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    Claws of Death
    Claws of Death
    Claws of Death
    Audiobook8 hours

    Claws of Death

    Written by Linda Reilly

    Narrated by Callie Beaulieu

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    About this audiobook

    The meow of death . . .

    Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, is a long way from Hollywood, but it's the place legendary actress Deanna Daltry wants to call home. Taking up residence in a stone mansion off Cemetery Hill, the retired, yet still glamorous, septuagenarian has adopted two kittens from Lara Caphart's High Cliff Shelter for Cats. With help from her Aunt Fran, Lara makes sure the kitties settle in safely with their new celebrity mom.

    But not everyone in town is a fan of the fading star. Deanna was in Whisker Jog when she was younger, earning a reputation for pussyfooting around, and someone is using that knowledge against her. After being frightened by some nasty pranks, Deanna finds herself the prime murder suspect when the body of a local teacher is found on her property. Now, it's up to Lara, Aunt Fran, and the blue-eyed Ragdoll mystery cat Lara recently encountered to collar a killer before another victim is pounced upon . . .
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 26, 2018
    ISBN9781977385871
    Author

    Linda Reilly

    Linda Reilly is the author of several mystery novels, including the Cat Lady Mysteries, the Deep Fried Mysteries, and the Grilled Cheese Mysteries. A member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Cat Writers' Association, she can be found prowling the shelves of a local bookstore or library when she’s not pounding away at her keyboard. A dyed-in-the-wool New Englander, she lives with her husband and rescue cat in southern New Hampshire. For more information, visit LindaSReilly.com.

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    Reviews for Claws of Death

    4/5

    19 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed reading Claws of Death. It is a pleasant cozy with a well-crafted mystery and lots of cute cats. This is great for those times when you are looking for a book to relax with. Now I need to read the first book in this series!
    • 3/5
      1st book was much better. There was no way to even guess who the murderer was until the story unfolded at the end.
    • 5/5
      Lara and her Aunt Fran run cat rescue shelter. It’s rewarding to find forever homes for the cats, even though it’s hard to see them go off with their new owners. A fading actress has returned to her home town, in retirement, and wants to adopt a couple of kittens. Even she has to go through the thorough adopting process. But someone has it in for the actress, and threats are a reason for concern, both for the actress and the safety of the kittens. Lara, unfortunately, discovers a dead body, a man who is linked to the actress. To uncover the truth, Lara must dig decades into the past. This well-written and intriguing mystery, coupled with the adorable cats, makes for some very interesting and entertaining reading.
    • 5/5
      First off, I want to say that I need to correct something in the blurb - the Ragdoll isn't a cat that Lara recently encountered; it's the ghost of her own Ragdoll, Blue, who died several years ago. This is important to the story, so thought I should set that straight.Lara and her Aunt Fran are excited when a Hollywood actress decides to move back to Whisker Jog and adopt one of their rescue cats. When Deanna Daltry arrives, she's more down-to-earth than they expected, and tell her that she grew up there. Deanna decides on a pair of kittens who are brother and sister, and as soon as her application goes through she'll be able to take the furbabies home.Deanna also tells them that they're invited to a tea given by a local women's club even though they're not members. When they arrive they're just happy to be there. But there's an occurrence when an elderly man enters the premises and seems to have words with Deanna, and he's soon asked to leave. Then Deanna asks Lara to take her handbag out to her car but before she can do so, there's a slight incident regarding the bag but it soon passes and Lara does as asked. However, once outside she sees another elderly man looking into her own car and they have a short conversation and he leaves. When Lara finds Deanna's car, there's a threatening message on the window written in lipstick.Needless to say, the party ends quickly, the police are informed, and Deanna is shaken up. Later, when Lara and Fran take the kittens to Deanna's mansion, Lara sees the ghost of Blue sitting near a window. Lara looks out and sees a body in the cemetery, and once again, the police are called. It turns out to be the man Deanna was arguing with, and now Deanna is the main suspect.Lara has misgivings about the kittens but Deanna begs to keep them, so Lara decides to keep an eye on the situation. But then things start to spiral out of control when Lara - even though the police have asked her to stay out of the investigation - allows her curiosity to get the better of her. She starts looking into Deanna's past and the dead man's past, and a series of seemingly random encounters sends her running in different directions to find the truth. But will it be enough? And more importantly, could someone's life depend on what she discovers?...This is the second book in the series, and I really enjoyed it; more than the first one, I think. I'm beginning to like the characters of Lara and Aunt Fran, but I do think Fran acts a lot older than someone in her fifties. When I first met her I thought she was in her seventies, and she really doesn't act much younger here. Lara seems surprised that Fran is wearing makeup, doing her hair, and dressing nice - like she's never seen her do it before. It seemed odd to me (since almost every woman I know wears makeup).Other than that, I felt the story was well-written, and I did like the mystery and felt it was genuinely strong; having to go into the past to solve something that happened in the present. I always like tales that merge past and present anyway, so I wasn't disappointed in this.We also see that Lara is still having some insecurity in her new relationship with attorney Gideon, but they're learning to find their way and even Fran is in the beginning of a relationship herself. There were a couple of tear-jerking moments, which wasn't a bad thing, (bringing up memories of my own parents) so that only added to the story.I loved the interactions with the cats, and was surprised that someone would balk at having to fill out an application to adopt a cat. You always have to fill out an application when you adopt a pet at any shelter. Although I have never heard of supplying references and found it odd. For myself, I adore cats and have several (including a couple well into their teens - and yes, all indoor.)In the end though, I felt it came together smoothly. The reason for the murder seemed twisted, yet I do understand the reasons why. One's past always has a bearing on one's future, whether we wish it or not, and it colors our life. A fact that isn't always pleasant, but is always true. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      Claws of Death is the second in this series and I felt that it was not as strong as the first one. The book is a light read, well suited to animal (cats) lovers and those who like a story that involves a lot of character building and relationships. Throughout the book there is information regarding cats, the care and feeding of them as well as a strong recommendation for adopting from a local shelter. The protagonist, Lara lives with her Aunt Fran in a house they have turned into a shelter for abused and/or abandoned cats in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. The shelter then puts the cats up for adoption. In addition, there is a “spirit cat”, Blue, that only the Lara can see, who is helpful in magically focusing the protagonist’s attention on important clues.

