Welcome back to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire and the High Cliff Shelter for Cats! Third in the Cat Lady Mysteries, this continues to be one of my favorite “new” cat mystery series. The characters are likable and drawn with care, the cats are adorable, and the mystery is complex. It is fun to see how this little town celebrates Christmas, from decorations to the annual Cookie Challenge.
Lara Caphart and her Aunt Fran began the High Cliff Shelter for Cats, which gave their cat-loving hearts a new purpose. It is housed on the first floor of Aunt Fran’s Folk Victorian home, and they live on the second floor. People regularly brought abandoned cats to Fran; now she can give them good homes. Lara is also a watercolor artist and Fran will return to teaching next term. 
Sherry Bowker is Lara’s best friend. She and her mother, Daisy, own Bowker’s Coffee Stop, where they serve Daisy’s baked goods. Daisy has been trying to make the best cookie for the annual Cookie Challenge. She placed second in the past and is determined to win the challenge and the $1,000 prize money. Daisy’s main competition is Loretta Gregson, the mother of Sherry’s boyfriend David. Loretta has begun to wear her makeup, hair, even hair coloring, to match Daisy’s.
Much to their horror, Gladys Plouffe is a judge in the Challenge this year. She was the Home Ec teacher until her recent retirement. Gladys didn’t like anyone who didn’t excel in sewing, including Sherry. Lara had contacted the sponsor to see if they would consider adding a division for cat (treat) cookies but was turned down. Lara got a library book about making healthy cat treats and would try baking and selling some in the high school with others selling cookies. Hidden inside the book, however, is a handwritten letter dated a week after Lara was born, and with the writer claiming to have seen someone murdered exactly one week before, on the day Lara was born.
The morning of the Cookie Challenge arrived. Daisy’s ornately-decorated cookies are the most beautiful on display. Just as the last bag of cat cookies sells, someone ran from the room where the judging was underway, yelling for someone to call 911. Gladys couldn’t breathe, had one of Daisy’s cookies in her hand, and CPR was not working. When the dust settled, it is determined that the cause of death was something Gladys was severely allergic to.
Lara, Sherry, Fran, and Daisy are my favorites, due to their long-term friendships, loyalty to the town, and courage and ability to work their dreams. Lara is the most 3-dimensional, then Fran; others are defined as suiting their roles.
This is a fabulous mystery, one that confounded me. Plot twists kept me on my toes. There were a couple stunning surprises waiting at the end! There is more than meets the eye in this mystery, especially when considering how the murder of 28 years ago ties in to a murder in the present. Just when I thought I had solved the mystery, there was another turn that changed my perception. I love how the author describes the cats and their antics, and I especially enjoyed Lara’s secret ‘helper’ and her struggles of how to reveal how she gets some of her answers. I highly recommend this cozy mystery, whether during the Christmas season or the heat of summer, when the thought of snow is a pure delight!
From a grateful heart: I received an e-Arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

In this next book of the series Whisker Jog has an upcoming cookie contest that it is quite the holiday tradition.  Lara was hoping the company that sponsors the event would have a category for pet cookies but they denied her request.  She looks on the bright side thought, not only does she make her own pet cookies she rents a booth at the competition to sell them.  All is going well until one of the judges drops dead after sampling one of the competition cookies.  It looks like she had an allergic reaction to something on the cookie.  She was a much despised woman so the suspect list is quite long but What pushed the killer over the edge and why?  The cookie that killed her happened to be the entry of Lara's best friends mom and the police are looking at her as the killer.  Meanwhile when Lara was researching recipes for pet cookies she came across a letter in a book she checked out from the library.  The letter was a confession to being a witness to a murder, one committed thirty years ago.  It is real or is it just a prank by someone.  Lara knows she must figure out the truth.  Follow along as she looks into both murders hoping to find the truth in both cases.  Will she be able to or will she find herself to busy to do the work needed to find answers.  This is such a great series filled with a plethora of unique cats waiting to be adopted, a mystery that begs to be solved, and a setting that brings a small town to life.  I look forward to seeing what cats show up next and how Lara handles the next mystery.

Claws for Celebration is the third book in Linda Reilly’s Cat Lady Mystery series.  This is a light cozy with a well-plotted storyline and a great cast of well-developed characters, both human and feline.  The story flows at a steady pace, with an intriguing mystery, and a hint of the paranormal.  In this book, Ms. Reilly presents the reader with a current murder mystery and a possible thirty-year-old murder.  There are lots of twists and turns and plenty of viable suspects to keep the reader engaged and guessing.  I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Lara Caphart is a talented watercolor artist who moved back to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire to help her aunt, Fran Clarkson, who recently had her second knee surgery.  Blue, the stunning Ragdoll cat who only Lara can see, has a penchant for pointing out clues to mysteries both past and present.  High Cliff Shelter for Cats, the unique animal shelter Lara and Fran operate in their home, has been successful in placing cats in forever homes.  Lara enjoys spending time with her old friend, Sherry Bowker, who owns and operates Bowker’s Coffee Shop with her mom.  The relationship between Lara and Gideon Halley, a lawyer, is progressing nicely, but she has a nagging feeling that something might be wrong.  Fran and Police Chief Jerry Whitley are still spending time together, but she’s had to accept the fact that he’ll never love cats.  Sherry and David Gregson, a salesperson for a regional tractor company, have been dating for about five months and he’s already proposing.  Lara wanted to enter the contest with cookies made for cats, but the sponsor nixed the idea, and she decides to sell them at the event.  Lara discovers a letter in a pet cookbook she borrowed from the library that says the writer observed and didn’t report a murder nearly thirty years ago, on the day she was born, and Kayla Ramirez, the shelter’s part-time assistant, helps her do some research and to try to figure out what happened.  Sherry’s mom, Daisy, and David's mom, Loretta, are among the thirty finalists in the Whisker Jog Annual Cookie Challenge sponsored by The Bakers Thryce Flour Company.  Laura finds herself in the middle of another murder when Gladys Plouffe, one of the two judges, has a fatal reaction to one of the cookies, and the authorities think she died from an allergic reaction, some form of shellfish on one of Daisy’s cookies.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Lara Caphart runs the High Cliff Shelter for Cats with her Aunt Fran in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. They have turned their home into a cat shelter. This installment has us looking for forever homes for a few of the shelter residents, a mysterious old letter, and the annual Pumpkin Cookie Contest.

What I enjoyed about this book in particular was:

We learned more of Blue’s background.

There are subplots intertwined. Could they be related? - An old letter telling of a murder by a witness and the death of the judge/home economics teacher.  I have read a lot of cozies recently that the means of death has been poison. I believe this is one of the less messy but not painless ways to die.  In this story I was convinced if it was murder, it would be by poison. You’ll just have to read the book to see if this was the case.

Cleverly orchestrated clues and red herrings are sprinkled liberally throughout the plot.

A wonderful relationship between Aunt Fran and Lara. If only everyone could have at least one in their life.

I loved this cozy mystery! Cats are involved! How could I not love it?! This had two mysteries going at once. One 30 years old and one current mystery. Both are resolved by the end and I never saw that ending coming! I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to review!

Let me preface this by saying I love this series. However in my opinion this was the best installment thus far! 
I'm a cat 'rescue mom' so I can so relate to the characters. In this installment they seemed to even have more depth. The cat 'cookies' were an added treat however the highlight, for me anyway was the story of Blue and finding out his history.
An excellent read you don't want to miss!

This is an enjoyable mystery. Love the way the author ties in the past to the future & makes since doing it. The story kept my interest from the beginning on down and the main characters in the book is easy to like. I will be catching up on this series from the beginning.

