Death Steals the Spotlight: An Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery
By T.C. LoTempio
Beyond the Page
June 27, 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

Once the star of the cable television series Spy Anyone, Shell Marlowe left her life as an actor behind after the show’s cancellation and she inherited her aunt’s pet store. Going back to her real name Crishell McMillan, Shell is fully embracing life in Fox Hollow, Connecticut and happily running the Urban Tails Pet Shop. Following her to the small town with the intention of dragging her back to Hollywood, Shell’s former costar Gary Presser instead found himself similarly charmed by this new lifestyle and has moved in as her culinary-gifted housemate. Less willing to leave the entertainment business life entirely is Shell’s mother Clarissa McMillan, who despite becoming a silent partner in an antique shop continues to volunteer as the Fox Hollow Players theatrical manager. When they need a director for their upcoming production, Shell’s classically-trained mother uses her connections to lure in Raymond Terrill, a renowned Shakespearean stage director with a reputation for being as difficult to work with as he is talented. It’s that former characteristic that takes the forefront when he has arguments with the crew and with one of guest actresses Taylor Tyson, who just happens to be the cousin of Shell’s detective boyfriend.

When Shell unfortunately is the one to find Terrill’s dead body, it also means that her Detective Josh Bloodgood must recuse himself from the investigation due to a conflict of interest. Taylor had been involved with the director despite his lothario tendencies, and her alibi gets weaker as rumors against her become stronger. Using Gary’s baking skills as ways to bribe her way into a gossipy law office, Shell discovers that there is a growing list of motives to permanently remove the director from the production. Another mystery arrives in the form of an injured Maine coon cat, who move than lives up to newly-given name Princess Fuzzypants and makes herself at home in Shell’s home along with her felines Purrday and Kahlua. So in addition to hoping that no one responds to her notice of a lost cat in the local newspaper, the former TV spy duo Shell and Gary continue their real-life investigations into the director’s murky past and shoebox of incriminating notes and photos.

This third in the series is a very fun depiction of the theater world with the added element of adorably quirky pets. Shell’s mother has very opinionated if inaccurate assessments of her daughter’s current living arrangements, but their relationship has grown closer as they accept one another’s life choices. It’s a good thing that Shell has understanding and competent staff working at Urban Tails, as she spends a considerable amount of time tracking down witnesses and sifting through questionable stories. It’s easy to jump into the third of this series, but the fun dynamic between Shell and Gary will have readers going back to the start to further enjoy their banter and quips. The cover of this book is irresistible, and the intriguing plot and engaging characters deliver on that promise and provide an extremely enjoyable romp filled with theatrical characters, relatable friendships, and charming animal companions.

I have read this series from the beginning and always enjoyed the cat theme and the sleuthing. This one fell short for me. I did not like the use of a internet cat used to make its owner money. Princess Fuzzypants is a well known exploted cat and that I found obnixious for me right away. For those of us that love and adore our cats to use out cats for money is disturbing. That being said the author is apparently friends with the owner and the cat was featured throughout which was confusing and had no place in the book . I probably will not read this series again.

This was the third installment and I have read the first two and enjoyed the cat theme based mysteries. This theme is theater, murder , cats and mysteriolus clues which cozy readers enjoy.

Thank you for the opportunity to review . My review opinion is my own.

I truly enjoyed Death Steals the Spotlight. Shell and Gary are a fun, feisty pair of amateur sleuths. I loved the cats as well. A fairly quick read but not lacking in details, red herrings and plenty of twists and turns. I loved the humor throughout the book and it's a true whodunit, I had no clue until the reveal. I highly recommend Death Steals the Spotlight to all cozy mystery readers.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DEATH STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT (Book 3 of the Pet Shop Mysteries) by T.C. LoTempio in exchange for an honest review. Shell McMillan isn’t quite sure what to think of her mother’s apparent interest in becoming involved in the goings on in Fox Hollow. However, the community is grateful when Shell’s mother steps up to assist in the annual production of Our Town presented by the Fox Hollow Players by recruiting Hollywood actors and directors to fill in many missing roles. When one of the Hollywood crew is murdered in Shell’s backyard, Shell feels obligated to investigate the crime. Along with her new feline pal Princess Fuzzypants, Shell will doggedly pursue the killer.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series. I recommend the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring retired actors, small towns, pet shops, town events, and sidekicks of both the human and fluffy types.

#DeathStealstheSpotlight #NetGalley

Oh my, what an interesting story. I love live theater and now I wonder if they all have so much drama. I think I would rather have the life Shell has now, especially since I love animals. This story line was great and the characters are wonderful. I have to agree with Shell and Gary – cats are smart and helpful. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Death Steals the Spotlight is the third installment of the popular Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries by bestselling author T. C. LoTempio, and finds protagonist Shell McMillan (former actress and pet shop owner) in the charming small town of Fox Hollow involved in the murder investigation of a famous director who has come to direct a play as a favor to Shell’s mother who is a famous stage actress. The director is not well liked, and is known for being difficult to work with as well as being a womanizer; several of the actresses have come from hollywood to be in the play have had affairs with him and have good reasons to want him dead. Josh, who is a detective and Shell’s boyfriend, is excited that his cousin has come to act in the play, but she becomes the main suspect, and Shell, who fancies herself an amateur sleuth, feels she must find the real murderer.

One of the charming things about LoTempio’s novels is that her characters always own cats, and the antics of her cats not only move the stories along, but also make them more fun to read. Shell and the supporting characters are well-developed and believable – most are also likeable. Of course there are new characters in each novel, and readers won’t be sure just which of them are good and bad. LoTempio is a good storyteller, and the story moves quickly with plenty of ups and downs and building suspense.

All told, this is a fun series and cat lovers will especially enjoy this short, light, easy-to-read novel.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

A small town production turns deadly when the players have a history of romance and ill-will. This is one of the cozies that has the trope of who didn't want the victim dead? The cats are the best part, especially the addition of Princess Fuzzypants, the Maine Coon. The setting of Fox Hollow, CT is charming and Shell is an admirable protagonist. I read the book in two sittings. I delight in Ms. LoTempio's plot strategies. I look forward to more of her books.

My thanks to Beyond the Page Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

A great addition the series! I really like that she’s mostly level headed, her romantic partner appreciates her, and she can have a platonic relationship with a guy bestie she lives with and no one is in lover with the other.

This was a well written mystery. I loved the character descriptions for someone who hasn’t read any of the other books they were very clear. I liked the mystery and didn’t guess the killer until towards the end which is great. The mystery was drug out a little longer I felt like than needed but still was greatly written. Will definitely recommend to others and will be reading the others in the series.

Death Steals the Spotlight is the 3rd book in the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries. It is an enjoyable cozy mystery with likable main characters, cats and an interesting mystery. Shell McMillan is a former actress who now runs a pet shop with her actor friend Gary. Shell is dating Josh, the local police detective. In this book, Fox Hollow is putting on a play. Shell's mother, a famous retired actress, is helping with the play. The mother, is a little less pompous in this book but still not likable and luckily she isn't a main character. The director is a friend of Shell's mother but he is difficult to work with. He ends up dead and Josh's actress cousin is a suspect. Shell and Gary work together to solve the case. I thought Josh would be more involved in the case after he was removed from working on it. Shell helps out a little on the play but I thought she would become more involved than she was and the theatre would be the central site. The mystery kept me guessing. This was an enjoyable cozy mystery but there was potential for the interactions among the characters to have more depth and warmth. #DeathStealsTheSpotlight #NetGalley @BeyondThePagePublishing

This was another fun read with a wonderful cast of characters. This time around Shell's actress mother Clarissa uses her connections to hire famous director Raymond Terrill for the towns annual theater production. Unfortunately. Terrill turns out to be a rude obnoxious person and a very demanding director which endears him to no one. When he ends up murdered and Josh's cousin Taylor is implicated, Shell pulls out all the stops to find the real killer. Terrill was quite the womanizer so there are plenty of suspects. This one had me guessing until the end. 5☆☆☆☆☆

Death Steals The Spotlight

Setting:
Fox Hollow, USA

Characters:
Shell McMillan
Clarissa McMillan
Gary
Josh
Patrick
Kenny
Taylor Tyson
Raymond Terriill
Noelle Byrd

Cozy Mystery

Goodreads:
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Review:
This was a really cute cozy mystery. I liked that our heroine was a television star that returned to her small town to open up a pet shop. Really lovely characters, although I wasn't sure what Shell and Gary's situation was. I think they are just roommates? This was the third book in the series, so maybe reading the first two makes that clearer. I enjoyed the mystery, and would read other works by the author.

Content Warnings:
Cozy Murder
Complicated Mother Daughter relationship

T.C. LoTempio pulls out all the stops when Shell McMillan’s actress mom persuades a well-known director to help the Fox Hollow Players with their upcoming production. Unfortunately, Shell ends up in sleuthing mode when the famous director, Raymond Terrill, is found dead and murdered. Not only is Shelll contending with her mother now living in Fox Hollow, but she also finds the dead body.

Shell also rescues a Maine Coon that traps her paw in a twisting vine she promptly names Princess Fancypants. Unfortunately, Shell’s two cats react differently to the invasion of the new cat into their home. Purrday welcomes Princess and Kahlua, hisses, and ignores the new arrival.

This latest Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery combines feline fun with a well-conceived mystery to make for an engaging and entertaining read.

Death Steals the Spotlight is the third cozy mystery in the Urban Tails Pet Shop series. This book will stand alone for new readers, but the entire series is a fun read. T. C. LoTempio has written several cozy mystery series and is an accomplished hand at this genre.

The characters—Shell, Josh, Gary, and the other characters, who make brief appearances—are fun and entertaining. The plot works well. I do find myself wondering if this small town is large enough to accommodate so much crime, but then I realize, it doesn’t matter. The whole point of a cozy mystery is just for the reader to suspend belief and enjoy the journey. While I am actually a terrier person (Airedales) the cats that Shell mothers are a big part of the plot.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this ARC for me to read, review, and enjoy. And I did enjoy it, although the plot was a bit thin. Death Steals the Spotlight is light reading and is another fun addition to LoTempio’s series of novels. Thank you also to NetGalley for having introduced me to so many new enjoyable novels.

This was a new to me author and I enjoyed this book. The book is not the first in the series, but I didn’t have any trouble understanding who the characters were and their relationships. I thought the mystery was quite good, and I liked how it was laid out in the book. Things I wish, that there was NO hint of a love triangle, that Gary was more active in the investigation he has interest in being a PI so it didn’t make a ton of sense that he was so in the back seat of the investigation, and lastly the MC was a little to suspicious for silly reasons. Oh yeah I thought it was kind of odd so many Hollywood people were involved in what seemed to be a very small town local production of a play.

With Shell’s mother working on a play in town, she offers the director the use of her shed when he’s not happy with his office. When the man is murdered, there is no lack of suspects as not many liked the man.

With the murder taking place on Shell’s properly, John has to recuse himself from the case. Though with John’s cousin as one of the suspects, he has to depend on Shell to figure out who really killed the man. Can she deliver yet again, or will it be final curtains for Shell?

The third entry in this series and it never gets old. I love the small town setting, the characters and the kitties. I find that the characters who have and love animals are just cozier to me. Looking for many more to come in this series. Small time life never gets old.

Death Steals the Spotlight is the third novel in T.C. LoTempio’s Urban Tails Pet Shop series, and it is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Shell McMillian’s mother, Clarissa, is a famous actress working with the Fox Hollow Players (a small town drama set) who brings a famous director to town to work on their production of Our Town. One of Shell’s cats, Purrday, finds a Maine Coon that Shell names Princess. The director, Raymond Terrill, is not happy with his office accommodations, and Shell agrees to lend her shed to his needs. She also discovers that Raymond, who everyone hates and is a curmudgeon, is a cat lover. He just so happens to have fallen in love with Princess and takes her to the shed with him.

I love cozy mysteries with pets. I just find them so much more relatable because I own 6 animals. I can understand how the amateur sleuth discusses the case with them, and how their unique mannerisms can provide answers.

The plot was very smooth with plenty of suspects who had plenty of motives. Shell’s detective boyfriend has to remove himself from the case because his own cousin is one of those suspects. Despite the murder, though, this novel still put a smile on my face. The main characters are obviously lovingly written.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Death Steals the Spotligt by T.C. LoTempio is bok #3 in the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery series. Tough times for the Fox Hollow Players. They need a director for their "Our Town" play. They managed to get one but didn't have him for long. Urban Tails Pet SHop owner Shell McMillan gets involved in this latest murder case. The deceased was a womanizer so made lots of enemies. So many suspects. This time Shell becomes involved because the murder ocurred on her property. Her detective boyfriend has to recuse himself from the case. His cousin is one of the suspects. I really like the characters in this book. The murder mystery was intriguing and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Death Steels the Spotlight is the third in the Urban Tails Pet Shop series. It takes place in the town of Fox Hollow, CT. Shell McMillian is the main character in the story. She owns the Urban Tails Pet Shop. Before she had owned the pet store she was an actress. named Shell Marlowe, who starred in the show called Spy Anyone. The other characters that live in the town and new characters add to the story,

Shell's mother, Clarissa McMillian who is an actress is working with the Fox Hollow Players who are going to put the play on called Our Town. They have trouble with finding a director. Clarissa is able to get Raymond Terrill, a well known director to come to town to help do the play. She is also able to get Taylor Tysen, Tim Scott and Noelle Boyd to come and help out. Gary Presser, her ex-co-star in Spy Anyone is staying with her while he finds an apartment. Josh Bloodgood is dating Shell and is a homicide detective. His new partner is Amy Riser. Shell finds a Maine Coon cat outside of her store which she names Princess and takes her home with her along with her other two cats.

Raymond Terrill is not happy with the accommodations for his office and ends up using Shell's shed behind her house for his office. A lot is happening in the story that I will leave it to the reader to follow and enjoy. Terrill is found dead in the shed. This opens the door to many suspects that had issues with him. Taylor Tyson, who is Josh's cousin is found guilty and arrested. Because of this Josh turns to Shell to help him prove Taylor's innocence. The story builds up to an exciting climax to a surprise ending of who the murderer is.

The ending of the story adds more mystery when Shell receives a package from her ex fiance with a bracelet in with a letter telling her that he is sorry for hurting her and missed her and sorry that he could not come to the play as he would be out of the country. He had gotten an invite from her mother to come.

I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next book of Shell's adventures.

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for this ARC.

#DeathStealstheSpotlight #NetGalley is an amazing addition to this series! I love Shell and Gary, and of course the fur babies, and now Princess Fuzzypants is part of the family.
This series just makes me happy, I can't explain it, but when I start to read a book in this series, I get the feels good feeling and it always makes me smile.
This story had a lot going on, and it was a great way to spend a holiday weekend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.