Cover Image: Undercover Kitty

Undercover Kitty

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Who is trying to sabotage cat shows being held in the local community? Don't worry, Charlotte's Angels are on the job. However, they need Sarah's help and by that, I mean the loan of her cat, Elvis. He will be a contestant in the domestic cat category. This allows the angels to have a legitimate reason to roam the aisles. Such fun until one of the volunteers is murdered. Sarah helps the angels try to figure out what is going on. Who would want to kill this volunteer and why all the shenanigans at the shows?

This is a grand adventure. Elvis is such a smart kitty and Charlotte's Angels are sharp. Sarah just has to keep them safe.

I enjoy all of Sofie Ryan's books. This one is marvelous and completely entertaining. I loved it!

Was this review helpful?

Undercover Kitty in the eighth book in the Second Chance Cat series and the first I have read. It features a woman named Sarah who runs a secondhand/antique store North Harbor, Maine. She has a number of older friends who run a private investigator business. These "Angels" are hired to find out who is causing trouble a local cat shows and expos. They borrow Sarah's adorable cat, Elvis as their way to blend into the show and find out who the saboteur is. Things turn even more sinister when someone associated with the show ends up dead and Sarah helps them to find out what happened.

I found the plot itself easy to jump into and follow. I did see the ending coming, but I still found the story interesting and fun. There are quite a few secondary characters in this series and I did find it difficult to keep everyone straight coming into the 8th book haven't not read the previous ones. It made it harder to connect with all the characters.

If you love cats you will love this book and if you already enjoy this series I'm sure this will be a favorite of yours.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.

I always enjoy a good mystery with cats trying to solve it. This book did not disappoint. The story line was engaging, and the ending was somewhat of a surprise. The part that I didn't care for was the lack of good proofreading. There were misspelled words and words that didn't belong or missing altogether. I also had trouble keeping track of all the characters. Perhaps the secondary characters were not developed enough to be memorable.

Was this review helpful?

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

I loved this latest cozy mystery in its series! I look forward to each new one and was not disappointed. The mystery is complex, the characters continue to grow, and Elvis is, no doubt, the star of the series. No, not Elvis Presley, but Elvis The King, the black cat with a scar on his nose and personality that doesn’t quit who hopped into Sarah’s truck a couple of years ago and never looked back.

Sarah owns Second Chance, part collectibles, and part secondhand store that appeals to locals and tourists alike. They get antiques, collectibles, and other items that can be repurposed into useful, salable treasures. It wasn’t her original goal in life, but she wouldn’t trade it now for anything. She moved to North Harbor, Maine, where Gram lives, during a crisis, and found a better life. She also has Gram’s close friends, friends from when she grew up there, and Mac, her second in command in the shop who is first in her heart other than her family.

Gram’s friends Liz, Rose, and Charlotte, plus Rose’s beau Mr. P, have a PI agency, Charlotte’s Angels. They office out of Second Chance and help police solve murders and other crimes due to their extensive network. These are not a bunch of ditzy oldies, but very intelligent, resourceful, lovable seniors who Sarah couldn’t imagine being without.

Rose and Mr. P have drafted Elvis, the feline lie detector, to be part of their new case. The Angels are providing security at upcoming American Feline Association cat shows in Maine until they can catch the source of vandalism being done at their shows. Elvis will be their “cover” to enable them to move about the shows freely. Sarah and Mr. P will enter Elvis in the household pet category. Mr. P will show Elvis to the judges at the assigned times, Rose and Mr. P will both get to know some of the other people showing cats to see what they can learn about the inner circle.

Elvis takes to being a show cat as if he were born to it. His personality enhances his natural handsome features and roguish charm. At his very first show, he takes second place!

Rose and Mr. P learn there could be several motives behind the sabotage, so there is much for them to do. Sarah was happy to see Debra, the woman showing purebred Socrates next to Elvis. Debra and Rose had once been in a class together. She introduces them to her close friends Christine and Tim.

Sarah and Christine had lunch one day and were on their way to becoming fast friends until the worst happened. On a night when Christine would normally be in class, her apartment burned down, the only unit in her building destroyed. Christine’s professor had called off class at the last minute and Debra had borrowed her car, so nobody knew she was home. Christine, who shut out the world when she studied, died from smoke inhalation.

Debra is devastated, as are Sarah and the Angels. Whether or not this fire was related to the troubles at the cat shows has yet to be seen. If her death was not related to the cat shows, then the Angels have a new case, as Sarah will hire them. If she has the patience to wait for the fire investigator’s report.

I always enjoy learning more about Sarah, the Angels, and their friends! Sarah’s new relationship makes me happy for her. The characters are three dimensional, ready to step out of the pages into the cat show or Second Chance. While I missed seeing Liz more often in this novel, I did appreciate the possible new circumstance in her life. As always, I loved seeing Elvis, and already am looking forward to seeing his next adventure! His purple blankets and accessories for the show are not only perfect as Elvis Presley’s favorite color but the color of royalty for the very popular Elvis “The King” house cat.

