I’ve found a new cozy mystery series! I just eat this genre up and am always on the lookout for more fun mysteries.
For today, I’ll be reviewing three books in the Klepto Cat Mystery Series by Patricia Fry.
Catnapped, Cat-Eye Witness and The Colony Cat Caper.
Good, clean romance, lots of colorful characters, more than one mystery to solve per book, and a wonderful cast of furry friends.
But before we get to my reviews, the author is here to talk about her writing experiences and how she came to be an author.
Take it away Patricia!
The Not So Accidental Career Path of a New Mystery Writer
I guess I was destined to be a writer. By sixth grade, I thought I knew my career path. I would be a dress designer…or maybe a model…or an artist. Instead, while still in my teens, I became a young wife and mother. My creative outlet—driven by the typical impoverished lifestyle of young marrieds in the 1960s—was writing poetry. Instead of buying holiday and birthday cards, I’d make them and feature my original poetry. My family and friends enthusiastically encouraged my efforts.
As my children grew into toddlers and beyond, I wrote stories that I read to them. They, too, were a willing audience and it didn’t take me long to decide a new career path. I would become a writer!
For the next ten years, I wrote for myself. I studied the art of writing and became fascinated with article-writing. And so it was that, when my three daughters became teenagers, I sat down at a borrowed manual typewriter in a corner of my bedroom and wrote my first magazine article. That was the beginning of a forty-year career that I have no intentions of ending anytime soon.
Many people today are career-changers. It’s rather trendy to initiate a career change every ten or fifteen years. In my world, there was never any question of changing professions, but my focus shifted every so often. I wrote magazine articles for a living for many years. I developed and wrote a business column for a local newspaper. And, along the way, I wrote books. My first one was Hints for the Backyard Rider, which was published by a New York publisher in 1978. Then came a real labor of love, The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History—a 300-page local history that was five years in the making. In 1983, I established my own publisher company to produce this book—and many to follow. From there, I wrote various books now and then related to things of interest to me—presenting a Hawaiian luau on the mainland, youth mentoring, long-distance grandparenting…
And then, one day, I was asked to present a workshop to teach others what I had learned over the years about establishing a writing business. I was hooked. I LOVED teaching. And I began presenting workshops throughout the US and writing the books my students hungered for. Thus, most of my books, ebooks, booklets are on writing, publishing, and book promotion. (I currently have 45 published books.)
Over the years, I have presented seminars and workshops—and I’ve been keynote speaker—at some major writers’ conferences in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, North Carolina, Arizona, etc., as well as all over California. What fun!
Another shift within my career occurred when authors began asking me to edit their manuscripts. I balked at this idea for several years. When I finally agreed to take on an editing project, I fell in love with the process. Naturally, I continued writing (I’ve found that I can’t not write). I continued teaching about the business of writing—publishing and book promotion. And now I was also editing the works of some amazing authors and guiding them in their publishing pursuits. I was a happy camper.
This brings us up to 2012. It was time for another career assessment. I was getting ready to celebrate another birthday—if you do the math, you’ll know it was a kinda big one. I realized that most of my same-age friends were retired. I thought, “But I don’t wanna stop writing. I love my work.” Along with that, I asked myself, “Do you have any writing dreams that haven’t been fulfilled?” The answer came in one word: FICTION.
Other than those little stories I used to write for my children, I had never written fiction. But it sounded like it would be fun. So I gave myself a birthday gift that year—the time and space to write a novel.
The idea for my new novel series came rather quickly, as did the first story idea. And within a relatively short time, I was the author of a published novel, Catnapped, the first in the Klepto Cat Mystery series.
Why the Klepto Cat Mystery? Well, I’d been reading cozy mysteries. Some of them involved cats. I love cats—have always lived with cats and am owned by three very spoiled indoor cats as we speak—all formerly feral and some still with untamed tendencies (bad habits carried over from their wild beginnings).
I am fascinated by the habits cats develop. Our sweet tabby Lily, for example, decorates the house with her toys. When I prepare to vacuum the carpeting, I’ll pick up around a dozen toys—tiny stuffed bears, a furry spider toy, a baby possum, little lion, a hedgehog, birds, etc. Within a few hours, these toys are spread all around in strategic locations of Lily’s choice again. Some of the toys in her toy basket are things she has “taken” from the grandkids’ toy box or a shelf where I had it on display. Her antics got me to thinking about true kleptomaniac cats—those that bring home things they find in the neighborhood—bathing suits, dog toys, head bands, shoes, sunglasses, etc. I thought the kleptomaniac cat could be helpful in solving crimes. And this is the premise I decided to go with for my stories.
