I was sick when I began this story, so I read it more slowly than normally, and I'm glad I did. Since I knew I was reading the 13th entry in the series, I was expecting lots of in-jokes and assumed background, but what I got was good exposition and some truly cute call-outs for people who love mysteries. The golden age of English country house mystery stories is well-represented here, and right on the cover we have the first reference thrown to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. The tone overall is light and crisp, despite the shocking number of corpses strewn about the place.

For those unfamiliar, this series is written about cats who are detectives in the English countryside. These cats speak, act and move through their lives much like humans, and you often forget they aren't humans until little things recall that to your notice: things like references to the Isle of Cat (not the Isle of Man) as the origin of Manx cats, "taking it in paw," instead of taking it in hand. You'll also see lots of feline-centered character names, and countryside villages called things like "Much Purring on the Rug."

Our detective characters, Hattie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins, seem to serve their village in lieu of a police force. They stake out businesses to catch vandals, and when cats begin dying at a local boarding school, they are called in to solve the deaths, in partnership with the local mortician and their cast of support character cats. We learn of the deaths at the boarding school - much separated from the village - after we meet a group of cats spray painting shop windows in protest of what goes on at their school, Mr. Whisker's Academy.

The Academy, which is a renovated mansion that was once the library of a local wealthy philanthropist and bibliophile, is now a very dark place, run by the sneering, suspicious, and ego-driven Mr. Whisker, and his rude, snoopy and secretive wife who also serves as the housekeeper. The student cats all led troubled lives before they arrived, and are enrolled at the Academy through court orders, or through being committed by family. The food is bad, the leadership is bad, the attitudes are bad, kindness and propriety are strangers, and there seems to be a secret plot to sell the girl cats once they reach an age, and can be quietly shipped of to "jobs" at kitten farms, where they are forced to give birth to kittens for raw labor. There is also a sub-plot involving the popular cats forming a daredevil "suicide club" to keep the sadness of their lives at bay, and the young Miss Whisker, who is used by her parents as a spy. Adults and youth alike seem to be less than ideal, but our detectives try to marshal the facts and help the students at each turn.

While it seems odd to be rating a first-read that is the latest in an established series of 13, this did keep my interest, and I'll look for the first books so I can catch up on the adventures.

I received a review copy of this book from Farrago Books via NetGalley for which my thanks.

Mandy Morton’s mysteries of which The Suspicions of Mr Whisker is no 13 (and the fourth that I’ve read so far) may be set in an alternative world, ‘peopled’ by cats and made fun and enjoyable by puns, translation of real-world aspects people into feline counterparts and copious amounts of food, but the mysteries as I’ve mentioned in reviews of previous reads are not only solid, they are nowhere near the cosies one would ordinarily expect from the settings and broad concept. Rather we get characters with very human traits whose relationships and dynamics mirror that of human beings and consequently show one some of the worst sides of human beings.

This is even more true of this instalment which is the darkest I’ve read so far and even though I’d seen a fellow reviewer mention this aspect, I didn’t realise how dark until I actually started reading. While this is no ways reflects on the quality of the writing or indeed how engrossing the book was, I think one should be aware of the possible triggers here which include suicide, abuse and some rather grisly deaths (<spoiler>also trafficking, drugs</spoiler>) .

While the story opens with Hetty Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins, proprietors of the No. 2 investigating mysterious graffiti artists who’ve been vandalising some shopfronts, soon discovered to be a group of students from Mr Whisker’s Academy for Wayward Cats, things soon assume a far more serious turn when Mr Whisker engages their services to investigate the brutal murder of a teacher and they also find the Academy has recently also been seeing a string of suicides by students. Mr Whisker’s Academy is very reminiscent of Wackford Squeers’ Dotheboys Hall including the unpleasantness of the Whisker family (husband, wife and daughter Bathsheba) but one finds with Hetty and Tilly that things here are much worse, with the students being not only unwanted by their families but delinquents and the school being run entirely contrary to its objective.

Hetty and Tilly, aided by Bruiser who drives them around in his motorcycle with side-car, Miss Scarlett, barely start looking into the matter when other incidents begin to occur and the body count starts to rise. Secrets and mysterious goings on are uncovered but can they solve what’s really plaguing the Academy? And stop the murderer?

