Grandeur and opulence are everything in the famed New Orleans Garden District where pets are family and no bling is too big. Opening Furry Godmother, pet boutique and organic treat bakery, is Lacy Marie Crocker’s dream come true–until the glitter gun used to make her Shih Tzu tutus becomes a murder weapon.
And Lacy becomes public enemy #1.
Now Detective Jack Oliver is hounding Lacy, and her Furry Godmother investor wants out before his name is tarnished by association. To make matters worse, a string of jewel heists with suspicious ties to the murder case has New Orleans residents on edge. To save her dream, Lacy must take a stand, put her keen eyes to work, and unravel what really happened at her shop that night.
But can Lacy sniff out the killer cat burglar in time to get her tail-raising designs on the catwalk?
SERIES: Kitty Couture Mystery #1
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Crooked Lane Books
RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2016
PAGES: 304
“Forget diamonds. Glitter was a girl’s best friend.”
I can hear some of you now. “A c-a-t book? On Carrie’s Zuzu’s Carrie’s blog?!? Has she been abducted? Should we call the police?” Well… only if Detective Jack Oliver and his southern drawl would show up. Otherwise, we’re good. But … uh… if you wouldn’t mind, let’s not tell Zuzu, our friendly canine blog mascot, about the c-a-t book, ok? 🙂
Actually, this first book in the series has more to do with dogs… and llamas… and a fish… and a couple of turtles. (And some chicks. But I and my bird phobia are ignoring them.) Just a brief cat or two, so I don’t feel completely guilty about leaving it out for Zuzu to discover. I mean… there ARE dogs. Dancing dogs, in fact. Dancing dogs in tutus, no less.
In case you can’t tell, Cat Got Your Diamonds is a lot of fun! And it has a hunky detective. And the potential for some great swoonilicious romance on the horizon. Even just the hints we get as attraction sizzles and sparks between Jack and Lacy during this novel had me reaching for my fan a few times. Seriously the most chemistry I’ve read in a while that doesn’t end in a liplock! I can tell I will be stalking this publisher on Netgalley until the advanced copy of Cat Got Your Cash (book 2) is available for review… because I really must find out where their relationship goes from here. Especially the way this first book ended!! Ahhhhh… is it April yet? Sigh.
But this IS a mystery, isn’t it? So I should probably talk about that too lol. Cat Got Your Diamonds is a great blend of amateur sleuth and police procedural, plus Lacy’s attempts to investigate on her own keep putting her in Jack’s path which is an added bonus! The action doesn’t let up much once it gets going (which is pretty much right away) and the New Orleans setting nicely complements the suspenseful mood.
Bottom Line: This novel is a great example of what I look for in a cozy mystery – a great case that keeps me guessing, a dash of romance, and splashes of humor. Both Lacy and Jack are well-developed and very likable characters with fantastic chemistry between them. The supporting characters are equally well-defined, and I’m looking forward to reuniting with them in the next book.
Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there are a very few, very minor curse words scattered infrequently throughout this novel. I still absolutely consider it to be “clean fiction”.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher via Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 5 stars / Excellent book!
KissingBook Level: 3 / I’m not kidding about that chemistry.
Julie Chase is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three small children. Julie is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC). She is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. Julie also writes as Julie Anne Lindsey.
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Really??? Carrie reads a CAT book? That is unusual, especially a cat book that has chicks in it. I suppose you skipped over that part, huh? It sounds like a fun book!
LOL yes well… the chicks weren’t actually present in the book, just talked about. So it’s ok 😉
Oh, that’s good then. You’d have to dock the book a star for that! Fun book review, my BFFF!
heehee thanks!
“Cat Got Your Diamonds” sounds like an amazing read. The Garden District of New Orleans is a great setting for a murder mystery. Can’t wait to read.
It really was a great setting & a great read!