Review/Interview/Giveaway: A Tale of Two Kitties by Sofie Kelly

From the publisher: With a well-placed paw on a keyboard or a pointed stare, Kathleen’s two cats, Hercules and Owen, have helped her to solve cases in the past—so she has learned to trust their instincts. But she will need to rely on them more than ever when a twenty-year-old scandal leads to murder…

The arrival of the Janes brothers has the little town of Mayville Heights buzzing. Everyone of a certain age remembers when Victor had an affair with Leo’s wife, who then died in a car accident.

Now it seems the brothers are trying to reconcile, until Kathleen finds Leo dead. The police set their sights on Leo’s son and Kathleen’s good friend Simon, who doesn’t have much of an alibi. To prove her friend innocent, Kathleen will have to dig deep into the town's history—and into her sardine cracker supply, because Owen and Hercules don't work for free...

Library director Kathleen has become very close to her good friend Simon's daughter, Mia, who now works at the library. Mia is very excited about the arrival in town of her grandfather Leo who has a somewhat strained relationship with his son. Also making an appearance in town is Leo's brother Victor, dying of cancer and hoping to make amends for having an affair with Leo's wife many years ago. They try to get along for Mia's sake but tensions are running high and before long Leo is found whacked over the head, dead. Suspicion falls on Simon, who Kathleen has no doubt is innocent. Armed with some old photos and letters recently discovered behind the post office wall, Kathleen attempts to find the answers in a very sordid family history.

Not surprising, Owen and Hercules steal the show once again, especially Owen who saves the day with his heroics. This is one of those series that the more time you spend with Kathleen and her magical cats, the more they feel like good friends. With each book her relationships with her friends, co-workers, and Marcus grows and the quaint town of Mayville Heights comes alive in my eyes. Rich characters, a cozy setting, and two extra special felines make this one of the best cat mystery series on the shelves today.

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Since we're longtime fans of this series, Mudpie purred with excitement over the opportunity to ask Owen and Hercules a few questions. She hopes you enjoy the interview!

Welcome, Owen and Hercules! Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourselves and how you came to live with Kathleen?

Hello Mudpie. Thank you for inviting us to visit.

I—Owen—am a gray tabby with golden eyes. My brother, Hercules, is a green-eyed, black and white tuxedo cat. We found Kathleen out at the former Henderson estate, Wisteria Hill, when we were just kittens. She was new in town and we could see that she was a little lonely. What else could we do? We adopted her.

What's a typical day like for you?

Sometimes Kathleen is a little slow getting up and getting our breakfast for us. (Humans! They mean well, but they aren’t as swift-footed as we are.) On those mornings she needs a little nudge from a well-placed paw to get going.

After breakfast, I like to take a little walk around our yard and our neighbor’s yard as well, just to see what’s going on. My brother likes to sit in one of the big wooden chairs in the backyard and get a little sun. And sometimes he goes and has coffee with Everett Henderson. They like to talk politics.

I can't imagine anyone not familiar with the Magical Cats mystery series you star in, but for anyone who isn't, what should readers know about it, and what adventures do you find in the latest, A Tale of Two Kitties?

The Magical Cats mysteries recount the various adventures that Hercules and I have been on. We solve mysteries. Kathleen tries her best to help.

Our latest book is all about how we solved the murder of Leo Janes. Leo was the grandfather of Mia Janes who works for Kathleen at the library. There was a scandal in that family many years ago, not that we cats care about that kind of thing. We do love Mia. She brings us treats and she smells wonderful.

Tell us about what makes you "magical cats" and how you use your powers to help Kathleen solve the mysteries she finds herself involved in.

Hello, Mudpie, Hercules here. I’m assuming when you ask what makes us “magical” you’re referring to our special skills, or as Kathleen likes to call them, our superpowers. I have the ability to walk through walls or doors. It’s very convenient if I want to head outside and someone is taking too long to open the door. Owen can make himself invisible, which has its uses, if for example, one is nipping into the kitchen for a small snack and doesn’t want to bother anyone.

Being able to slip through a door or walk around undetected is very useful when we’re looking for clues. And excuse me, but I need to correct you, it’s Owen and I who solve the crimes, although Kathleen does try her best to help. And she does an excellent job of writing down our adventures.

Each of your "purrsonalities" is quite different. Is there ever any sibling rivalry between you two and how do you deal with it?

Owen and I both have our strengths and we’ve never butted heads over anything other than the occasional sardine cracker. I will say I don’t understand his dislike for the music of the very talented Mr. Barry Manilow, though. The man is a musical genius.

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

We’re already on another case. There’s been a murder at the Wild Rose Music Festival. Once again, Kathleen’s gentleman friend, Detective Marcus Gordon, needs our help. I don’t know what either one of them would do without us!

About the author: Sofie Kelly is a New York Times bestselling author and mixed-media artist who lives on the East Coast with her husband and daughter. She writes the New York Times bestselling Magical Cats Mysteries and, as Sofie Ryan, writes the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries. Find out more at www.sofiekelly.com

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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book 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!