The Suspicions of Mr Whisker had all the elements that I love about Mandy Morton’s series from the title itself being a parodying the popular detective series (TV and books) to the puns and feline equivalents she’s created like the Much Purring set of hamlets (Much Purring on the Rug and Much Purring in the Blanket among them) where this mystery is set. If one visits the cinema, one might get to watch Ben Fur while the stained glass at the school is done by Preflufflelite cats. To balance these off though, real-life elements are retained too—so while ‘Shirley Bushy’ might be singling her ‘James Blond’ hit ‘Biscuits are Forever’, their TV still runs Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

The other of my favourites is the surfeit, one might say, of food. To say Hetty and Tilly have healthy appetites would not just be an understatement but rather an injustice—from mixed grills to fish and chips to eggy bread and sausages and sumptuous teas (most followed not long after by another meal which these two don’t take long to clear off)—this one has it all. (I loved how Morton described one of these episodes: The once-laden tea table was a poor shadow of its former self by the time Clara collected up the empty plates. In case you were wondering what that table might have been laden with: ‘beef, chicken and salmon sandwiches with the crusts cut off; a giant pork pie… cheese and fruit scones, a Victoria sandwich; an assortment of small buns, iced and sprinkled with hundred and thousands’—I’m sure I’ve made you hungry).

In this book especially, these staples additionally also tempered the darker and grislier aspects of the book in the mystery threads. Hetty and Tilly are faced with the murders and the suicides at the Academy amongst a group of students who have all committed heinous acts in the past and are perhaps more than capable of doing so again. Other subplots, secrets and mysterious goings on are interwoven with these threads with the result that one can’t but read on to see how things will be resolved, in terms of solving the murders as also the future of the students and Academy and numerous other characters. In the process there is action and drama but also pain and heartbreak. But Morton luckily resolves things well, realistic but hopeful.

Alongside we also follow along with some of the happenings at Hetty and Tilly’s village including local gossip, which also come with their own surprises.

The Suspicions of Mr Whisker may not quite be a cosy but it is an engrossing read, with a satisfying, though sombre mystery interspersed with lighter moments in the catty elements and food.

Princess Fuzzypants here: In the world of cat mysteries, the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency stands apart. Much like the world created by Beatrix Potter, there is an entire world that mimics mid=Century rural England. Only this world has nothing but cats as the characters. Hettie and Tilly live a charming life and run a highly successful business. Their fame has spread and they receive a frantic call from the Headmaster at a nearby Boarding School. What sets this school apart is the student body is entirely miscreant kitties who committed heinous crimes. What also sets it apart are the series of recent murders and suicides.

It does not take the duo long to suss out why the students might want to escape the school. A Dickensian Work House had more charm and kindness. Mr. Whisker runs it with an iron paw and the girls are abused and mistreated. There are only a couple of teachers who seem to have compassion and one of them is the first corpse Hettie and Tilly encounter.

Pretty soon the body count is rising at an alarming rate but as the two dig deeper they uncover more horrific and sordid crimes. They feel obligated to put a stop to the other crimes at the same time as they investigate the murders. With their two trusty sidekicks, the ladies once again bring criminals to justice and hope to the cats whose lives they have touched.

While the stories paint a most bewitching world, they do not shy away from some very harsh topics that draw comparisons to some of the realities of our world. It is done in a masterful and entertaining way. I always enjoy their adventures. Five purrs and two paws up.

I thank NetGalley and Farrago for an advance reader copy of “The Suspicions of Mr. Whisker.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Mandy Morton may write cozy mysteries featuring feline detectives Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins (this is the thirteenth in the series), but in “The Suspicions of Mr. Whisker” she gives us some serious themes to ponder, while all at the same time using the deducting skills of Hettie and Tilly to bring some despicable cats to justice.

The Academy for Wayward Cats has seen some suspicious deaths; that’s the reason they’re there. But from that comes some pretty awful incidents, up to and including murder, and some very unhappy kittens. So unhappy that the young girls have formed a Suicide Club. The headmaster Mr. Whisker wants to blame the girls – done and dusted – but Hettie has other ideas. And from this comes even worse crimes, which will all be cleared up in the end, when some bad’uns will get their well-deserved ends.

And the murders? (Yes, murders). There’s a confession for that, too. Perhaps, with some sympathy involved. It’s a bad place, this Academy.

The author has a habit of evoking many an emotion in her books, and “The Suspicions of Mr. Whisker” is no exception. Readers are reminded that suicide is never an answer. At the end, all’s well that end well, complete with a marriage, apprenticeships, and a lot of happy cats. Things will go right at the school at last. Hettie and Tilly can now turn back to their wonderful plethora of culinary delights (plenty of those in the book, as usual) and wait for their next “case.” I’ll happily join them.

There is neve a moment where I do not want to dive into another adventure with these characters. I believe this is the thirteenth installment in the series but I don't believe you have to read them in order. You may miss some of the nuance of a few of the jokes, but the world created by author Mandy Morton is so much fun and always intriguing, I feel you will keep coming back for more. If you are a fan of murder mysteries, this may be right up your alley as it was mine. I tend to gravitate towards campy mysteries and animal main characters. I love books which have a "cute" element. where some people may revel in romance, I love a furry face which gets into antics.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publishing company for providing me such an amazing book. I have been able to read a few of Ms. Morton's others in this series and I see I need to keep reading the others as they are fast, fun reads. I am absolutely hooked,

The Suspicions of Mr Whisker by Mandy Morton is a new cozy mystery with a surprising set of protagonists!. The characters are cats - real cats living like they are human.
This is honestly my first time reading a title in this series but if I’m being honest here…. I really enjoyed it.
Different, interesting and it was quite fun.
The author has written such a well crafted story that reading this series is so enjoyable and a delight.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I love the cover art of these books.

The story itself, not so much. I guess I just don’t find anthropomorphic animals engaging.

Hettie and Tilly are investigating graffiti to the shops in the High Street when they are called by Mr Whisker, the Headmaster of The Academy for Wayward Cats, to investigate some mysterious deaths. Before they can get there to start, the games mistress is murdered by hockey stick.
With the help of Bruiser, Poppa and the Butter sisters, Hettie and Tilly work their way through lies, murder and mystery to solve these murders.
A nice read with the usual name puns. Fun read as always.

Thanks to #netgalley and #farrago publishers for the E-Arc.

3,25 stars

I was expecting a cozy murder mystery with cats as mc's but i got a more graphic murder story. I didn't mind though, i can handle some gruesome details.
This is the 13th book about Hettie and Tilly, the feline detectives. I had never read a book about them before but i didn't feel like I was missing information from previous books.

It was a story like I've never read before. I liked that it really was from a cat's perspective. Talking about paws, not hands, talking and thinking a lot about food etc. That brought the story to live for me. I missed a little bit of depth in the characters and there was not a lot of character growth but i don't know if that was necessary for this kind of book.

The murder mystery really was a mystery for me and therefor i wanted to keep reading to know who had done it.

Overall a good book with funny but mostly murderous elements!

The latest installment in Mandy Morton's No. 2 Feline Detective Agency series, The Suspicions of Mr. Whisker, keeps your fur raised along your spine and your paws on the edge of your cushy sofa the whole time!

I found myself biting my claws as Hettie and Tilly delved into the sinister murders at the Much Purring Academy. While the first victim was bludgeoned to death, the second was found hanging, and the third was beheaded. This was quite a hair-raising tale, and even the Butter sisters' delicious baked goodies couldn't satisfy my curiosity.

While the mystery kept my claws out the whole time, the delicious baked goodies of the Butter sisters and the local diner's greasy-spoon delicacies left me drooling.

The tale is so twisty that even a cat's spine can't handle it! So dark that even a cat couldn't see through it! So complex that… well, you get the idea. This tale is so dark, complex, and twisty that even a cat wouldn't handle it!

Duckworth Books, whom do we contact if we want to suggest this series for a TV adaptation? The Catkind from Doctor Who would suit Hettie and Tilly's roles perfectly.🐱🐱

A little choppy on the language if you aren't used to a British dialect, but can be seen past. A very fun, cozy mystery that has cats! Each twist and turn keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. Being the 13th book in the series does make it a bit difficult to follow at first, character wise, but there is enough exposition provided that clears up some of the more confusing details.

Feline detectives Bettie and Tilly are out to find who is behind the deaths at Mr Whiskers Academy. A first read from this series for me but not the last! I enjoyed this mystery. Great cast of characters. Good plot. Thanks #Netgalley and #Farrago for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Hetty and Tilly are investigating again in this 13th instalment of the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency. Set in a world of just cats and no obvious police force, things are left to our two heroines.
Starting off with investigations of a feline graffiti artist called “Manxy” (I did chuckle) going on to being asked to solve a murder at a school for wayward kittens. A thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery which you won’t be able to put down.
I’m a huge lover of these books and have read all of the previous twelve over the years. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to NetGalley and the Author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Suspicions of Mr. Whisker (The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency #9)" by Mandy Morton is our world but instead of people they're cats. This particular setting is cat UK. In this particular book there has be several odd deaths and disappearance at a boarding school for troubled female cats. Our two sleuths and their friends solve a couple problems the school is having, mostly because of a bad headmaster.