I patterned the main cat, Rags (Ragsdale) after my mother’s cat, Smokey because of his sense of confidence. Smokey is cool. He has what’s known as cattitude, and so does Rags. And guess what? People love Rags. He’s funny, unpredictable, and not always cooperative. Well, he’s a cat, after all.
In my stories, cats don’t talk. Nor are we privy to their thought-process. They’re just cats doing what ordinary—and extraordinary—cats do to delight and entertain their people and my readers. My human characters also have fans. Reviewers love Aunt Margaret because she’s a little outspoken and feisty. Readers like Savannah, a veterinarian who adopted Rags and puts up with his unusual behavior, and her eventual husband, Michael, who is also a veterinarian. Each new story involves or focuses more heavily on someone new.
This is a series. Each story builds off the last one and sets the stage for the next one. But many agree with me that each one is also a good standalone book. If you love cats and light mystery stories, pick up one of the Klepto Cat Mystery series. For the most satisfying experience, I recommend reading them in order: Catnapped, Cat-Eye Witness, Sleight of Paw (all of these are currently available for Kindle and also in print), Undercover Cat and The Colony Cat Caper are for Kindle only, but will be in print before the end of the year. And don’t worry, book number six is in the works. http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2 will take you to the Klepto Cat Mystery page at Amazon.
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Catnapped
A Klepto Cat Mystery #1
My Review
Savannah, taking time away from her job as a vet tech, arrives in Hammond to help take care of her Aunt Margaret after she broke her foot, bringing along Ragsdale, her klepto cat. Rags is a thief and immediately he’s up to his antics, stealing Margaret’s glasses and even her underwear.
I’m more of a dog person but I’ve recently inherited a cat, and while she’s not a klepto, she does have her own quirky personality.
I live in a small town and we also have a Cat Coalition. Veterinarians and the community work together to take care of our colony of feral cats living on the bluff by the bay. Offering neuter and spay services and making sure the cats are kept healthy and fed.
When cats start disappearing, Savannah, along with the Hammond Cat Alliance and the whole town, are determined to get to the bottom of it.
Savannah’s stay becomes more complicated when she starts getting cozy with the sexy local vet, Michael Ivey. A long distance relationship usually doesn’t last.
There’s more than one mystery in this book. Savannah is kidnapped and her Aunt Margaret is being threatened. While cats are still disappearing.
There are lots of colorful characters, more than one kindling romance. and a serious mystery but not too dark. The story is easy to follow and reads quickly.
You don’t need to be a cat lover to enjoy this cozy mystery. But you might be after meeting the furry characters.
4 Stars
Synopsis
When Savannah Jordan agrees to help her aunt while she recovers from a broken foot, she doesn’t expect to walk into a mystery, become part of a not-quite-legal surveillance team, be kidnapped by a deranged stranger and meet a steaming hot veterinarian. Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister?
If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book.
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Cat-Eye Witness
A Klepto Cat Mystery #2
My Review
This is the second book in the Catnapped Mysteries. Just want to warn you as it may contain spoilers.
Savannah never left Hammond. She helped in the rescue of the missing cats, along with some abused horses from the catnappers, and fell hard for Michael, the local vet and now her fiance, helping him in his practice.
When Savannah and her Aunt Margaret host a fundraiser for the recovered cats and horses at their home, the money goes missing and someone is killed. Klepto cat, Rags, witnesses the theft and murder, but he ain’t talking, and Savannah’s best friend Iris comes under suspicion.
As the mystery unravels, you’ll bump into some favorite characters, add new ones to your list, including one that has an impact on Michael and Savannah, and read about more new romances in the works.
I really enjoyed that Savannah and Michael shared a love of horses. I’ve always adored the handsome animals and used to rush home to go riding as often as I could. It was very emotional to read how the two vets struggled to nurture a pregnant mare. One of the rescued horses. They tried to build up her strength for the delivery to come, but it started earlier than they’d like and mare and foal were both in danger.
I mustn’t forget to mention the furry companions. The cast of cats continue to grow, in all shapes, sizes, and personalities, and Rags has a big role in the mystery. He has an uncanny knack for finding clues, that even Detective Sledge might have missed.
