Monday, February 18, 2019

Death by a Whisker - A Review & Giveaway

To celebrate the paperback release of DEATH OF A WHISKER by T. C. LoTempio I'm reposting my review.

Review


DEATH BY A WHISKER by T.C. LoTempio
The Second Cat Rescue Mystery

The Friendly Paws Animal Shelter is gearing up for a big media event, when the author planning to attend is hurt in an accident. A replacement is quickly found, another Deer Park native and current shopping host megastar and new author, Ulla Townsend. While Sydney McCall and her sister Kat are pleased to have a replacement, especially one who will also donate a portion of the book sales to the shelter, Maggie is aghast and vows to be nowhere near the event. Ulla and her entourage ooze scandal, vindictiveness, and a proclivity for backstabbing so when Ulla dies at the event there are plenty of suspects...including Maggie. Syd is bound and determined to prove Maggie's innocence and help her detective boyfriend solve the case. But is she risking her future by looking into Ulla's past?

One of my favorite aspects of this book is that the setting centers around an animal shelter. I appreciate the dedication and hard work necessary to provide a haven and a chance at a new life for animals in need and am glad that this series shines a light on it, even though it doesn't really touch on the sadness and harsh realities also found there. The cats here are real characters with personalities and ties to the action and plot. They're also plain lovable. I want to hang out with Toby and give him another Melvin the Magnificent Mouse. I am also sorely tempted to adopt Annie Reilly myself, even if she is fictional!

DEATH BY A WHISKER is a cautionary tale dealing with bullying and how the past impacts both the present and future. Can we fully escape our past? How do we move on...or do we? Crisp writing and a fast paced storyline kept me quickly turning the pages easily following the multiple suspects and many motives. This second Cat Rescue Mystery was a fun read and I look forward to hearing  more from Syd and the residents of Deer Park, North Carolina. Meanwhile my cats want to know where they can get their own Melvin toys!

***************************************************************************

Death by a Whisker: A Cat Rescue Mystery by T. C. LoTempio - Paperback Edition

About the Book


Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series  
Crooked Lane Books (February 13, 2018) 
Paperback: 320 pages
Getting used to life back home in Deer Park, North Carolina, Sydney McCall and her right-hand tabby, Toby, are helping her sister Kat run the local animal shelter. Syd and Kat are all excited about the prospect of the shelter’s newest fundraiser: shopping channel queen Ulla Townsend. Shelter admin Maggie Shayne vehemently refuses to have anything to do with the woman, but the fundraiser ensues as planned. That is, until Ulla turns up dead in the middle of the event.
The cause of death is determined to be an allergic reaction, but Syd and Toby are sniffing out something fishy. When Syd met Ulla, it was clear she was distasteful and rude. And right before the event, Syd spotted some behind-the-scenes drama between Ulla and her manager. As they begin to investigate, they realize there is no shortage of suspects, and Maggie is at the top of the list.
Now Syd and Toby must claw their way to the truth before everything goes paws up at their animal shelter in Death by a Whisker by national bestselling author T. C. LoTempio.

About the Author


While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She (and ROCCO, albeit he’s uncredited) pen the Nick and Nora mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime – the first volume, MEOW IF ITS MURDER, debuted Dec. 2, 2014. Followed by #2, CLAWS FOR ALARM. #3, CRIME AND CATNIP, was released in December. She, Rocco and Maxx make their home in Clifton, New Jersey, just twenty minutes from the Big Apple – New York. Catch up with them at www.tclotempio.net and www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com

Where to find them:  

ROCCO’s blog: www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com  
Website: https://www.tclotempio.net/  
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toni.lotempio.5  
Twitter: @RoccoBlogger - https://twitter.com/@RoccoBlogger  

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Google Play

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for your review and for being part of the book tour for "DEATH OF A WHISKER" by T. C. LoTempio.

    Definitely a book that I would enjoy having the opportunity to read. It's on my TBR list.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would love to read it and I’m happy to have found out about it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I so enjoy cozy mysteries. Thanks for this opportunity.

    ReplyDelete
  5. One of my favorite authors. Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete