Book Review & Special Offer: The Black Cats by Monica Shaughnessy

Blurb: Philadelphia, 1843: All is not well in Spring Garden. Fresh from her Glass Eye Killer adventure, Cattarina is once again thrust into mystery when she makes a ghastly discovery - a dead black cat hanging from a tree. Human authorities are uninterested in feline affairs, so Cattarina takes it upon herself to find the culprit.

With the help of her new Green Street Troop and her human companions, she ferrets out the murderer. But her plan to exact justice unleashes a new set of horrors. Now, much more than Eddy's unfinished story is at stake. If she fails to thwart these events, a dear friend may suffer the black cat's end.

Full of Victorian wit and rich detail, this cozy novella is a fictional account of Edgar Allan Poe's real-life animal companion. Fans of historical and animal mysteries are sure to like this series.

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

While I adored the first Cattarina mystery, The Tell-Tail Heart, I think The Black Cats is one of the best cat mysteries I have ever read. The Poes have moved to a different area of Philadelphia and life is good until a black cat is found hanging from a tree outside the local hardware store. Since this is a crime that falls under "feline jurisdiction," Cattarina takes it upon herself to catch the savage. Is it the creepy old man who is rumored to have a cat cookery book? The hardware store owner or the cobbler? With the help of the neighborhood cats and her loyal humans Cattarina solves the mystery faster than the law ever could, and devises a plan to seek revenge. It doesn't exactly go as planned or without collateral damage, but the killer does not go unpunished, and Poe's masterpiece "The Black Cat" is born.

This book is actually the story of two black cats, hence the title. The second is Midnight who plays an integral role in Cattarina's plan and ends up stealing her heart as well. Their little love story broke my heart at the end. I also enjoy the way the Poe marriage is portrayed, as Eddy and Sissy love each other deeply and the entire household lives with a cloud of impending doom over it because of Sissy's illness.

I loved every single word in this book and recommend it without reservation. Cattarina is the epitome of "tortitude" and uses it to solve local crimes against both humans and animals, while in the process continuing to be her beloved master's muse.

Our review of the first Cattarina mystery, The Tell-Tail Heart, and Truffles interview with Cattarina can be found here.

Special Offer

Author Monica Shaughnessy has just released an illustrated companion for The Black Cats, Mr. Eakins' Book of Cats, the journal that plays a pivotal role in the novel.

Between now and March 16th, Monica will be giving away free e-copies of Mr. Eakins’ Book of Cats to anyone who purchases The Black Cats and leaves an honest review. Just buy her novella, review it on Amazon (and anywhere else you like), and email her at contact@monicashaughnessy.com to receive your free illustrated companion.

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: Double Vision

"Do you ever have the feeling that you're being watched?" --Truffles

Book Review & Giveaway: Criminal Confections by Colette London

Blurb: Hayden Mundy Moore is an expert on everything chocolate, helping clients develop new products and revamp recipes until they're irresistible. But sometimes, a dash of murder finds its way into the mix...

Hayden Mundy Moore has bushwhacked through African jungles and haggled in exotic markets to find the finest cacao beans and the most flavorful blends. It's thrilling work but rarely dangerous--until a colleague turns up dead at the exclusive chocolate-themed Lemaître resort spa in San Francisco.

Adrienne Dowling's heart attack is blamed on an accidental overdose of the secret ingredient used in Lemaître Chocolates' new line. Hayden can't believe that conscientious Adrienne would make that mistake. And between chocolate body scrubs, cocoa mud baths, and a non-stop frenzy of chocolate-based treats, Hayden starts to suspect that she, not Adrienne, was the intended target. Finding a killer among the rival chocolatiers and potential suspects won't just be satisfying--it might save her life...

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

I've been looking forward to the Chocolate Whisperer mystery series for months now. After all, chocolate is practically it's own food group in my house, so I can't imagine a more wonderful job than being a consultant to chocolatiers.

I loved the setting of a chocolate resort complete with chocolate buffets and spa treatments. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the death of Lemaître Chocolates' head chocolatier Adrienne...was it a case of death by truffle? As Hayden begins wondering if she had been the actual target, she ends up discovering that life around Lemaître Chocolates is practically a soap opera, with affairs, conspiracies, and cut-throat office politics.

That being said, while I liked the book, I can't say that I loved it. While trying to put my finger on what exactly didn't work for me, I came to the conclusion that it was mainly because I couldn't identify with the main character, Hayden. She's a globe-trotter who lives out of her suitcases and doesn't want to live any other way (although she does pine for a dog.) A cozy mystery without a small-town setting and a character with no strong family ties just isn't cozy enough for me. Hayden appears to be an heiress, but there are mysterious stipulations in her uncle's will that we are never made privy to. She also has unusual relationships with the men in her life, from bodyguard Danny (is it really platonic?) to her lustful feelings for financial adviser Travis who she calls just to hear his sexy voice but has never actually met.