I'll admit I'm a fan of this cozy series featuring Lara and her Aunt Fran- two women who rescue cats in small town New Hampshire.  In classic fashion, this installment features the murder of someone (in this case a home ec teacher) who was much despised by many for being a bully.  What makes this a little different is that there's a cold case aspect and that's quite interesting.  Nicely written with good characters (keep an eye on Blue), this is a quick fun read.  It's also perfectly fine as a standalone.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Blue’s origin is finally revealed in the third Cat Lady Mystery, Claws for Celebration. Blue is the cat spirit that provides Lara Caphart with the clues she relies on for her sleuthing.  In this adventure Lara checks out a book, “Treats for Your Cat”, to try to make cookies for the cats at the High Cliff Shelter for Cats and discovers a handwritten note describing a murder that had been witnessed by the writer.  The note is dated March 9, 1990, once week after Lara’s birth.  

In another story thread, Lara’s best friend Sherry and her mother Daisy Bowker are caught up in the suspicious death of retired home economics teacher Gladys Plouffe who tormented Sherry and gave her D’s in class.  

Linda Reilly skillfully weaves the stories of these two crimes into a rich tapestry as Lara attempts to solve them both. One of the more interesting twists is the unexpected appearance of Lara’s mom revealing more about that relationship.  

Sleuthing aside, the most engaging part of the Cat Lady Mysteries is the interaction with the feline cast Ms. Reilly describes in the beginning of each book. The vignettes and scenes with the cats that live at High Cliff Shelter throughout the book are warm and welcome. And Blue remains an important favorite as her role grows with each book. Ms. Reilly creates captivating reads for both mystery lovers and feline fans.

Claws for Celebration is Book 3 in Linda Reilly's Cat Lady Mystery Series.
I was so excited to get back to Whisker Job, New Hampshire where this book takes place.
This book has so many likeable characters, human and FELINE! I really enjoyed this book alot. The author seamlessly penned a current mystery as well as a mystery that was over 30 years old. 

The two mysteries were intertwined in such a fantastic way that it was not only enjoyable to read but quite believable.  I love the characters of Lara, Aunt Fran and the cat shelter. 

I highly recommend this book and this series, I cannot wait for the next installment!

Third in the series. Love the house as a cat shelter, the cats and the characters of Lara and Aunt Fran. The mysteries were interesting and kept me guessing until the end for one of them and they why on the other. In this book we meet Lara's mother and learn more about their relationship. 
Overall a very good read and love going back to the town and characters.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC they gave me for my honest review.

I was drawn to this series from the very first book and continue to return to Whisker Jog New Hampshire because Linda Reilly has created a wonderful fictional setting, filling it with very likable characters (human and feline) and engaging mysteries.  I love the relationship between Aunt Fran and Lara.  They are come across the page as warm, loving and genuine.  They are loyal friends and even though I'm not a cat person, I can't resist their passion for saving cats.  I enjoyed the mysteries in this installment.  I thought Ms. Reilly did a fantastic job of presenting the reader with a current murder mystery and a thirty year old mystery.  The way she wove clues through out the story along with some twists and turns that I didn't see coming kept me turning pages.  She did a particularly wonderful job of connecting the two mysteries and resolving them each in a very satisfactory and believable way.  

This is a series this is entertaining and easy to read.  I'm looking for many more stories about Lara, Aunt Fran and the cat shelter.

There are many excellent cat stories to read and I have read many of them. The 3rd book of The Cat Ladies series is one of the best I have recently read. There are two main themes in the tale one covers the history of the Ghost Cat, Blue and the second one is about the Pumpkin Cookie Contest. These two themes are skillfully brought together. 
The High Cliff Cat Shelter is working how the way, Lara Caphart and her Aunt Fran imagine it. Lara accepts a position as a judge for the cookie contest. At the gym the morning of the contest, Gladys Plouffe, a former home economics teacher who no one like dies eating a cookie from the contest. Lara is looking for reasons why someone would poison the cookies. There are many suspects and the ending will astonish you, it did me. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: Many thanks to NetGalley and Lyrical Underground for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

CLAWS FOR CELEBRATION is the third book in the Cat Lady Mystery series by Linda Reilly. This is one of the most heartwarming cozy series out there! I love the holiday theme woven into the story, which provides great settings and good cheer. With the town of Whisker Jog getting ready for their annual holiday cookie competition, protagonist Lara Caphart has her hands full running High Cliff Shelter for cats and baking cat treats for the bake sale. The list of feline characters provided at the beginning of the book is an adorable touch and I appreciate the care Ms. Reilly takes in giving each cat a unique personality throughout the story. The addition of the mystical Ragdoll cat, Blue, gives a fun twist to the mystery and I was ecstatic to find Blue more prominently featured in this installment… and find out his story. 

