Shock and Paw by Cate Conte

Item: Shock and Paw
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted August 22, 2024 by karenbaron in #HolidayMystery, Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Shock and Paw

by Cate Conte

Series: Cat Cafe Mysteries #8
Series Rating:

Published by St. Martin's Press on August 20, 2024
Setting: Daybreak Island, Massachusetts
Genres: Cozy Animal Holiday Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Nook

The eighth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast and featuring the cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ.

Beware the cats of Christmas past…

It’s the holiday season on Daybreak Island, and Maddie James is looking forward to stepping out of the limelight, watching the island’s Christmas decoration competition from afar, spending time with her boyfriend and family, running tours for visitors as part of the festivities and spreading holiday cheer through cute cats in jingle bell collars.

But trouble hits close to home when word gets out that Donna Carey, the publisher of the island’s only daily newspaper where Maddie’s best friend Becky is editor, may be selling the business. Becky is a diehard journalist and to her, selling the only newspaper on the island is a fate worse than death. She publicly opposes the potential sale, wreaking havoc on her relationship with her big boss.

Maddie is sympathetic, but she has her own problems - like getting pulled into a role on the Christmas event committee despite her best efforts to stay far removed, and solving the case of a mysterious cat breeder trying to sell expensive designer cats as holiday gifts on the island. But then Donna winds up dead―electrocuted by her own Christmas decorations―and it appears to be more than an accident. To make matters worse, Becky becomes suspect number one. Maddie is thrown into another murder investigation in order to save her best friend from a Christmas behind bars.

Shock and Paw by Cate Conte brings the holiday cheer with two crazy mysteries.

Is Donna Carey really selling the business? What is happening with this mysterious cat breeder?

Maddie James

Maddie James is getting ready to celebrate Christmas the right way with her family. By not being a part of any event committees or anything like that for her. Well, until her mom ropes her into helping out at the last minute. Maddie is already juggling many balls, preparing the house for the Christmas Lights competition, manning her cafe, and enjoying the holiday spirit. Plus, trying to figure out who sells high-end cat breeds there on the island.

I have to say that I like Maddie. She tries not to give in to investigating but ends up giving in anyway.

The Mystery

Katrina, Maddie’s friend and animal control officer, gets her involved in solving one mystery. That mystery happens to be who on the island or off the island is trying to sell expensive cats during the holiday season. Katrina dislikes people who do that and wants to see justice done.

The other mystery that Maddie gets roped into solving is Donna Carey’s murder, and we learn a lot about her. Donna has made a lot of enemies, and she doesn’t seem to care toward the end of her life. I totally didn’t see how everything was getting wrapped up until it did.

Five Stars

I am giving five stars to Shock and Paw by Cate Conte and recommending it to all cozy mystery lovers. Ms. Conte wrote a nice one for the holiday season. Shock and Paw by Cate Conte is also my first book by this author, and I truly enjoyed it. Maddie, JJ, and everyone else made me laugh at some of their antics. Even when I wasn’t reading this book, I thought about it a lot and tried to put together the clues in my head. I completely fell for the red herring.

Cat Cafe Mysteries

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Shock and Paw by Cate Conte.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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About Cate Conte

Cate Conte writes the Cat Cafe Mysteries and the Full Moon Mysteries. As Liz Mugavero, she writes the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, the first of which was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. She lives in Connecticut with her rescue pals.

^got from her Bookbub

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