Ashley Branson has made a few big changes lately but none bigger than leaving the family firm and opening a cat yoga studio! With her mother's disapproval ringing in her ears Ash is determined to prove her mom wrong and make her new business an undeniable success. Apart from that, and the hostility from the neighbouring dog groomers, things are going very nicely at the start but then to her horror one of her students is killed!

With the police looking very closely at her studio and her brother it seems as if her first successful week might be the only one she gets. Determined to help the police in their investigation, whether they want it or not, Ashley finds herself in the killer’s sights and realises that reopening her studio could well be the least of her worries!

Having enjoyed Alex Erickson's other series I was delighted be able to start at the beginning with this one and it was very enjoyable. Ash is a good main protagonist who bumbles her way through life in some ways but is determinedly focused in others! The idea of a cat adoption centre inside a business isn't new but the author has successfully written about cats before and has transferred his talents seamlessly to this promising new series.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. I happily recommend this to everyone who enjoys a good cosy!

What a cute read! I enjoyed the characters and the story was fun. Some of the extras could have been left out and made for a tighter, more cohesive story, but overall I enjoyed it.

What a fun and enjoyable book!!

A Pose Before Dying had amazing well-crafted characters, and the overall storyline was easy to follow.

I really enjoyed reading this cozy novel, highly recommend it.

Ohio, amateur-sleuth, yoga, cats, cozy-mystery, new-series, first-in-series, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-expectations, siblings, soap-opera, murder, investigation, romantic, unpleasant-neighbors****

Ash is having the opening of her new business of cat assisted yoga and having many frustrations with her mother and siblings. The business has a number of rescue cats for clients to enjoy and, hopefully, adopt. All well and good until one of her clients is found dead there. Ash is afraid that the police chief will railroad her brother for the crime, so she figuratively puts on a deerstalker and investigates. Good read with many reminders to spay/neuter and adopt rescue pets.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 21 May 2024 #CatYogaMysteriesBk1

Loved reading this book. New series by this author. I enjoyed reading this book. Hope you enough this book also

Perfect Post is Ashley Branson’s new Yoga studio…with cats! It’s a great start for her as she can do good for cats and be free from her Mother. Everything is threatened when one of her clients is found dead in her studio.

With her brother as a prime suspect, and her business so new, Ashley finds that she has to add sleuthing to her list of new things in order to save both her brother and the studio. Can she figure out who really killed the professor or will she find herself in Dead Man pose…permanently?

This is a great start to a promising new cozy series. Can’t wait for the next entry and for Ashley’s business to grow.

Ash Branson is excited to get her cat yoga studio, A Perfect Pose, up and running. Although she was worried about attracting customers, she's delighted when her first yoga classes are full. The students seem to enjoy doing their practice as adoptable cats and kittens mill around them. The only problem at the beginning is Mr. Leslie, who owns the dog grooming business Bark and Style next door. He makes it known that the noisy cats are driving away his customers. Since Ash knows this isn't true, she's determined to continue as best she can despite his frequent complaints. She starts to wish that was her only problem once the dead body of one of her students is found posed on a yoga mat in her studio after hours. The dead man was a professor at the local college who attended the yoga sessions with his wife, who is also a professor. As the police demand the studio stays shut until the killer is found, Ash decides to do some investigating on her own. Meanwhile, she has to deal with her overbearing mother, who wants nothing more than for Ash to stop her foolishness and join the family business, and her delinquent brother, Hunter, who might know more about the murder than he's letting on. And then there is the hunky, mysterious stranger who's suddenly come to town and is showing great interest in Ash. Will the killer be satisfied with only one victim, or will he/she be back to make sure the yoga studio is closed for good?

I enjoyed the interesting combination of yoga and cats in this story. It would be fun to have a yoga class with a bunch of purring felines, if only they would cooperate! Ash is a likeable character who will stop at nothing to help clear her brother from suspicion and get back to her yoga!

More than the mystery in this one, I enjoyed the vibes and characters. I wasn't very satisfied with the ending in terms of the grand reveal, but the way it ends for the MC makes me yearn for more.

I loved how this novel doesn't focus too much on romance, so the family drama got more screen time. I mean come on, Ash's entire family is so messed up yet likeable, and what's better than characters you can instantly root for? Add this to the fact that the setting is amazing, with the main premise being a yoga studio where you exercise with kittens and I'm happy. There was some great banter, vivid details, and fluid writing which all made this such a fun and quick read.

If I were happier with how the mystery turned out, I'd give this a higher rating, but that's not the case. I can't say it's predictable, but it's not 'hidden in plain sight' so when the culprit is uncovered, you go "OHH!". At least not for me. Everything makes sense, sure, but not in the way that gives you complete satisfaction.

I'm a sucker for books involving cats -- especially cozy mysteries. The premise was great but it felt like I was coming into an established series (it's the first book). There were a lot of characters to keep straight.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Kensington Books.

#APoseBeforeDying #NetGalley is the first book in a new series featuring a cat yoga studio.
Ashley Branson is eager and excited to open her yoga studio, A Purrfect Pose. Clients can find harmony and happiness with the possibility of adopting a cat in need of a home.
Ashley has a great attitude, but unfortunately, her mother is not happy with her decision, which upsets her.
When Ashley finds a client in the studio, unresponsive and possibly dead, she has no idea how this happened.
She soon finds herself wrapped in a murder investigation, trying to save her studio, and proving her brother's innocence.
I really like this book, the characters are fun and the story is well written.
I'm looking forward to reading more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.