Another good cozy in the series. Maddie has a cat cafe, and when a cat writer is killed, she feels she must step in and help solve the mystery. Liked this one and would recommend.

“Claws Out” the ninth book in Cate Conte’s Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery series, finds cat café owner Maddie James and family and friends try a new adventure – taking a traveling cat cafe truck to Provincetown Massachusetts to take part in a cat literary festival. Maddie is hoping to have fun on this new venture and maybe do some sightseeing around Provincetown but those hopes are quickly dashed when there is a murder during the festival and she and her ex police chief grandfather find themselves in the middle of the investigation.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I love the idea of the traveling cat café and the fact that all of the main characters are there (including JJ the star cat of the series). I love the cat literary festival and the Provincetown setting. The mystery is well plotted with plenty of suspects - Conte takes her time letting readers get to know the characters – including the victim and suspects – which helps readers try to guess whodunit. All of this was very well done but I’m knocking a star off my rating because I felt there were times when Maddie got too involved in investigating the case – questioning suspects when she had no right to – and left the running of the cat café truck to others (Lucas is a saint!).

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

This is the Ninth release in the Cat Cafe Series. Thank you for the opportunity to the author, Net Galley and the publisher. My review opinion is my own.

Maddie is the new owner of a cat cafe truck. She takes her family and coworkers on a trip to a fun cat theme festival in Providenc town. When a murder occurs evidence is found that ties Maddie and her cat cafe truck to the victim. She has to investigate to save her business and her reputation.
A fun cat theme sleuth with great cat oriented characters and a surprising conclusion. Well done to the author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Cate Conte for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Claws Out coming out August 26, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I definitely love the island setting. It’s very cozy and quaint. I thought the cat cafe was interesting. The characters are definitely fun. I would check out more books by this author.

The mystery itself was well-plotted and layered, with just enough red herrings to keep things interesting without becoming confusing. I loved trying to piece together the clues alongside the protagonist, who was smart, relatable, and had a great sense of humor. It never felt too dark or too light — just the perfect balance of intrigue and comfort.

Maddie and family are off to a cat literature festival in Provincetown. A new adventure for everyone. When one of the major authors at the event is murdered, Maddie and Grandpa Leo are there to help out. It becomes more serious when the murder weapon is found in the food truck/cat cafe that Jan's House of Purrs has brought to the event. It takes a lot of questions but eventually the culprit is found. This series is fun and the mystery is always well crafted. I liked how the family played a larger role in this story. I hope there are more books to come!

Someone has surprised Maddy with a food truck! It's an old vehicle but soon is decked out to carry cats and sell food. The food truck makes its debut at the literary conference that gives awards to authors whose books feature cats. Maddy meets the festival organizer and her best friend. Soon, one of these two women is murdered. Maddy and her Grandad step up to solve the crime before others are harmed. A quick read and clever...good supporting characters. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

Claws Out is the 9th installment in the cat cafe series from Cate Conte but can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I have not read any of the previous books and am so glad I finally found the series. I’m totally in love with the cat cafe and characters, the Cape Cod location is very appealing and the idea of a mobile cat cafe is innovative. The writing is so realistic that I felt transported into the cat cafe and thought I knew the characters personally. The cast is charming, from the super nosy owner of the cat cafe (Maddie) and her cat JJ to her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend (Lucas), her grandfather (my secret favorite and former chief of police) and the devoted cafe manager. And then we have the murder mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. All in all, a great combination of humor, mystery and drama. While the cats are not playing an active role in the sleuthing, they are an integral part of the story and it all revolves around a cat literature festival and fundraiser which draws cat book authors and tourists alike.
A declaration of love to cats and a cozy mystery with twists and turns - #ClawsOut left me highly entertained and satisfied. I admired Maddie who was just so nosy and always in the middle of everything, and I loved the dynamics of her family and employees. I can’t wait to catch up with previous installments of the cat cafe series and am looking forward to reading more of this author. I highly recommend this book to all cat lovers and readers looking for a lighthearted, quick and cozy mystery. You will not want to put it down. I also adored the title, a lovely homage to Knives Out.
Thank you #Netgalley, #CateConte and #StMartinsPress / St Martins Paperbacks for gifting me an advance copy of Claws Out. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and the above is my own opinion and honest review.

