Nine Lives and Alibis is the seventh book in Cate Conte's cozy cat cafe series and the second one I've read. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins for giving me an ARC.
The setting is a small tourist town on Daybreak Island, off the coast of New England. The protagonist, cat cafe owner Maddie James, is in charge of the town's Halloween festivities, which will include a cat costume contest, a parade, and tours of the Inn at Lighthouse Point, said to be haunted because of a 40-year-old unsolved murder that happened there, and the disappearance of a maid shortly thereafter.
Maddie's sister Sam has brought in a famous psychic, Balfour Dempsey, to give readings as part of the festivities. He arrives with his beloved black cat, Balfour Jr., as well as a handler for the cat and three other staffers. Some of the townspeople hope Balfour can solve the decades-old cold cases; others are afraid of what might happen if he does.
Balfour was born on the island and his mother still lives there; she works at the local newspaper. He's much nicer and more modest than Maddie was expecting. Shortly after his arrival, he announces his intention to retire and devote his talents to helping the police solve cold cases. No one on his staff takes it well.
Midway through the novel, Maddie finds Balfour immobile on the rocks below the inn; someone has pushed him off a cliff to his death. The murder puts a damper on the town's Halloween celebration.
Suspects abound, and Maddie wonders if there could be a connection between Balfour's murder and the cold cases. There were lots of secrets and red herrings, and I didn't guess the killer(s) until the big reveal.
This was a very good mystery in a charming setting filled with likable characters. And, as a cat lover, I enjoyed reading about the cat characters.

This was the first book I've read in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. It was a little confusing at first with all the characters, but I quickly caught on. Maddie James owns a cat cafe and is helping with a huge Halloween event for her town. The psychic they've hired is mysteriously killed after he gives the impression he could help solve a decades old murder. With the list of suspects long and Halloween approaching, it's up to Maddie to solve the crime!

This cozy mystery is a great read for lovers of cats, mysteries, and Halloween! I definitly plan to check out the other books in this series as Maddie (and JJ, her cat) are great fun!

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

A perfect story with a Halloween theme. We have unsolved crimes, ghosts, and a medium. And the best part, cats dressed up in costumes. Well, that would be my favorite part. There is definitely an interesting cast of characters in this book. Some I remember from previous books, and some are new. I love Maddie and Grandpa. How fun to live in their house and have the Cat Café right there. I loved the story line and the characters. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Nine Lives and Alibis is the 7th book and a great addition to this delightful series. Maddie James is part of the planning committee for the towns annual halloween festival. Her sister hires a famous psychic named Balfour as the main event . They book him. his pampered black cat. and his strange entourage into the local Haunted Inn where he will be giving private readings. An unsolved murder occurred at the Inn years before, as well as the disappearance of a local maid. Balfour is murdered shortly after he announces his plans to retire from his business. This is a good mystery with likeable character's, cute cats, lots of twists and turns and plenty of red herrings. My thanks to the publisher and netgalley for giving me this ARC to read and review. This book had me hooked from page one. 5/5 stars!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed it. It was a great mystery. I am truly falling in love with these cozy mysteries. I can't get enough of them.

I really like the title of thus book - that's what drew me in - but sadly, I could not get into the book. For whatever reason, the story just did not capture my interest or hold my attention. I'm sure others will enjoy the story - it just did not appeal to me.

Before I read this book, I went back and red the entire Cat Cafe series, and it's pretty much cozy perfection from the beginning. This book is no different, but there's something extra-cozy about a Halloween/Autumnal cozy mystery, so this is, to me, pretty nearly perfection. Can't wait to re-read it again once it's seasonally appropriate.

Oohh a wonderful Halloween themed cozy mystery in the Cat Cafe series. This was absolutely spooktacular! I adore this series and I loved this book! A perfect holiday cozy to read and help get you in the spirit of Halloween and murder!!
I just reviewed Nine Lives and Alibis by Cate Conte. #NetGalley
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I love this cozy mystery series! I loved revisiting all characters and of course the cats! Great mystery and look forward to more in the series!

This is book 7 in the A Cat Cafe Mystery series. This is, however, the first book in the series that I’ve read. I will be going back and reading the rest of the books even though the author did give enough background in this book that I was able to know each character.

To compete with Salem, Daycreek Harbor has hired a psychic and planned weeks worth of Halloween activities. The main attraction is psychic readings with Balfour at the Inn. The Inn where 40 years ago a traveler was killed and a maid disappeared. Maddie along with JJ, granddad, Mick are able to solve 2 murders.

I really enjoyed this book. It is what a cozy should be. Great story, mild romance and a fun mystery.

There was a slow build and then I found myself absolutely engrossed. In fact, I blame my blurry eyes and yawns of today on this book. Yes, I stayed up too late reading. With likable characters and an interesting blend of mysteries old and new, the slow build actually worked to the advantage. It gave you time to become familiar with and, yes, care about the characters and feel the impact of the murder all the more. With multiple suspects and red herrings, if you're like me, you won’t be sure who did it until the very final reveal. Hence, it definitely kept my interest.

There's also an ample dose of Halloween, even a romance blooming, but the focus remained on the characters and their inter-connections. And, oh, yes, there are cats, cats in costume, cats up for adoption, and spoiled cats with handlers, so lots of feline appearances .... and disappearances. Maddie's beloved cat JJ manages to play a role, of course, and his costume of Sherlock Holmes seems spot on.

But, can Maddie unravel who killed famous psychic Balfour before there's another murder at the old hotel to add to the mysterious deaths there in the past. And, was Balfour for real or was he just a good guesser. Will Maddie come around to being a believer or, at the very least, not quite as skeptical. Grandfather seems to believe after Balfour shares a message with him from his beloved late wife, Maddie's grandmother, Lucy. Will there be a message for Maddie? Oh, the questions. Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for allowing me to spend a spooky Halloween with Maddie, Lucus, Becky, and all the rest. I wonder who won the pumpkin carving contest?

This is a fine, somewhat supernatural cozy mystery. I could have used less of a recap of the rest of the series and more of the cat cafe itself. The characters were likable, but the mystery was nothing special. Enjoyable but forgettable.

Daybreak Harbor is rolling out all the carpets for Halloween. With a famous medium in town for the fesitivites, Maddie and her family wind up having to solve a murder rather than joining in on fun and activities. Will she solve a murder or will the spirits remain silent and a murderer get away?

This is the seventh book in this series and each one has been fun and contains a great mystery. I love Maddie and the family and the location. It’s not Salem, but it sure does give them a run for their money. If you enjoy quaint cozies and kitties, this is the series for you! Each reads fine as a stand alone, so no worries on that front.

As if I’m not already a pushover for cozy mysteries, all you really need to do is include a cat as one of the characters, and I’m in. Nine Lives and Alibis is the 7th book in the Cat Café series, but don’t worry if you haven’t read the previous 6. Author Cate Conte does a fine job of weaving in enough description of the settings and characters to bring you up to speed as the story unfolds.

Halloween is approaching, and Daybreak Harbor has decided to give nearby Salem Massachusetts some competition for the holiday. Our protagonist, Maddie James, is on the events planning committee. Luckily, the small town has a large, old inn with just the right character and ambiance to be the perfect location for events. Happily, the place is rumored to be haunted, too! Booking a famous medium and his equally well-known black cat to do readings at the inn should have Salem green with envy.

The storyline unfolds in such a way that readers have plenty of time to get to know the local personalities, and learn all about the circumstances at the inn that resulted in a death and a missing person 40 years ago. Those legends are the basis for the inn’s haunted reputation.

It’s nearly the halfway point of the book when murder strikes at the inn again. Because we’ve had time to really steep ourselves in the setting and personalities, the tragedy is much more meaningful than it would have been had it happened early on.

The solving of the murder is extremely satisfying, as the case pulls in all sorts of suspects and circumstances, as well as the inn’s unsolved cold cases.

My only nitpick is that the cats aren’t featured as much as I’d hoped they would be. Cats are referred to often, and Maddie’s cat, JJ, is with her in many scenes. But, he’s not given much to do other than utter the occasional squeak or fall asleep nearby. The other main cat spends most of the book missing. JJ does get his moment in the sun by helping solve the case, but overall, I just wanted more feline antics and involvement.

I’ll rate Nine Lives and Alibis four crunchy salmon-flavored kitty treats out of five.

My thanks to author Cate Conte, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance digital copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I really enjoy Cate Conte's books and her latest novel in the Cat Cafe Mystery series is a great read. Loved it.

Love the Cat Cafe series and I really enjoyed that this was set around Halloween time. This book.had a "new," murder along with a cold case murder and a missing person case. I always enjoy going on an adventure with Maddie and JJ, this was no exception. I would recommend not just this book but the series to any cozy mystery reader.

This book is situated in a town quite near Salem, Massachusetts so you know you are in for a good halloween mystery.

A medium is brought to town to solve two mysteries. The medium has his own stalker and the town busy body seems intent on finding out secrets about him.

When he dies and his cat goes missing it means the crime must be solved by a community member.

This is a terrific Halloween cozy

I like cozy mysteries about cats there fun. The main thing you learn is cats are wonderful animals uou can relate too. They are friendly and loyal. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and
Review.

Cozy cafe and Halloween? A vibe. I love the authors storytelling and the mystery was so fun with this one. The author really knows how to build suspense.

I enjoyed this book. It takes a good long time to set up the characters and setting before the murder happens, 2/3rds of the story in fact. I really like that as you get to know and care about the characters. Balfour is definitely different than what I was expecting. I did suspect about his mother, her secret. I liked how the killers were drawn out and how the capture when about. #NineLivesandAlibis #NetGalley