Copycat Killing
Sofie Kelly


ISBN-10:
0451236629
ISBN-13: 978-0451236623
Publisher: Penguin Group
Line: Signet
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 336
Retail Price: 7.99




Genre:
Mystery
Rating:

Everyone thinks their cats are special—but Owen and Hercules have powers that go far beyond an adorable look or an irresistible purr. Along with their owner, librarian Kathleen Paulson, they have an uncanny instinct for solving crimes...

It's been raining cats and dogs in Mayville Heights. The small town's been deluged, and now the local artists' co-op is on the verge of flooding. Kathleen has been up all night helping her friends move their creations to the safety of the upstairs studio.

The artwork survives, but when controversial mask maker Jaeger Merrill is found drowned in the co-op basement, Kathleen questions whether the death was accidental. After she discovers the artist was using an assumed name, she realizes she can't actually assume anything about him. With the help of handsome detective Marcus Gordon—and her cats' extraordinary powers of detection—it's up to Kathleen to unmask a killer.

Series: Magical Cats (Book 3)

Review

For fans of:  Jenn McKinlay, Lillian Jackson Braun, and Joanne Fluke

Mayville Heights is practically underwater thanks to all the rain they've received, and most of the local businesses have been forced to close their doors until the flood recedes. The library is among the weather's casualties, but librarian Kathleen Paulson will be damned if she's just going to sit around and twiddle her thumbs; she's pledged her free time to help her friend Maggie save the contents of the leaky, water-logged artists' co-op.  It's a pretty dull job - until the pair discovers the corpse of cantankerous mask-maker Jaeger Merrill floating in the basement.  Not many people liked the young artist, but who hated him enough to want him dead?  Since she’s got some spare time on her hands, Kathleen does some digging, but her investigation only turns up more questions.  Bored and curious, she’s determined to get to the bottom of things.  But you know what they say about curiosity…

Copycat Killing is the third of Sophie Kelly’s Magical Cats Mysteries, and overall, I found it to be an entertaining read.  The setup is intriguing, the pace is steady, and Kelly’s storytelling style is witty, engaging, and fun.

Kathleen makes for a wonderfully winsome heroine; stubborn and independent yet compassionate and caring, she’s a fully realized character who's more than capable of carrying a series.  Maggie the artist and Roma the veterinarian play the perfect Bess and George to Kathleen’s Nancy Drew.  And Detective Marcus Gordon is a fantastic potential love interest and a compelling character in his own right; the chemistry he shares with Kathleen is strong, and I’m eager to see their relationship progress.  Perhaps Kelly’s biggest successes character-wise, though, are the titular magical cats.  Owen (who has the ability to disappear at will) and Hercules (who can walk through walls) are intelligent, charming creatures with distinct personalities and wicked senses of humor.  In the hands of a lesser author, Kathleen’s feline sidekicks could have come off as obnoxious, gimmicky, and overly precious; in Kelly's capable hands, however, Owen and Hercules add depth, texture, heart, and hilarity to every scene in which they appear.  

My only complaint about Copycat Killing is regarding the mystery component of the tale.  Kelly starts the book by throwing you straight into the center of the action, which I love, and I think it's great that the story features not one, but two distinct mysteries (one past and one present); unfortunately, though, both mysteries are simultaneously too far-fetched and too predictable to be 100% satisfying.  I finished the book wishing she’d given me more – more suspects, more red herrings, more twists – and that’s ultimately that's what caused me to downgrade this book from a 4.5 to a 4.  I'll definitely stand in line for the sequel, but I’ll be crossing my fingers for a whodunit as complex as Sophie Kelly’s magical cats.

Reviewed by Kat N.


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