Monday, May 2, 2022

Review: Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake (Blog Tour)


About the Book


Genre
Cozy Mystery

Format
E-ARC

Publisher 
Berkley

Release Date
May 3, 2022


Synopsis from Goodreads:

When someone from her past comes to town to cause trouble, Kari Stuart and her sassy kitten Queenie will have to work hard to protect the Serenity Sanctuary in this new Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery.

Kari Stuart is finally starting to relax into her role as the new owner of the Serenity Sanctuary and is looking forward to the various fun autumn activities in the beautiful Catskills town of Lakeview, like the annual Oktoberfest celebration. It's time for friends and quality bonding with handsome vet Angus McCoy. Until the unexpected arrival of her unpleasant ex-husband, Charlie Smith.

He comes bearing a shocking revelation--the paperwork on their divorce never went through, and they are still married. Worse yet, he thinks this entitles him to half of her lottery winnings--although he'll happily take partial ownership of the sanctuary instead. Kari isn't sure if he's telling the truth, or if it's just another one of Charlie's lies.

But things go from bad to worse when an unexpected death makes Kari the main suspect in a murder investigation. Will she and Queenie be able to find the real killer and keep the home they've built at the sanctuary safe, or is their string of luck finally tapped out?


My Review


Everything is going so well for Kari Stuart.  Her new animal rescue, Serenity Sanctuary, is popular with the small Catskills town.  After a terrible divorce, it has given Kari a new lease on life.  She couldn’t be happier.  She even has her own little kitten Queenie by her side.  

Then, her nasty ex-husband, Charlie Smith slithers into town and turns her world upside down.  He claims they were never divorced and he wants half of everything she owns.  Even if it means taking over Serenity Sanctuary and the property it stands on.  Kari is desperate to prove he’s lying but a murder occurs first and Kari is the number one suspect. 

Will she lose everything she worked so hard to build for herself?  Kari’s friends are not about to let that happen.  As the police focus on Kari as the culprit, Kari and her friends look elsewhere for a killer.

This is the third book in the series and it has quickly become one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  I love everything about it from the characters to the setting to the adorable animals (Queenie being the favorite, of course).

The author has developed a cast of realistic characters who truly feel like old friends.  Kari’s kitten, Queenie even has her own personality and an amazing ability to track down clues and bad guys.  No, it’s not paranormal and Queenie has no “super powers” but she is an incredibly smart kitty :)

I, also, enjoy the Catskills setting.  Growing up in New York, I’ve been to the Catskills many times and those small areas are the perfect cozy mystery settings.  They are quaint, small towns with townspeople who know everything and everyone.  In this book it came in handy.

It’s a fast-paced mystery with many twists and turns.  I was sure I knew who the bad guy was, but I was wrong.  It kept me surprised until the last couple of chapters.  Although the mystery is contained in this book, I do think it’s better to read the series in order.  It gives you a better feel for what Kari has been through and where she is now.  

This is one of my favorites of 2022, so far.  I really do hope this series continues.  I want more Kari and Queenie!



For reading challenges:

The Purrfect Reading Challenge 2022
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2022
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2022
NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2022


FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.


4 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great read. Good and evil. There's always a war over good and evil.

    Have a fabulous day and week. Scritches to the kitties. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  2. This definitely sounds like a book series I need to find and start reading - it sounds utterly wonderful. And I adore stories set in small quaint towns!

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  3. That looks interesting. I like the cover too. :)

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  4. Glad to see you enjoyed it as well. It's a charming series, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete

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