Mudpie Interviews...Toby from Purr M for Murder (w/Review & Giveaway)

Purr M for Murder: A Cat Rescue Mystery by T. C. LoTempio

From the publisher: Sydney McCall left behind an ex-fiancé and a New York advertising job to return home to Deer Park, North Carolina and help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Determined to save the shelter from financial trouble, Sydney and Kat organize a cat café fundraising event at a local coffee shop. Things are looking up until their landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, threatens to shut down the event. When Sydney drops by his art gallery to make peace, she finds Kat--along with Littleton's dead body.

Local homicide detective Will Worthington--who just happens to be Sydney's old high school crush--is highly suspicious of the sisters' involvement. Desperate to clear their names from the suspect list, Sydney pounces on the investigation. With the help of one of the shelter cats, a savvy orange tabby named Toby, Sydney begins poking her nose into other local businesses whose owners may have benefited from Littleton's death--until the killer notices she's pawing a little too closely at the truth.

I've been frothing at the bit to read this book ever since the day I laid eyes on the cover. A precious cat in a cozy cafe setting...what more could you want? Not surprisingly, the story inside is just as delicious!

Syd has returned home to Deer Park, North Carolina to help her sister Kat with the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. The shelter has fallen on hard times financially thanks in large part to landlord Trowbridge Littleton. Hopes are high for the pop-up cat cafe fundraiser they're planning at the local coffee shop until Littleton announces he not only hopes to shut down the event, but shutter the entire shelter as well! Threats are thrown but the sisters know they have to make amends, and schedule an early morning visit to Littleton's art gallery to prove to him that the shelter is a positive for the community. Their well thought out plan does not include finding the miserly man dead in an antique armoire in his office. Kat, who understandably will do anything to protect her beloved shelter, instantly goes to the top of the suspect list.

With no shortage of more likely suspects Syd takes it upon herself to clear her sister's good name, and she has a little help in the form of Toby the tabby, a handsome orange boy she's immediately smitten with who chooses her as his forever human. Together they form an unbeatable team and I'm looking forward to their many more adventures together.

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Mudpie was purring with excitement over the opportunity to ask the charming little fellow a few questions...she hopes you enjoy the interview!

Welcome Toby! Thank you so much for chatting with me today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to meet Sydney? 

Meow, it is my pleasure, Mudpie. Well, I was a resident at Friendly Paws when Sydney came on board. She took a bit of a shine to me and I sensed something noble about her as well. As you might know, my nickname is “The Wanderer” and in all my travels I had not met as fine a human as Sydney. When I found out she wanted to adopt me it was the best day of my nine lives.

You manage to find quite a bit of mischief as a shelter kitty! What's a typical day like for you? 

Well, when I lived at the shelter I would engage and play with the other cats, but I confess to having wanderlust in my soul, so I would flip the latch on my cage with my paw when no one was looking and slip out the back way and wander around the town of Deer Park, taking in the sights and sounds. Those days are over now, though, meow.

Tell us about Purr M for Murder, the debut of the Cat Rescue Mystery series you star in. 

Well, Sydney has relocated from New York back to Deer Park to help her sister run the animal shelter. One of her fundraising ideas is a cat café event, which doesn’t go over big with the shelter landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, who’s been looking for an excuse to shut down the shelter. Kat mouths off at him and the next day Syd goes to Littleton’s art gallery to make peace and finds Kat –and Littleton’s dead body.

Do you help Sydney solve any of the mysteries she becomes involved in? 

Meow, I do give Syd some clues to solve Littleton’s murder, but I wouldn’t classify myself as a feline detective as, say, Nick Charles of the Nick and Nora mysteries. My style is more laid-back. I’m afraid the only thing I could do with Scrabble tiles is chew on them.

What made you decide to choose Sydney as your forever human? 

As I said, there was just something noble about her that appealed to me. We cats can sense a kindred spirit!

Can you give us any clues as to what's next for you guys? 

Well, not to give too much away, but our next adventure centers around a charity booksigning, a long standing feud…and murder.

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 It's 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

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