I found the killer's reveal to be quite satisfying, and it appears that Hayden's next trip will be to Seattle. I will be reading it with the hopes that some of my questions will be answered. A final word of warning: be prepared for the mouth-watering descriptions of chocolate in this book! Absolutely heavenly.

About the author: Colette London is the pseudonym of a best-selling novelist whose published more than three dozen books worldwide.

Visit her on the web at www.colettelondon.com, friend her on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/colette.london.books, or follow her on Twitter @Colette__London

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Book Depository

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Truffles Interviews: Valentine from Gilt by Association by Karen Rose Smith (w/Review & Giveaway)

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! Today I'm interviewing Caprice De Luca's latest rescue, Valentine the kitten, from Karen Rose Smith's new Home Stager mystery, Gilt By Association. Enjoy!

Welcome, Valentine! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to meet Caprice?
The only thing I remember is being cold and shivering. I tried to hide behind a bush. I heard sniffing and panting and then Lady, Caprice's cocker spaniel, found me. Caprice scooped me up, held me close and took me inside her house. I lived in her bathroom until she took me to her really nice veterinarian and got me a flea treatment. A few days later-she and her sister Nikki sat on the floor with me, played with me and held me until I went to sleep-she took me to live with her Nana. I love Nana and she loves me. We're cuddle buddies and I'm with her all the time.

Is there any special meaning behind your name?
Caprice found me around Valentine's Day! That's why she named me Valentine.

You are on the cover of Gilt By Association! Do you play an important role in the story?
Caprice seems to be a stray magnet! In each book she finds a dog or cat who needs a home. I'm in her mystery along with her cat Sophia and her cocker spaniel Lady to show how much she loves animals and that all of us need someone to love-even fur babies.

How did you get along with Caprice's pets Lady and Sophia?
I didn't see Sophia and Lady very much because I went to live with Nana once I was ready. But Lady comes to visit me often. We like to chase and nap together.

Do you have a favorite toy, treat, and nap spot?
My favorite toy is a cat-proof stuffed bear that I can kick and hug and carry around with me. Nana gives me treats from the pet store Perky Paws that are especially made and healthy for me. My favorite nap spot is in Nana's lap.

After such a difficult start, what is life like for you now?
I'm spoiled! And I'm a happy kitty. It's always warm at Nana's. She bought me a condo so I can sit in the sunshine at the window. I also have a little pink bed that I can sleep in when Nana is cooking and can't hold me. But if I'm not cuddled with her on the sofa watching TV, I'm curled up beside her to sleep at night. Caprice and her mom and dad visit me a lot. They like to hold me too and wiggle a shoestring for me to play with. Life is good.

I understand that your character was based on your author's cat London. Can you tell us about the real-life London?

The real life London is almost 14. She's a bit of a grumpy cat. She lost her half sister in the fall. She was never too fond of Zoie, the young whipper-snapper kitten who took over the household two years ago after Karen and her hubby found her in the backyard in a bush! Then this past summer Karen and hubby took in a pregnant stray. Halo had kittens. Two of them went to live in forever loving homes. But Halo and one of the kittens-Miss Paddington (Paddy for short)-moved in. They're London's sisters too. She's getting used to them. Before Halo, she stayed upstairs a lot and was anti social. But now she comes downstairs to sit in the same room-if Paddy doesn't bother her too much. Most of all, she likes to snuggle in the crook of Karen's arm.

Blurb: Between training her new puppy, helping her sister with her baby, and searching for the perfect vintage dress for Kismet’s Valentine’s Day dance, home-stager Caprice De Luca has a lot on her to-do list. But she’s never too busy to do a little staging, and she’s looking forward to thawing February’s frozen real estate market with her Hearts and Flowers Open House. Her client Louise Downing’s romantically decorated home practically staged itself. But when Louise is found murdered, Caprice is forced to turn her attention from sweethearts to suspects. And as the truth comes out in stages, she discovers that Louise had more secrets than a box of chocolate truffles…

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

I find it embarrassing to admit, but even though the first two books in Karen Rose Smith's Home Stager mystery series have been at the top of my TBR pile from the beginning, this is the first one I've read!

Caprice De Luca is exactly the kind of heroine I love to root for: passionate about animals, her family, and the dream job she's created for herself. When her mother's best friend Louise (a part of Caprice's life since childhood) is found shot to death in her greenhouse with an unopened box of her favorite peanut butter creams beside her, Caprice feels obligated to investigate. She ends up discovering that not everyone loved her as much as the De Luca's did, and she's hiding a secret past that not even those closest to her knew about.

I enjoyed every moment of my glimpse into Caprice's life, from her love of retro fashion to her menagerie of pets to her complicated love life. A fast-paced page-turner that kept me guessing until the very end makes this one a must read for cozy lovers.