      The mystery in the book is almost secondary to the relationships both in Lara's personal life and those that are part of the adoption process. When actress Deanna Daltry returns home, her high school boyfriend shows up at a party in her honour. When she shoos him off, he turns up dead. Lara decides to help Deanna in order for her not to feel like a prisoner in her own home. The mystery of who killed the man is hard to solve. There were many people who did not like Deanna when she was younger and might have wanted to frame her for the murder. There is important information that is only provided at the end of the book, as the mystery is solved. This not only makes the mystery almost unsolvable for the reader, but the culprit was hard to believe. The book itself is well written, with good attention to detail. It moves at a smooth pace from beginning to end and is easily read in the space of a few hours. I am not sure if I will continue with this series, but if you love cats, you will probably enjoy this one.
    • 4/5
      Deanna Daltry grew up in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, before she became a famous actress. Now that she's older she wants to return home and does so by buying the stone mansion off Cemetery Hill. She has also just adopted two kittens from the High Cliff Shelter for Cats. However not everyone is a fan of the fading star. After being the target of some nasty pranks, Deanna finds herself the prime suspect in a murder investigation when a body is found on her property. Lara is on the hunt for another killer, with the help of a certain blue-eyed ragdoll.

      I love the cover. I love cats, I love all animals. I love that Lara and aunt Fran run a shelter, along with their new employee Kayla, that provides the care and love the cats deserve until they can find their perfect home. But these people have their quirks and after reading book three then book one these quirks got on my nerves - the crying!! These people, all of them in the book!, are always crying!! And the abbreviated words got on my nerves. And Lara's childishness when it came to her relationship.. "we had a great night last night but when he text me today he didn't put a smiley face, which can only mean he doesn't like me anymore and wants to break up" Ugh. Otherwise it's another good book in the Cat Lady Mysteries. The mystery itself is well done. I look forward to a break from the people, I'll miss the cats, but I'll keep my eyes open for book four.
    • 3/5
      Claws of Death by Linda Reilly is the second A Cat Lady Mystery. Deanna Daltry, the actress, is coming to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire and she wishes to adopt a cat to keep her company in her newly renovated mansion. When Deanna shows up for her appointment at Lara Caphart’s High Cliff Shelter for Cats she falls in love with two adorable kittens. The next day at the Ladies Association Welcome Tea and Reception for Deanna, someone puts worms in Deanna’s purse and then leaves a threatening message on her car. It seems Deanna’s antics from her youth are coming back to haunt her. When Lara and Aunt Fran drop off the kittens at Deanna’s home, Lara, thanks to Blue, spots a person slumped against a tombstone in the graveyard. They rush to the graveyard, but it is too late to save Donald Waitt. Deanna dated Don in high school and had not spoken to him until the day before at the tea. Deanna requests that Lara use her sleuthing skills to find Don’s murderer. With the help of Aunt Fran and the mysterious Blue, Lara sets out to trap a killer.Claws of Death is a cute cozy mystery. I found the book to be nicely written, have a good flow, just the right length and had steady pacing. Claws of Death is set in animal friendly small town with caring residents (for the most part). While Claws of Death is the second book in A Cat Lady Mystery series, it can be read alone. I liked Blue, the Ragdoll ghost cat. It added a mystical element that enhanced the story. There are many delightful moments with cats. As Lana and her newest employee take care of the animals at the shelter, adoption days, and the sweet little girl that comes to read to them. There are lovely, relatable characters in A Cat Lady Mystery series. Lara and Aunt Fran who have turned their home into an animal shelter, Gideon who is Lara’s boyfriend and lawyer, Kayla Ramirez who is the newest employee of the shelter, and Chief Jerry Whitley who enforces the law for the town and is dating Fran. Claws of Death is predominantly more cozy than mystery. The murder is investigated but the animals and the personal relationships take precedence. I thought the whodunit was simple, and I accurately identified the guilty party before Don was found in the graveyard. The why and how are discovered later in the book. I am giving Claws of Death 3 out of 5 stars. Travel to Whisker Jog in Claws of Death to meet the friendly townspeople, the adorable felines, find out who is playing pranks on Deanna and discover who did away with Don.