Always a treat when J.J. and the cat cafe crew return. Out of town location for story was nice change of pace and the story unfolded as it should with multiple suspects and story twists. My only negative is the book title has no relevance to story line. Thanks to #NetGalley and #ClawsOut for advanced digital copy.

This is a fun series and the combination of cat cafe with JJ, the cat and Maddie getting involved in all sorts of investigations. The fact that her co-owner is her grandfather who was the chief of police and maintains all sorts of connections helps. So far all the shenanigans have been on their island but they take the show on the road, so to speak. A volunteer buys and refits a vehicle into a rolling replica of the cat cafe where they can have cat visits and coffee at various events. The first is a natural fit. The cat writers are meeting and where else would they fit so naturally.

There is excitement meeting the authors especially two who are her sister Sam’s idols. Jasmine, as well as writing successful books is the host of the event to help fund her cat shelter foundation. And Vivi, her sister in ink, is even more successful and is fascinated by Maddie’s story. The two form a connection so she is devastated to find Vivi murdered. Her checkered past quickly becomes the centre of suspicion. As the ex-wife of a mob boss she has tried to escape the unsavoury characters of her previous life. But with the unexpected and unwanted intrusion of Netflix, her ex is in town and the two have had heated words.

But he is an easy mark and as more suspects come forward Maddie becomes central to catching the killer. There are a lot more twists and turns before the reader gets there and as usual, it is an entertaining and easy read. Four purrs and two paws up.

I love the cat cafe series! It was neat to see the characters in a different town, outside their comfort zone. Looking forward to more in the series!

Another cozy mystery perfect for cat lovers and if you want to read a good mystery lighthearted and entertaining. I was glad to catch up with the characters and the solid plot kept me hooked and guessing
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

With a new mobile cat cafe unit on the road the gang heads to heads to Provincetown for an event. But when one of the authors featured at the even is murdered, Maddie may find herself using up her ninth life when she tracks a killer.

I love the Mobil addition to the series. It opens up more avenues for the author to pursue. And with cute kitties and a solid whodunit in every entry, that makes for a great bonus for readers!

I just love Grandpa Leo’s character—he’s probably been my fave throughout the series, and this book was definitely no exception. He was probably in his police glory helping local police when one of the cat literary event authors was murdered. Plenty of people loved the author, but there were some that would’ve had a good motive to want her gone.

The planned showdown that Grandpa orchestrated using Maddie’s suggestion was great and got the results they hoped for. Now to take care of a family-sized surprise!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin/Minotaur Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Claws Out is book #9 in the Cat Cafe Mystery series by Cate Conte.

I love the idea of a mobile cat cafe! Though things didn’t go as planned for Maddie. They take the traveling cat café truck to Provincetown for a cat literary festival. Unfortunately the cat-romance author who sponsored it was found dead. Maddie gets pulled I to the investigation. I enjoyed following along with the investigation and the twists kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Paperbacks, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Claws Out is the ninth installment in a charming cozy mystery series A Cat Cafe Mystery by Cate Conte.
This delightful new cozy which is set on an island off the New England coast was just an amazing read.
The characters Maddie and her cat JJ are completely charming. And the setting, a resort island off the coast of Massachusetts, is absolutely wonderful.
You will not want to put it down until the last page.
This book combines the perfect balance of humor with mystery and drama.
I look forward to reading other installment in this series.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7858864512

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/claws-out-cate-conte/1147107568

The cozy mystery is my favorite genre. I like engaging mysteries and fascinating characters. I will read more books by this author.

I love that this was set in Ptown, the plot, and the characters. My favorite so far in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

4.25⭐
Another great addition to the cat cafe series. After a generous donation of a food truck and some refitting, the cat cafe now has a mobile component to it's services. Testing it's viability, they are entered as a vendor at an upcoming cat/book festival in Provincetown.Lots of threads in the story that manage to pull together for a satisfying conclusion. It may be heavier on the mystery part than the cats than in previous books, but the story warranted it. All your favorite characters are still there, even though they are away from Daybreak Island. Tons of fun!

Vivi might be a famous cat romance author (yes that's a thing) but she also brings a lot of chaos and Maddie has just walked right into it. This latest in the long running series sees Maddie gain a cat cafe truck and venture into Provincetown for a cat lit festival. And into trouble. When Vivi is murdered, Maddie and her band of merry cat fans sleuth out the villain. The mystery, while classic cozy, is rather more tangled than usual. I like the characters and how they all support one another. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the genre.