that are challenging and include good friends, libraries and books, cats, and a touch of magic!
I will be sure to check out more books from the Magical Cats Mystery series in the future!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Paws to Remember is number 15 in the Magical Cat series.
In this book a cold case comes up when a body is found in a store wall. It appears to be the body of a woman who disappeared 30 years prior.
Enter librarian Kathleen and her cats, who must solve the murder. With a good chance that the killer still lives in this small town.

I enjoy the characters in this book - including the cats. It is a terrific cozy mystery and after this I will be going back and reading the first 14.

Many times, a long-running series become tedious, but the Magical Cats series continues to please. I took a half star off because I figured out whodunit before the protagonist did, which is rather unusual for me. Rounded down to 4 stars but still highly recommended for readers of this series. And if you are interested in libraries and books and cats and don't mind the supernatural, you should check out this series. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Kathleen, Marcus, and their feline familiars once again find themselves smack in the middle of solving a crime, this time a cold case. A dead body is found in the artist's co-op after a leak one winter morning, and when Kathleen is asked by a friend to look into the case, history is stirred up around town as old memories reawaken. Another win for Kelly in this series.

Librarian Kathleen Paulson and one of her magical cats Owen are helping friend and artist Maggie with clean up after a water line brakes at the artist co op. When they discover a very old body in the wall it is all hands on deck to solve this cold case. This book was a great addition to the magical cats series. I usually don't like stories with cold cases but this was well done with enough mystery and flow to keep me riveted. I highly recommend this series to anyone.