Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday

Welcome to this week's edition of Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday!

We hope you enjoy our choices.

Dial Meow for Murder (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery) by Bethany Blake

From the publisher: Even an experienced pet sitter like Daphne Templeton can be fooled by animal behavior: how can an adorably tiny fuzz ball named Tinkleston be capable of sudden flying leaps with cat claws bared? But human behavior remains even more mysterious, especially when Tinkleston’s owner is murdered on the night of a gala fundraiser for Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue.

Accompanied by her unflappable basset hound, Socrates, Daphne plans to take charge of Tinks the Terror and leave the crime-solving to handsome detective Jonathan Black. But while luring the prickly Persian out of hiding, she uncovers clues that might take suspicion off her own mother. Maeve Templeton already has a reputation as a killer—in real estate. How far would she go to bag Sylvan Creek’s most coveted property, the Flynt Mansion?

To expose the truth, Daphne finds herself donning a deranged clown costume on an autumnal adventure that might just be crazy enough to work—if it doesn’t get her killed.

Tortie Shorties Review: I loved the debut book in this series earlier this year, but this one was even better. Halloween is right around the corner, and the town of Sylvan Creek has gathered for a fundraiser for Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue at Flynt Mansion. Daphne's realtor mother is attempting to show the house in spite of the power going out and freaks when the owner's troublesome black Persian Tinkleston gets loose. While attempting to round Tinkleston up, Daphne finds homeowner/professional volunteer Lillian Flynt dead in her bathtub. Daphne gets involved in the case when the cat is left in her care, but her pet-setting career gets forced to the back burner when her mother faces suspicion in the murder. Several suspects come to light including the victim's estranged sister, owner of Whiskered Away Cat Shelter, but in the end the culprit (and motive) took me completely by surprise.

With Sylvan Creek being a very pet-focused town, I just couldn't get enough of the Halloween festivities taking place throughout the story. Daphne's romantic life takes a turn as she learns more about Detective Jonathan, and I loved her BFF Moxie's 1950s obsession which includes dressing as characters from Hitchcock movies. Admittedly Daphne is a bit ditzy but in a lovable way, and at the end she makes plans to take on a new business opportunity that I'm excited to see take shape. Four paws up!

The Witches' Tree: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Agatha Raisin Mysteries) by M.C.Beaton

From the publisher: Cotswolds inhabitants are used to inclement weather, but the night sky is especially foggy as Rory and Molly Devere, the new vicar and his wife, drive slowly home from a dinner party in their village of Sumpton Harcourt. They strain to see the road ahead—and then suddenly brake, screeching to a halt. Right in front of them, aglow in the headlights, a body hangs from a gnarled tree at the edge of town. Margaret Darby, an elderly spinster, has been murdered—and the villagers are bewildered as to who would commit such a crime.

Agatha Raisin rises to the occasion (a little glad for the excitement, to tell the truth, after a long run of lost cats and divorces on the books). But Sumpton Harcourt is a small and private village, she finds—a place that poses more questions than answers. And when two more murders follow the first, Agatha begins to fear for her reputation—and even her life. That the village has its own coven of witches certainly doesn't make her feel any better...

Tortie Shorties Review: I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Miss Raisin. Her adventures are pure British fluff, which can end up being both a good and bad thing. I haven't read every single book in the series so I'm not completely up to day with the various relationships between the characters, which is probably why I found myself a bit confused at times. Agatha is kind of "out there" - jumping from the frying pan into the fryer on more than one occasion - and while it can be quite fun it can also be really silly. From the cover and book description I was looking for a creepy traipse through the Cotswolds which I got thanks to more than one body found hanging from a tree with a mysterious past and a very odd coven of witches, but unfortunately some of the secondary story lines (including a rather disturbing one featuring the vicar's wife) took away from the effect.

Disclaimer: I received  free copies of these books from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. As members of the Amazon Associates affiliate program, if you click on our links and buy something Mudpie gets a little money for her piggy bank!