A perplexing cozy mystery. Multiple love stories. Loveable characters, human and furred. There’s so much fun in these pages and I’m happy to recommend this series!
4 Stars
Synopsis
Savannah and Aunt Margaret open the old Forster home to the Hammond Cat Alliance for a fundraiser to help rehabilitate the abused horses rescued months earlier from the catnappers. Before the afternoon is over, the collected funds go missing and someone is murdered in an upstairs bedroom.
Suspicion surrounds Iris, a local waitress and Savannah’s new best friend. The only witness to the murder is Rags, Savannah’s cat. With the assistance of a cat psychic and Rags’s good friend, Charlotte (the young girl with Downs), the cat helps to “paw” the killer…but not before an attempt is made on Rags’s life. The case is solved only after Rags comes face-to-face with the killer for the second time.
Detective Craig Sledge is new to this book, as is Damon, Iris’s errant son. Sledge finds this to be one of the muddiest cases he has ever worked, with inconsistent clues and no apparent motive. He’s constantly surprised, perplexed and impressed by the cat’s uncanny ability to come up with clues he has missed. His fascination with the attractive Iris Clampton also mystifies the detective.
In this story, one of the rescued horses goes into labor and there’s a night of high drama at the ole corral as veterinarians Savannah and Michael work to save the foal. This experience renews Savannah’s deep interest in horses and riding, which ultimately serves to help her bond with a very important surprise character who finds his way into her life and Michael’s just as they prepare to say their wedding vows.
While Rags is the animal star, he isn’t the only animal featured in this story. Layla is back in all of her tangerine beauty. And Rags makes friends with Buffy, a perky almost Himalayan and the inseparable duo, Walter, an all black cat and his sidekick, Lexie, a charming afghan mix. Savannah’s new ride, Peaches, also debuts in this story. An incident with this mare adds another dimension to Savannah’s and Michael’s relationship. Can he hold her with open arms?
Some say this is a love story with a mystery in the background. And it’s a story of family and friendship as newlyweds Margaret and Max continue to be a meaningful part of Savannah’s and Michael’s world.
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The Colony Cat Caper
A Klepto Cat Mystery #5
My Review
*** Spoiler Alert***
This is the fifth book in the Catnapped Mysteries so spoilers will be hard to avoid.
This mystery starts out with a bang. Margaret and her friend Colbi are trussed up in an old building with little hope of rescue.
From there, the author takes you back to what leads up to this scene.
Savannah, now happily married with a baby on the way, is one maternity leave. She joins up with her Aunt Maragaret and reporter Colbi Stanton to help a cat colony at an old abandoned building.
There’s a mystery surrounding the building. Some believe it’s haunted by something supernatural.
As with her other books, Patricia Fry gives you several mysteries to solve and Savannah’s klepto cat, Rags, really ups the ante with his exciting discovery.
What did Rags unearth? Who or what lurks in the building? Are the cats safe? This and more will be revealed as you dive in and mingle with a diverse cast of characters, good and bad, human and furred.
I’ve read the first two books in this series, so I felt comfortable in skipping to this fifth book. While I had no trouble following the story and catching up on early events, I’ll be picking up the third and fourth book so I can experience them first hand. This series is that fun!
4 Stars
Synopsis
Savannah Ivey, a veterinarian out on maternity leave; her aunt Margaret, the founder of the Hammond Cat Alliance; and Colbi Stanton, a reporter for the local newspaper take on a cat colony at an old, abandoned building. Odd activity around the place makes them wonder if it actually is vacant; some believe it’s occupied by something other-worldly. When a stranger comes to town and suggests the Alliance open the old building to a fund-raiser, everyone gets involved, including Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat. He finds something that day that stirs a lot of people—both law-abiding and crooks—into action. Are the feral cats and their caretakers in serious danger? What (or who) lurks inside the old building? What secrets does it hide? And who has the key that unlocks the mystery?
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Other Books in this series.
You can find all of Patricia’s books here:
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Patricia Fry, author, book editor, consultant:
http://www.patriciafry.com/
Books by Patricia Fry:
http://www.matilijapress.com/
Author of novel series: Klepto Cat Mysteries
Available now: “Catnapped,” “Cat-Eye Witness,”
“Sleight of Paw,” “Undercover Cat” and NEW “The Colony Cat Caper” at Amazon.com
Blogs: http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog
http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades