Cover Image: Hiss H for Homicide

Hiss H for Homicide

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Something about ladies fiction just doesn't work for me. Is it because I'm a man? Too many nuanced scenarios and too little character development? We didn't click, but I thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read it.

Was this review helpful?

Nora Charles and her sidekick Nick, a tuxedo cat, help an old friend of her mother’s. Who turns out to be one half of a superstar romance author. The other half of said duo is severing their partnership and threatening to write a tell all with all the dirty little secrets she has collected over the years. Nora agrees to visit the partner and hopefully pave the way for her to change her mind. Only to discover her dead body. The police arrest her mothers friend so Nora sets her sights on discovering the real murderer, but there are too many suspects. The victim had collected countless secrets over the years and someone was willing to kill to keep them buried.

Was this review helpful?

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed this book the mystery was very interesting, and the characters are very likable. I highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I just got to read this book. I know I'm ages late.

Desiree, a romance author, asks Nora for help. Desiree's writing partner, Marlene, is ending their partnership and is about to reveal all of Desiree's dirty secrets in her next book. Nora is on her way to have a word with Marlene. The only problem is that she finds Marlene's lifeless body. Turns out that Desiree was not the only person that Marlene tried to blackmail. Marlene had a list with people and their secrets that she was about to expose and shame. With Desiree being the number one suspect in the case, Nora and her feline partner ,Nick, starts their own investigation.

The plot is intriguing and fun to read. Although part of a series, the book can be read as a standalone.

Was this review helpful?

I love cozy mysteries, they are perfect "popcorn" books for the brain and this one is no exception. How can you not enjoy a crime solving duo that includes a cat and his human and sandwiches.

Full of twists and turns, action, and has a few laugh out loud moments thrown in, not to mention a few recipes I need to try. I look forward to reading the other books in this series, this one is number four, but can be read as a stand alone. I will say the love-triangle element between Nora, Daniel and Samm was at times distracting from the story, it was a familiar pattern that you often read in cozies and I had to try not to skip those parts to get to the detecting aspect of the story.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

Was this review helpful?

If you have not read any books by TC LoTempio you really need to! The characters are fantastic and her books are just so hard to put down. This is book 4 in the Nick and Nora series and it did not disappoint! The mystery kept me guessing and the red herrings were perfect. I really just love this series. It is light hearted and the mystery keeps you guessing until LoTempio is ready to reveal the truth. If you are looking for your next cozy mystery series, start here!

Was this review helpful?

When her mother’s lifelong friend, Desiree, comes to Nora Charles and asks for help, Nora can’t turn her down. Seems Desiree’s writing partner, Marlene, wants to break their commitment to writing their popular romance novels. Instead, Marlene is going to write a tell-all book that will make many people unhappy. Nora goes to visit Desiree, bur instead of talking to her, she finds her lifeless body.
The police are convince Desiree is the killer, but Nora knows better. With the help of her crime-solving cat she sets out to get to the bottom of things, and clear Marlene’s name.
When they cancel some series, it leaves a hole in my reading journal. The Nick and Nora books are one of those for me. I loved this series from the first, and was happy to see it picked up again. But then you worry that it won’t be the same. With this one, it was all I remembered, and more. Ms. LoTempio has crafted a story that left me guessing to the end. That means it kept me turning pages well after it should have been lights out.
The author has drawn characters that become friends to the reader, which means the reader is drawn into the tale and feels what they feel. I am very happy to see this fourth book, and hope another one is just around the corner.
I read a digital copy of this book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

This is book 4 the Nick and Nora cozy series and it can be read as a stand alone. Nora Charles and her cat Nick have been fairly lucky solving murders around town. When a friend of her mother asks for help about a book being published that contains lots of dirty secrets she can't say no. Now her client is dead as well as the author of the mysterious book. With Nick saving her life and helping find the killer the duo barely survives. A very fun read for animal lovers and cozy fans. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Hey folks, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t like Chantal’s character very much, her encouragement to Nora, considering Daniel and Samm was way out of line. I am not amused by the way the author wants to take Nora’s love life. On another level, minus the romantic part, this book was a fun, exciting, intriguing and captivating, read. I loved Nick, he was a better sleuth than Nora, but together, they make a dynamic duo.

Was this review helpful?

Nora Charles is happy to help a friend of her mother’s. The author of romance novels learns that her partner is leaving the partnership and writing a tell all about her dark and dirty secrets.
She ask Nora to plead her case with her partner.

Nora pays a visit to the writing partner and is ready to have a talk right up until she discovers the woman’s body.

The police are convinced that Nora’s friend is guilty. She and Nick begin getting to know the deceased. It’s seems the woman had a bad habit of getting dirt and secrets on and endless supply of suspects. With the police closing in on her friend, Nick must out maneuver a killer before they take there own secrets to the grave.

Another exciting book, I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Was this review helpful?

I really am enjoying this series. I love seeing the dynamic between Nora and Nick (her trusted tuxedo cat and fellow investigator) so it was nice that we had moments where Nora was almost consulting with Nick about the clues and her theories. The mystery was executed and had me fairly intrigued the whole way through. If you enjoy a cosy mystery where the sidekick is an incredibly smart cat-- this book (and series!) is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for giving me the advanced reader's copy of 'Hiss H for Homicide'
by T. C. LoTempio.

Was this review helpful?

When romance author Desiree, a friend of Nora Charles’ mother, turns up asking Nora for help, she can’t exactly refuse her. Seems Desiree’s co-author Marlene is ending their partnership and promising to reveal some deep and dark secrets in an upcoming tell-all. Nora agrees to help, but things go sideways when she visits Marlene and discovers her dead body. Desiree is high on the police suspect list, and Nora finds herself trying to discover who really did in Marlene. The list includes all those whose secrets Marlene was planning to divulge.

With her trusty cat Nick at her side, Nora’s investigation leads them straight into danger. And they’re facing a killer who isn’t hesitant about striking again if necessary.

This is book four in the series and the first one I’ve read, and it stood well on its own. Ms. LoTempio has created a cast of appealing characters, a cozy mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you enjoying the read and a quirky cat to keep things interesting. I look forward to reading more Nick and Nora mysteries from this talented author.

Was this review helpful?

Formulaic, not horrible but neither was it original or not plug and play in it's predictability. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't one I would recommend first either.

Was this review helpful?

Hiss H for Homicide (A Nick and Nora Mystery #4) by T. C. LoTempio
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine | Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: February 9, 2021

Hiss H for Homicide is the fourth book in A Nick and Nora Mystery series by T. C. LoTempio. I had not read the previous books in the series, but was easily able to read this as a standalone mystery.

This was such a cute cozy mystery! First off, I love Nick (yes, that's him on the cover!) What a fun crime-solving duo Nick and Nora make! The characters were great and so like-able, the storyline was fun, and the mystery was intriguing. Kept me guessing for sure!

I look forward to reading the other books in the series! I enjoyed this one so much I need to know what else has happened!

I'm so grateful to T. C. LoTempio, Beyond the Page Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Hiss H for Homicide is the 4th book in the Nick and Nora Mystery series by T. C. LoTempio. In this book, I was pleased to meet Nick, a handsome tuxedo cat with an ability for solving crimes and his owner, Nora Charles, who is a freelance journalist and runs a sandwich shop called Hot Bread.

In the seaside town of Cruz, California, an author of steamy romances and an old friend of Nora's mum is in town looking for help. Her co-writer, Marlene McCambridge is severing their relationship and is threatening to reveal everything and Desiree Sanders is hoping that Nora will be able to calm things down. The writing duo, McCambridge and Sanders are better known as Tiffany Blake and their new book is Love's Deepest Desire. Nora agrees to meet with Marlene but when she and Nick arrive at her rented house she finds Marlene dead in the office, a large red stain on the front of her silk blouse. Nick and Nora do a little snooping around then Detective Samms arrives and Desiree becomes suspect number one.

Although book 4 in the series, this can be enjoyed as a stand-alone and I didn't feel disadvantaged not having read the previous instalments. With a compelling plot, drama aplenty, a great bunch of characters, and oodles of mayhem added to the mix, this was a fantastic read that kept me on my toes. T. C. LoTempio's easy, clever and humorous writing style was a good fit for me. Trying to unravel the mystery alongside Nick and Nora was lots of fun and I welcomed the comfortable pace. I loved that Nick was so savvy in sussing out clues and presenting them in ways for Nora to follow. I would like to read the first books I've missed in this series as I thoroughly enjoyed Hiss H for Homicide and I’m game to see what shenanigans Nick and Nora get into next. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

The book has a great stir line. It has interesting characters that are relatable and fun spirited. It’s a plenty of information involving a cat which is fun if your a cat lover. Things happen when you least expect but the story line that keeps you wanting more. Once you’ve read this one you may want to reread the past books in the series.

Was this review helpful?

The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read. I felt like I was an unnamed character in the story. This was a new author for me and I cannot wait for another story to read.

Was this review helpful?

When half of a successful writing duo, who decided to go solo and write a "tell all" book is murdered, Nora and Nick are on the case!

I always enjoy this series. Nora is easy to relate to and Nick, the feline half, of the detecting duo, is a force to be reckoned with! The mystery kept me guessing and the red herrings did their job. Nick kept the book light and added humor. The last sentences, of the book, left me with my jaw on the floor and hoping the next book is here soon! A visit with Nora and Nick is always fun and this one didn't disappoint!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was a fun book and definitely part of a series—none of which I’ve read (but I’m going to!). It’s definitely a stand-alone in that the mystery is solved, but there are parts that I would have probably understood better had I read the previous books in the series. It would have made understanding the dynamics between characters easier. There were lots of references to other mystery books like “Murder She Wrote”, “Columbo”, “The Thin Man” and more which I loved. Even the main character’s name “Nora Charles” is a reference to Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora of “The Thin Man” fame. Nora is our amateur sleuth, but it is her cat Nick who seems to do a lot of the solving of the mysteries. I loved Nick! I also loved some of the names – like “Anne Onymous” – that was hilarious. And the twist at the end with who the murderer turned out to be was well done.

Things I didn’t like: that the cat is all over the food prep and counter areas – definite health code violations and while I love cats (I really do!), I don’t want them in my food. Plus Nora does some things that are not just unethical, but illegal as well. But if you can overlook these things, it really is a fun read, especially what Nick (the cat) does.

Recommendations: If you like witty cozy mysteries, this sounds like a good one to get into. I really liked this book but wish I had read the others in the series first. That being said, I can recommend this as a good book with a satisfying ending and a cat who I wish I had around!

Disclaimer: I received this from Netgalley in hopes of a review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone.

Was this review helpful?

I have not read any books by this author before, but I would be interested in reading more in this series.

Nora Charles and her sidekick kitty, Nick, have found another body. A prolific (and rather horrible) author has turned up dead. Unfortunately, a dear friend of Nora's mother is the prime suspect. As the plot thickens, however, multiple new and dangerous suspects come into the mix. Nora's investigative reporter background kicks in and she and Nick are putting the pieces together to solve the case...

Nick is the star of this book. I love kitties with quirks and smarts and he has both. Nora is inquisitive and intelligent and asks a lot of great questions. This really felt like she was part of the investigation team and not an amateur sleuth and her questions had merit that they did not seem like she was randomly gathering information. I definitely did NOT figure out whodunit and the twists at the end were surprising and well executed.

I look forward to reading the other three in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?