Review of CAT KILLED A RAT by ReGina Welling and Erin Lynn

Cozy Mystery

Date Published: September 23, 2015

Nothing bad ever happens in Ponderosa Pines

At least, that’s what anonymous gossip columnist Chloe LaRue and her best friend, town matriarch EV Torrence thought—until a resident of their sleepy little village turns up dead. When EV becomes suspect #1, even Chloe can’t stop the rumor mill from churning.

Against Detective Nate Harper and Deputy Dalton Burnsoll’s orders, Chloe and EV mount their own investigation—but what they uncover might just rock the community to its very core. Could one of their own beloved citizens really be a killer?

REVIEW

Highly Entertaining

Ponderosa Pines’ handyman, Luther Plunkett, is found dead. He only meant to fix a piece of loose trim leading up to the cathedral ceiling, but somehow plunged to his death off a rickety ladder. While a church is a great place to worship, it’s a lousy place to be murdered in, and that’s what rumors are suggesting. What with the town set for an important vote on a vital issue, it lands in Chloe LaRue and friend EV Torrence’s laps to determine what really happened – and fast.  

CAT KILLED A RAT by ReGina Welling and Erin Lynn is a VERY entertaining mystery. Part of the Ponderosa Pines Mysteries, the two authors joined forces to create some memorable characters. The plot holds its own and swiftly moves along, revealing a complex array of suspects and red herrings along the way. What I especially liked was the sparkling personalities of the two lead characters Emmalina Valentina Torrence (EV to her friends) and Chloe LaRue. They’re two very different personalities, but the eccentricities complement the relationship and don’t drag it down. I found the bond between them believable and the interactions/dialogue to be right on point.

There’s an original style going on in the series -- a real charm that makes it stand apart and hold its own. I appreciated that it introduces a whole slew of possibilities before the final reveal. All of the above makes figuring out who the culprit is challenging—and we mystery lovers love nothing more than a challenge!

I would highly recommend CAT KILLED A RAT to anyone craving a nice cozy mystery. It doesn’t take much to get caught up in the doings of Ponderosa Pines and its inhabitants, and I very much look forward to visiting again.

Four stars from me.

PURCHASE

Does Love Mix With Baseball? It Does Now!  

 

Haley Tate thought her agent losing her in a game of poker was bad, but it’s nothing compared to discovering that the disastrous bet means that Haley is forced to “pretend” to be the girlfriend of Connor Ryan … all for the sake of publicity … but … Connor Ryan? What’s a Connor Ryan? Glad you asked! Connor Ryan just happens to be the Bad Boy of Baseball. Currently fighting a media firestorm over his outrageous behavior on and off the field, it seems that Haley’s “good girl” image will be used to help restore Connor’s tarnished reputation to squeaky clean. But she’s not sure she wants to go there. In fact, she’s adamant about not participating in the farce until her writing agent … yes, the one that lost her in a bet … reminds her that Haley has a new book coming out … and that dating the hunky superstar of sports could be one helluva way for her to get free publicity. And that kind of publicity translates into generating double, triple, or quadruple the sales she usually gets. SCORE! So it’s with this greed in mind that Haley reluctantly agrees … or did reluctantly agree until Connor inserts one cleated foot into his mouth and makes Haley regret her decision.

 

Looking for a rom-com that delivers to ring in the New Year? Look no further than THE CATCHING KIND by Bria Quinlan. A book that ticks all the boxes including the one marked “funny bone,” it’s a must-read/must-add to your smooch-and-tell collection. A grand slam in love, sexy flirtations, and hilarious comebacks. All the characters are likeable, none more than our two protagonists, Haley and Connor. I have to admit that I found myself liking Connor WAY too much for it to be considered normal … so much so that I thought Haley was being mean to him, but she wasn’t. He definitely deserved the frosty-cold shoulder … but it didn’t stop me from screaming, “Go for it,” as I turned the pages.

 

 

The story is solid … the writing stellar and as silky sweet as the sheets you’ll probably be lying on when you read this adventurous romp into how to make love out of lemonade. The pacing is fast … the reading more than enjoyable. And given that we might have an inkling of where the story is ultimately headed, the getting to that victorious moment is half the fun … and I do mean FUN as in the author keeping us on our tippy toes throughout with unexpected twists and absolute hilarity that results from the gamesmanship of both Haley and Connor. These two go above and beyond in trying to protect their hearts from getting hurt while sorting out what exactly is going on. Especially Haley. She has a lot to lose if she succumbs to those tempting romantic overtures unleashed by this stud muffin. Sure, he says he’s being sincere, but isn’t that what all men say? Especially men that have a love-‘em-and-leave-‘em attitude? Nope. She doesn’t want to be “that girl” … the one who finds out too late that the man swearing he’s telling the truth and being genuine has been lying to her all this time. But there are those puppy dog eyes enticing her to cave. What’s a girl to do?

 

It’s FIVE STARS for THE CATCHING KIND by Bria Quinlan. It’s well-deserved for Ms. Quinlan keeping things real, keeping things movin’, and keeping things smokin’ hot! It’s a fun read and one you will most definitely will love!.