This can be read as a standalone, as there is sufficient backstory for the new reader or one who has missed parts of the series. Plot twists and turns kept this story moving and this armchair sleuth on her toes! I didn’t realize who the bad guy might be until a heartbeat or two before Sarah did. I love how Elvis and Socrates were heroes! There were still surprises in the resolutions, and the end is very satisfactory. I highly recommend this and am looking forward to the next one!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this one. This is a new to me author and series and part of me wishes I'd read others in the series first, but it was easy enough to jump in and figure things out. This mystery takes place around a cat show, and as a huge cat lover, this made it a hit. If you like light cozies with a lot of humor and a mystery that will keep you guessing, this is the book for you.

Was this review helpful?

While Elvis may be a star at the Atlantic Coast Cat Show it is and the combined super sleuthing of Sarah, Rose, and Mr. P that really takes first place. Who would have thought that a cat show would be the place of so much drama? Ah, but drama there is, from mischief to murder. A well thought out plot with multiple mysteries and I was so wrapped up in the story that I, unlike Elvis, forgot to eat my tuna fish salad lunch thank goodness I was inspired to recreate Mac's lasagna rolls. I would never have guessed that you could start a fire with potato chips. In addition to this new information, each character offers much to the story, although I was wondering who Rose and Charlotte thought that should be matching Nick up with since the only other eligible character was Jess, since she wasn't really dating Sarah's brother Liam. In addition to the sleuthing aspect, I was intrigued by the Second Chance store and the wonderful repurposing ideas that Mac, Avery, Charlotte, and came up with. I might just need to find myself some tea cups and zebra plants for a fairy garden.

Was this review helpful?

Another wonderful book to add to the Second Chance series.. Once again, Sarah and her posse of seniors in the Charlie's Angels PI group embark on adventure investigating sabotage at cat exposure. Of course that involves entering her charming rescue cat, Elvis, in the competition. The mystery is engaging and the cast of characters, in all their quirkiness, keeps me coming back and excited whenever I find out a new book is being published.

Was this review helpful?

I've always enjoyed this series. The writing flows smoothly for me and the story moves along at a good pace. The setting of a cat show was intriguing (I've seen the dog shows on TV but never cat ones) and I can believe that Elvis would do well with his charming personality. All in all, a great addition to the series and I will definitely continue on with it.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#UndercoverKitty #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

This is such a fun series, and I had a great time with this cozy mystery. I loved the plot, the twists and turns, and the characters!

Was this review helpful?

I was pretty excited when I saw that Elvis is the star of the show in this book. He's one of my favorite book cats and he did not disappoint! Elvis is his usual adorable self and does not hesitate to voice his opinion (only in meows though he does get his point across). I enjoyed the behind the scenes of the cat shows and the politics of the different cat groups.

While there is a mystery from the very beginning which is why the Angels are at the cat show in the first place the murder doesn't take place for some time and the investigation into that doesn't really get rolling until almost halfway through. While it wasn't the most action packed book in the series the characters are so likable and entertaining that it was an entertaining read from start to finish.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great whodunit with Elvis as the star. I love this series and have enjoyed visiting with this cast of characters again. There are many clues and twists along the way in this mystery and it is very well written.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

"Undercover Kitty" is a cozy mystery. It's the eighth book in the series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This book did not spoil any of the previous mysteries. The main characters were nice, engaging people. The cat was mainly the excuse for being at the cat show and played little role in the detection of whodunit. More time was spent describing the cat show than on doing actual detection.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle mystery. The amateur detectives asked questions and looked into various alibis. My main problem was that the fire didn't seem to actually destroy anything, even allowing the investigators to determine the exact type of "kindling" used to start the fire. Also, the initial clues greatly restricted the possible suspects for the murderer, though none of the investigators seemed to notice this. They also seemed especially dense when a major clue was dropped by a suspect. The readers' were going, "Oh, whodunit!" but Sarah's going "um, seems like I should be able to put this together by now, but I'm just not sure..."

There were no sex scenes. There was only one use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery, but it's my least favorite of the series.

Was this review helpful?

Princess Fuzzypants here: Have mew met Elvis? He is the kitty star of the Second Chance Cat series and when Elvis is in the building, all eyes are on him. This time out the senior detectives, the Angels, have a case involving cat shows. In order to infiltrate and get the scoop, Mr. P convinces Sarah to enter Elvis in the pet category. She should have known his star power would enchant the judges, as he does his readers.

It started out as small acts of vandalism but they begin to escalate and the Angels and Sarah want to discover the perp before someone human or feline gets hurt. But then someone Sarah has just met is killed in a tragic apartment fire and Sarah is convinced, long before the authorities concur, that it is murder. Now the Angels have two cases that may or may not be connected.

The senior characters who make up the Angels are all great, each one bringing something different to the table. Sarah and her boyfriend Mac are also wonderful. As a team they are impressive as they figure things out. But the hero of the story is always Elvis, occasionally assisted as he is in this book, by other kitties. His cohort this time is Socrates. It is just so much fun reading about their exploits. It is a solid mystery with lots of twists and I confess, I did twig to the murderer quite early and the motive. Other parts of the mystery were a big surprise until the final clues fell into place. All in all, it was just what I needed for a cold snowy January day.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Was this review helpful?

Sofie Ryan has Elvis, the local kitty, go Undercover Kitty in cat judging contests to see who is sabotaging the events. Someone dies and Elvis and his band of elder sleuth are on the case. Cute cozy.

Was this review helpful?

I love everything about the Second Chance Cat Mysteries and Undercover Kitty, the eighth book, delivers it all. My favorite part of any book is the relationship among the central characters. I adore the whole crew, and this visit with Sarah's friends was better than ever because we get to see a special relationship bloom! Oh, how I love it.

All of Sarah's women friends are warm, smart, and sassy. The senior ladies are even more smart- mouthed than her contemporaries. The guys can hold their own with the ladies and each of them brings something special to the group. Those warm and humorous interactions are the reason The Second Chance Cat Mystery series is one of my two favorite cozy mystery series and as my friends know, I am a big cozy mystery fan. I appreciate the fact that author Sofie Ryan treats the older characters with respect. They create much of the humor, often through delightful friendly banter, but it is the same kind of gentle fun, humor that the rest of the characters share.

When Rose and Mr. P enroll Elvis in a cat show to provide open access for an investigation, that little guy handles his introduction to the cat show circuit with his usual confidence, but Sarah is surprised to find herself captivate by the competition. As they search for the person who has been sabotaging the shows tragedy strikes, leading the team to a more serious investigation.

You can imagine how excited I was to discover that I was approved for an ARC of Undercover Kitty by Sofie Ryan thanks to NetGalley and Berkley!! As always, I share my enjoyment of Second Chance Cat Mysteries because I love them.
#NetGalley #UndercoverKitty

Was this review helpful?

I enjoy a good Sofie Ryan cozy. This is the eighth in the series that I have not read in order. When I picked up this one, I noticed I missed the previous one and was pleasantly surprised and Mac and Sarah’s budding relationship.

I enjoyed learning about cat shows. The mystery kept me turning the pages and even though I was not surprised by who did it, I did relish each twist and turn.

I felt a specific question may have shortened the investigation and was surprised that none of the investigating team thought to ask it.

I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Was this review helpful?

This is the eighth book in the Second Chance Cat series. We once again return to North Harbor, Maine where Sarah runs a shop that sells repurposed items. The group of older ladies along with Alfred work out of the shop as Charlotte's Angels, a group of private investigators. Elvis the cat is the star of this book. The Angels are asked to look at strange happenings at a cat show. Elvis is their ticket in a a competitor in the household pet category. Sarah and the Angels go into full sleuth mode when a show participant dies under questionable circumstances.

I had forgotten how much I love this series! i need to go back and catch up on previous books that I have missed. The characters are so well written that it feels like being among friends as you read. I am really enjoying the growing relationship between Sarah and Mac. I enjoy reading about the items that get refurbished or repurposed. Avery is a wonderful addition to the shop with her eye for design.

Of course as a cat lover, Elvis is my all time favorite. He is so well written and his mannerisms are so spot on that you know the author has been owned by cats for years.

The mystery is well done and I missed a few clues along the way that pointed to the culprit. This was definitely a one sitting read. I simply did not want to put it down to do anything else. I look forward to catching up with books I missed and to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for the opportunity to read this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Another great entry in one of my favorite cozy series. Set in the small town of North Harbor, Maine a mystery is just around the corner. The senior citizens who make up the detective agency known as Charlotte's Angels, located in a corner of the secondhand store have a new case. In order to investigate they need some undercover help. As the case involves tracking down sabotage at the Atlantic Cat shows in Maine who better to take a lead in the investigating? Elvis - with the assistance of his human, Sarah. What better duo to get to the bottom of the mystery. Before long murder enters the picture and Sarah, Elvis and the seniors have their hands - and paws - full finding the killer.
Beyond being a well written satisfying mystery, the best thing is the special relationship between these characters. They are wonderful as is the entire series. There is no chance that this cozy series will be removed from my TBR list.
My thanks to the publisher Berkley and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I've read every book in the Second Chance cozy mystery series and was thrilled that a new one was releasing this year. Ms. Ryan's stories are always a delight to read.

Elvis and Sarah go undercover at a cat show and pet expo to help Charlotte's Angels find a saboteur. Unfortunately before the investigation is completed, one of volunteers is murdered which added a new dimension to the investigation. Ms. Ryan's characters are now well developed and Sarah, Mac, Charlotte, Liz, Rose, Avery and Mr. P. are all close friends that I look forward to spending time with as they solve the mysteries. The story is quickly paced, the twists and red herrings kept me guessing and there were many viable suspects. I kept questioning whether the sabotage and the murder were connected even though Sarah and the Angels seemed to think they were. Elvis was his usual lovable self and I wasn't surprised that he strutted his stuff at the cat show. After all, he is "the King".

Was this review helpful?

I love Elvis, the cat that is! He makes this series stand out from all the other animal series I've read. Ryan definitely knows how to grab her readers and take them on adventures with Elvis' help. I enjoyed this well written book immensely.

I received this ebook ARC from NetGalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

Was this review helpful?