They uncover some pretty hard topics for some people. There is the subject of trafficking and kitten mills/kitten farms as they call it. There is also the topic of suicide. In the end there's a lot of death and hard topics to fully fit the cozy genre of mystery but it's still on the cozier side.

"Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins are hired to investigate a spate of mysterious deaths at Mr Whisker's Academy for Wayward Cats.

Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins are hired to investigate a spate of mysterious deaths at Mr Whisker's Academy for Wayward Cats. Before Tilly even opens her notebook, the hockey mistress is brutally murdered on the playing field.

Faced with an increasing body count, our feline detectives sharpen their claws and set out to catch a serial killer. Did Pomadora Moseley really murder her family on the rollercoaster at Butlins? Is Clara Toddlebury's Country Dance Class under threat? And why does Mr Whisker lock himself in his headmaster's study?

Join Hettie and Tilly as they chalk up another case, revealing a school full of scandal, a dormitory of death and the latest Butters' pie filling."

Best. Title. EVER!

The Suspicions of Mr Whisker by Mandy Morton
This is the 13th outing for Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins, I haven’t read any of the others (so far) and disappointingly found the first third of the book slow going. However, the last two-thirds I devoured in hours and I was gripped.
Mr Whisker calls our two feline detectives to investigate some mysterious deaths at the Academy for Wayward Cats in Much Purring. Before they get there they run into Pomodora Moseley and her posse of year 5 activists who are redecorating various shop fronts to the consternation of the shopkeepers. When our duo arrive they find Jolly Goodluck dead on the hockey pitch with three bloody hockey sticks next to her; Mrs Whisker refuses to allow them to speak to her daughter who found Miss Goodluck and Mr Whisker puts forward a list of suspects for the duo. As alibis are investigated the body count quickly rises with Harriet Lunge, Bathsheba, and Mr Shambles. Sub-plots abound and duo have their work cut out. This cosy mystery broaches some heavy subjects (suicide, suicide ideation, murder, kidnap, and trafficking) with a large dollop of humour and fun. I strongly recommend reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whisker is a fun cozy mystery featuring cats as detectives! The premise was so interesting for someone who loves cats. Unfortunately it is a dnf for me. While at the percent I decided to stop (39%) there had been no language/ blasphemes/ sex, the scenes were getting too gruesome for me. Also suicide was mentioned way too frivolously in my opinion. Had it not been for these things I would have rated it 5 stars I am sure!

YouTube review to come: 03/27/24
YouTube Handle: KeenCat

This series is addictive: I read one instalment and then I had to read all the series. This is the darkest and the best, a complex and twisty story that I couldn't put down.
I guessed the culprit but it didn't matter as the plot is more than a who-did-it because there's various subplots. It's a mystery but it's also a book about the power of friendship and community.
I liked the empathy of the author towards all the victims and how dealt with tragic issues and mixed funny moments with some more serious.
It's highly recommended and it can be read as a stand-alone as there's plenty of backstory
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved the book. The one thing I may have glossed over was a lack of character description, but I found my putting in what it wanted for the characters' appearances rather than filling in blanks in how the author envisioned the characters. The story itself was very good and captured my attention so much that I read it in just a sitting or two because I kept wanting to know what happened. There were no glaring errors that I noticed.

'The Suspicions of Mr Whisker' by Mandy Morton.
Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins are hired to investigate a spate of mysterious deaths at Mr Whisker’s Academy for Wayward Cats. Before Tilly even opens her notebook, the hockey mistress is brutally murdered on the playing field.
Faced with an increasing body count, our feline detectives sharpen their claws and set out to catch a serial killer. Did Pomadora Moseley really murder her family on the rollercoaster at Butlins? Is Clara Toddlebury’s Country Dance Class under threat? And why does Mr Whisker lock himself in his headmaster’s study?
I absolutely love this series of books and this book is no exception. Mr Whisker's Academy sounds like a horrible place so I'm glad Hettie and Tilly are there to sort things out. The book throws murder after murder at you and it seems like there wouldn't be enough time to solve them all but Hettie and Tilly solve them with plenty of time to spare.
I love all the characters in these books. I do have a soft spot for Bruiser.
If you are a fan of cosy crime and cats give this series a read.
Thankyou to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.