When Lara finds a mysterious thirty-year-old letter in an old library book confessing to witnessing a murder, she can’t help but do some research and find out what happened. And when one of the cookie competition judges dies while tasting Lara’s best friend’s mother’s cookies, another mystery lands in her lap to solve. Could it be the past and present crimes are connected? Ms. Reilly expertly plants her clues, drawing the reader in and keeps them guessing. The well-plotted conclusion had me on the edge of my seat with some twists and turns I didn’t expect. I look forward to reading more in this delightful series!

This is the third book in the series, and I hope there are many more!
This latest offering has two mysteries and many twists which kept me glued to the book so much so that I could not put it down!
This book has delightful characters that I love reading about.
The cat shelter is a great premise that does not take away from the mystery, and includes a touch of the paranormal.
This is a must read cozy series and I highly recommend it!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

A heartwarming holiday story with lots of secrets, revelations and of course, many wonderful cats. Super enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Claws for Celebration is the third installment in the Cat Lady Mysteries series set in Whisker Jog, NH and featuring High Cliff Shelter for Cats co-owner, Lara Caphart.  Lara and her Aunt Fran have several cats looking for their furever home but excitement is running high for the town's annual Christmas holiday cookie competition.  This years competition is being sponsored by local flour company The Baker's Thryce and Lara has high hopes that the company will allow a new category for her organic pet treats.

Rivalry for the top baker spot is running high between Lara's best friend Sherry Bowker's mom, Daisy and Sherry's boyfriend David's mom, Loretta.  Unfortunately, the festivities come to an abrupt halt when the judge keels over dead after sampling one of Daisy's cookies.  The victim is Gladys Plouffe, retired home ec teacher and one of the towns most despised people.  The teacher had a reputation for bullying her students and Sherry had been on the receiving end more than once spurring Daisy to have more than one public confrontation with Gladys.  It's not long before Daisy becomes the prime suspect and Lara sets out to clear her friend's name.

With the help of her boyfriend Gideon and her mysterious Ragdoll cat, Blue Lara quickly finds herself embroiled in a mystery decades in the making.  A mysterious letter found in an old cookbook offers up clues not only to the murderers motive but to why Lara is the only one who can see her beloved pet.

A page turner from the start, filled with delightful characters and cats.  In addition to a well written mystery the author weaves in the importance of pet shelters and the emotional healing that pets can bring to our lives.  This series is not one to be missed and I strongly encourage cozy readers to welcome Linda Reilly into their homes.

I received an advanced copy of Claws for Celebration from NetGalley via Lyrical Underground, a division of Kensington Publishing.  While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this novel. I really enjoyed reading "Claws for Celebration". This was the first time I read the work of Linda Reily but I can't wait to read her other books in the series. I think what grabbed my attention the most was the date March 2nd which was Lara's birthday and is also my birthday as well. The Cat rescue gives it the cozy charm.

This is another in a series of cozy mysteries involving Lara and her Aunt Fran, who run a cat shelter from their Victorian home in a small town in New Hampshire.  In this episode, there is a holiday baking contest being sponsored by a large company whose founders lived in this town.  At the finals, however, one of the judges dies after eating one of the baked goods.  The local cafe owner is suspected to have caused her death.  Lara sets out to save her friend's reputation and solve the mystery, helped by a note found in a library book she checked out.  Secondary story lines focus on Lara's relationship with her boyfriend, a lawyer, and also on the cat shelter.  They add some depth and extra interest to the book.  In all, an enjoyable book!

This mystery was a very good one. It is a story that is a page turner. It is a hard one to figure out who done it. It was totally a surprise on the who did it. Highly recommend.