Furbidden Fatality is the debut of the A Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery series set in the Catskills of upstate New York and featuring Kari Stuart. Kari is twenty-nine, recently divorced, waitressing at the local diner and living in a ramshackle apartment with two cats and a dog. But, Kari has also won five million dollars in the lottery and is cautiously considering what to do with her financial windfall.

After capturing a stray black kitten that was wandering the streets outside of her apartment, Kari takes her to the local shelter and is shocked to discover that the shelters are full and there is no place for the tiny creature. Kari's plans for the future suddenly become crystal clear - she's going to purchase Serenity Sanctuary, a pet rescue on the brink of closure.

The current facility and farmhouse that comes with the property both need a lot of work but, Kari has the funds. Unfortunately the daunting repairs are not the only challenges she'll be facing. County dog warden, Bill Myers is determined to get the rescue shut down. His latest claim is that one of the dogs had escaped the kennel and viciously attacked a neighbor and now that dog is facing the possibility of being put to death. Some of the neighbors are not too happy with the dogs barking and a few members of the staff aren't very welcoming.

When Kari stumbles upon the body of the warden she, along with the previous owner Daisy become the prime suspects in his murder. Determined to clear her name and save the sanctuary, Kari sets out alongside the tiny kitten, Queenie to track down a killer. As her investigation unfolds, random acts of vandalism at the property increase and Kari begins to suspect that she's bitten off more than she can chew.

A page turning plot filled with likable and unlikable characters, lovable animals, laugh out loud moments and a hint of romance make for a fantastic series debut. In addition to a great murder mystery the author does a terrific job of shining the spotlight on the plight of neglected and abandoned animals. I'm looking forward to many more adventures with Kari and her friends, both human and furry.

I received an advanced copy of Furbidden Fatality from NetGalley via Berkley Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of FURBIDDEN FATALITY (Book 1 of the Catskills Pet Rescue Mysteries) by Deborah Blake in exchange for an honest review. Kari Stuart stopped at a store to pick up cat litter one day and bought a winning lottery ticket. Now, Kari has a small fortune, but she still lives in her tiny apartment and continues to wait tables at a local diner. However, Kari’s stasis is soon upset. Kari, who can’t add another pet to the three she already has in her cramped quarters, captures a stray kitten and takes her to the animal shelter. The animal shelter, overwhelmed by kitten season, turns Kari and the kitten away with the comment that it’s too bad that the other animal shelter went bankrupt and was in the process of closing. Kari, unwilling to turn the kitten out to fend for itself, drives directly to the real estate office and purchases the animal shelter sight-unseen. Upon inspection of her new property, Kari finds the property to be dilapidated, the volunteers to be discouraged, and the furry residents to be suffering from harassment by the town’s dog warden. When the dog warden threatens Kari’s new endeavor, they engage in a very loud and very public argument. Thus, Kari and everyone else associated with the shelter find themselves murder suspects after the dog warden is killed while sabotaging the shelter’s fence-line,. Kari and her crew decide to exonerate themselves by investigating the dog warden and his animal-hating activities.

I liked the book and thought it was a great start to a new series. I enthusiastically recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, pets, shelters, local government, and bossy know-it-all kittens.

#FurbiddenFatality #NetGalley

Furbidden Fatality is the debut book in the Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery series written by Deborah Blake. Although the author has written many other books, this is my first read from her, and it will be published in early 2021. Since I like the Catskills and enjoy pets in books, I downloaded a copy through NetGalley when I saw it listed as available.

Kari Stuart won $5M in the lottery. She's divorced, relatively young, and loves pets. Why not purchase the local pet sanctuary and save the adorable animals from being euthanized? Set in upstate NY, this book offers all the traditional cozy elements and appeals to people's love for animals. We're introduced to mostly cats and dogs, but others have made small appearances and I suspect will continue to do so in future books. Kari, on the other hand, finds the dead body of the dog warden on the morning follow her purchase. Did one of the previous owners / workers get too frustrated with him? Was it an angry pet owner who couldn't handle losing their pet because of his ruthless behavior?

I enjoyed reading this series. It is light and simple, but it shares information and provides and education on how to care for pets who need a home. The mystery is good; there are a number of clues, including the policemen who have a darker side than normal. Between the murder and several vandalism incidents, it could go many ways. We're also set up for a potential romance between Kari and a few eligible bachelors, but it's not a big piece of the story. We later meet Kari's brother and the new dog catcher extraordinaire, both of whom bring levity and substance to the story. I like the characters and the small town setting. The writing is good, clear, and easy to understand. There is a diversity aspect which also offers potential in the future.

I'll give the series another book to determine if it becomes part of my already busy reading schedule. When the writing is good and the plots are solid, I never mind squeezing in one more. It usually takes a couple of books for the entire background and supporting cast to settle in, and while I really enjoyed this one, it didn't totally stand out yet as a must-read... but it definitely has the potential to do so. I want to give it that chance and see how it progresses next year.

An interesting new series. I love the people and animals. For a cozy this has lots of suspects and many twists in a complex plot. I love the dogs and cats as each is given a personality that creates a voice without actually having them talk. A great pandemic read.

Kari wins the lottery and plans to think through what she’ll do with her winnings. One tiny kitten later and she buys a rundown sanctuary. Kari, her best friend and workers from the sanctuary work together to get it up to code, when late at night she finds the dead dog warden at her fence. Good first mystery in a new series.
Goodreads

From the looks of this adorable book cover and the brief description, I knew I was going to find myself making some new friends.
While the story itself is very good and well written, I did struggle a bit with warming up to Kari, the main character. I find her to be likable, but I think I need to get to know her a bit better.
I’m looking forward to getting to know these new friends.
#FurbiddenFatality #NetGalley

cozy-mystery, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, animal-welfare, animals, verbal-humor, situational-humor

Kari thought her life was at a dead end. Graduated from college with double major but only able to get jobs waitressing and divorced from a bully. Until she randomly bought a lottery ticket and won a few million. While trying to see how this could improve her outlook she found herself buying a foundering animal shelter. The idea was good, the new friends fantastic, and rescue animals are her very thing. But. Enter the Best Candidate To Be Murdered. If only she hadn't been the one to find the body, and if only it wasn't on her property. Now add in the bumbling deputies, the suspicious sheriff, lots of problems left by the deceased, a fear of being railroaded, two separate and costly episodes of vandalism, and both the new animal control officer and the new veterinarian.
The sleuthing needed a little work but the story was cohesive and very entertaining, and the light on the plight of private shelters was fantastic. I absolutely loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!

Great debut of an incredible new cozy journey filled with adorable pets and spunky saviors who love them and are constant champions for their well-being. A satisfying roundup of bungling criminals who get what they deserve for messing with pet owners while providing laugh-out-loud chuckles throughout the book!

The mystery is light and fun and moves at a brisk pace. It’s so captivating, it was hard for me to put aside to do anything else. Several arrests brought a smile to my face. Little kitten, Queenie, brings a touch of magic and plenty of cute, entertaining moments as she helps protagonist, Kari Stuart, investigate the crimes. I absolutely loved the story concept and how events made me laugh and feel happy about the pet sanctuary—including workers and pets. Author Deborah Blake has found her writing niche for sure and has me looking forward to many more stories in the Catskills Pet Rescue series.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing. All opinions are my own. Thank you.