About the Author: Award winning and best-selling author, Karen Rose Smith’s plots are all about emotion. She began writing in her early teens when she listened to music and created stories to accompany the songs. An only child, she spent a lot of time in her imagination and with books–Nancy Drew, Zane Gray, The Black Stallion and Anne of Green Gables. She dreamed of brothers and sisters and a big family like her mother and father came from. This is the root of her plotlines that include small communities and family relationships as part of everyday living. Residing in Pennsylvania with her husband and four rescued cats, she welcomes interaction with readers on social media.

Author Links:
Webpage:  http://karenrosesmithmysteries.com/
Blog:  http://karenrosesmith.blogspot.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KarenRoseSmithBooks
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/karenrosesmith
GoodReads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21863.Karen_Rose_Smith
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/karosm/

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Book Depository

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Sunday Selfies: Cat Sitting Edition

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! I'm not a very happy camper this weekend. Mommy is in the middle of cat sitting for our neighbor for TWO WHOLE WEEKS! I am feeling very neglected. But as bad as I feel, I also feel sorry for T-Two...at least Mommy keeps coming home to me. Her Mommy is nowhere in sight and won't be for another full week.

For our Sunday Selfies post this week I thought you might like to meet T-Two. She's a beautiful blue Persian and will be a year old in March. Mommy first met her when she was only 3 months old, and in that short period of time she sure has grown!!!

Here she is in July, at 4 months old:

And today, at 10 months:

Caturday Art & {52 Snapshots of Life}: Create

Is it just me or does it seem like everyday we're waking up to fresh snow on the ground? Since it almost feels like we're living in a snow globe, for our Caturday Art submission this week I created a Truffles snow globe using Pho.to. (I only wish that I could make a real one like this!)

It's week six of the #PBSG #52Snapshots of Life photo challenge (hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull) and the theme is create. I don't really consider myself a very creative or crafty person, but my Aunt Gail certainly is. Last year at our family holiday gathering she hosted a craft session where anyone who wanted to participate could create a wool feather tree. Since I love the Victorian era I decided to give it a try and was very pleased with how it turned out. I think Truffles was too:

This year's craft project was to make a tree skirt for the tree which required me to (gasp!) sew. Again, I checked to make sure that it met with Truffles' paw of approval:

Fry Another Day by J.J. Cook: Guest Author, Review & Giveaway

Why is it always me?

By Crème Brulee

Fry Another Day

From the Biscuit Bowl Mysteries

By J.J. Cook

Why am I always the one who has to leave home when my friend, Zoe Chase, does something crazy?

It’s always, ‘Let’s start a food truck, Creme Brulee.’ Or ‘We should drive out to see my Uncle Saul and his crazy alligator, Creme Brulee.’

Zoe doesn’t seem to know that Uncle Saul’s albino alligator, Alabaster, tries to eat me. She also conveniently ignores my discomfort when I have to be strapped into my car seat or ride in the Biscuit Bowl food truck.

What’s a cat to do?

Don’t get me wrong – I love Zoe dearly. I want her to be happy. But I’m not the kind of cat who likes to move around much. It upsets my digestion. It’s not that I mind living in the old diner with her instead of our comfortable apartment. I want her to have her dream of a restaurant. She’s worked hard for it with her food truck. This girl loves food more than me!

But I don’t want to drive from town to town on some food truck race. I don’t want to be on TV. I just want my bed and a safe place to stay. I can’t stay in Mobile, Alabama, our hometown, while Zoe is gone either. Her mother and father always forget to feed me!

If I didn’t love Zoe so much, I’d run away, and take all my cat toys with me. There better be some salmon in this for me if she expects me to walk on a leash in the grass instead of pooping on the seat! That’s all I have to say on the subject.

**********************

Blurb: With a few loyal friends in tow—including her handsome attorney, Miguel, and her cat, Crème Brûlée—Zoe drives the Biscuit Bowl to Charlotte, North Carolina, to enter a nationally televised food truck race. The contest features challenges across the Southeast, and with a fifty-thousand-dollar grand prize, competition isn’t just fierce—it’s killer.

As everyone gears up for the first challenge, another food trucker from Zoe’s hometown is found dead. The race rolls on, but when the body count rises, police begin to suspect Miguel. Now Zoe must race to catch the killer before her attorney needs an attorney.

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!
 

This is the most action-packed cozy I've read in a very long time. A food truck race from Charlotte to Mobile with $50,000 on the line sounds exciting enough, but add to that crazy challenges at every stop and an ever-rising body count, and Zoe is left with a biscuit bowl filled with murder and mayhem! In addition to the mystery there's the thrill of an intense competition sure to appeal to Food Network fans, and a good amount of romance between Ollie/Delia and Miguel/Zoe. Persnickety feline Creme Brulee of course stole the show for me. (Let's just say life on the road does not appeal to kitties.) Did I mention mouth-watering food descriptions too? This book firmly cements the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck mysteries as one of the best culinary cozy series on the shelves today.

Giveaway: Leave a comment by noon eastern on Friday, February 13th for your chance to win a copy of Fry Another Day. (US entries only, please.)