The Cat, the Lady and the Liar (Cats in Trouble Series #3)

Another page-turner by Ms. Sweeney.

I love the Cats in Trouble series. From the small-town South Carolina setting, to the cast of interesting characters, to the memorable animals, reading these books are like going out for coffee with old friends. In this third installment, a cat with a diamond collar is in trouble and behind the closed doors of her antebellum mansion, all is not as polished and genteel as it appears. Jillian sets out to aid the abandoned animal and, in her gentle manner, uncovers an even more serious crime. The perfect read for a lazy spring or summer afternoon!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a lighthearted fun cozy

In South Carolina, Mercy Animal Sanctuary shelter owner Shawn Cuddahee rescues a "wealthy" kitty wearing diamond studded collar wandering near the highway. He takes the cat Isis to his shelter after being unable to return her to her owner elderly affluent Ritaestelle Longworth. Shawn asks his friend Jillian Hart and her three cats (Chablis, Syrah and Merlot) to escort Isis home. Jillian agrees and she drives the fifteen miles from her home in Mercy to Longworth estate in Woodcrest; only to be met by the same greeting that Shawn received. She is run off the property without seeing the allegedly ailing Ritaestelle and taking Isis with her

Not long afterward, Ritaestelle arrives at Jillian's house late at night insisting she is being drugged and needs help before someone kills her. That is followed by a corpse nearby with Chablis standing next to Ritaestelle, both bloodied. Jillian and her feline buddies investigate the "purr-fect crime.

This is a lighthearted fun cozy starring an engaging cast of characters (feline and human). Jillian and her three wise cats understand the missions of solving the case, helping an elderly woman and teaching the spoiled pompous aristocrat proper behavior. Feline frolic fans will enjoy the latest Cats In Trouble Mystery (see The Cat, The Professor and The Poison).

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

PAWS DOWN PURRFECT!!!!

Jillian Hart is back with her three wonderful frisky felines, Chablis, Syrah and Merlot, for another Cat In Trouble Mystery. This time they are joined by yet another feline who was found near the highway. This rescued kitty's high brow attitude has proved to be too much for shelter rescue owner Shawn Cuddahee. He has begged Jillian to take the royal Isis and help him determine if she should be returned to her rightful owner, who has not returned any of his calls, or be put up for adoption for someone that truly wants her.

This leads Jillian to a huge mansion in nearby Woodcrest, the home of Ritaestelle Longworth, the registered owner of the lovely long haired, green eyed, black cat with diamond studded collar. Unfortunately the meeting doesn't go as planned and Jillian ends up making a hasty exit from the grand estate.

Jillian soon learns the town gossips are questioning the incredibly wealthy Longworth's sanity due to some unusual behavior and when Ritaestelle shows up at Jillian's door clad in a bathrobe, wearing slippers claiming she is being drugged and is in fear for her life Jillian starts to believe the gossip.

But before Jillian can even start to can get to the bottom of Ritaestelle's claims a body is found in the lake behind Jillian's home and the eccentric Longworth is standing at the end of the pier holding Chablis, and both she and the cat are covered in blood. Ritaestelle begs Jillian to help her and she can't say no. So with the help of her intuitive feline companions she begins her quest to claw and paw out the clues to solve yet another murder mystery.

I LOVED IT!!!!!


The last book in this series was my favorite cozy of 2010, so you already know I love this series, but Leann Sweeney has outdone herself with yet another purrfect paws down marvelous mystery.

The new characters added from Woodcrest to the already beloved characters from Mercy are well defined and cleverly written. You can envision them popping right off the page, from the eccentric Ritaestelle and each of her quirky relatives, down to the gossiping Dolly at a local coffee shop. Have to say I loved Dolly, reminded me of someone, just can't put my finger on who :)

The plot is strong, smart, intriguing, and will keep those pages turning one right after another until the very end. The cat's antics will have you chuckling throughout. Why are cats whiskers a certain length? The answer can be found within the pages of the truly wonderful story.

If you are already a fan of this series you are going to absolutely love this next edition. If this series in new to you and you love a fun mystery that will engage you immediately and/or love cats, pick up the first two novels so you are ready when this one is released in April. I promise you will love each and every word!!

Thank you Leann for allowing me to read an advance edition and not making me wait until April to enjoy this awesome cozy, kitty treat.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Cat lover, Mystery lover, you'll enjoy this.

If you enjoyed Sophie Kelly¿s Magical Cats Mystery Series, you¿ll also enjoy Leanne Sweeney¿s Cats in Trouble Series. There are currently three books. the Heroine is an early forties recently widowed cat lover. Having rescued her ¿babies¿ from Hurricane Katrina shelters. She is kind-hearted and of course a natural sleuth. Ms Sweeney¿s detail into the cats personalities as well as her knowledge of specific breeds only adds in drawing you in to the story. Can¿t wait for number four.

Another hit for "The Cats in Trouble" mystery series

The Cat, the Lady, and the Liar By Leann Sweeney Copyright April 2011 Publisher Obsidian Mystery When cat quilter Jillian tracks down the owner of a gorgeous stray cat, the trail leads her to none other then fabulously wealthy, undeniably quirky Ritaestelle Longworth. The gossips in town are questioning Ritaestelle's sanity, and the high-society grande dame isn't helping matters with her wild accusations that someone is drugging her to keep her away from her beloved cat. Before Jillian can get to the bottom of Ritaestelle's charges, a body turns up in the lake behind her house, and her cat Chablis discovers Ritaestelle standing nearby. Can Jillian's three wise cats aid her in solving a mystery with roots that are decades old? Jillian knows from experience that to find the purr-petrator, she'll have to prick up her ears and follow the paw prints straight to a killer.. Jillian is a bit of a soft touch when it comes to animals, especially cats. So when her friend Shawn asks for her help with a lovely long haired black cat names Isis she tells him she would take her in till Shawn can arrange her return to her owner. Isis was saved from near certain death when she was found along a busy highway. Unfortunately Isis does not get along with the other cats in the shelter Shawn runs (which is why she ended up with Jillian). Jillian is going to find herself dragged into all the dirt and hidden feelings of Ritaestelle Longworth's family. She is will become deeply involved and have to deal with a murder and keep Ritaestelle out of trouble, proving to the town that she is not crazy or involved in the murders. As the third book in Leann Sweeney's "Cats in Trouble" series continues to thrill and entertain me. I find that her main character Jillian is becoming more 3-D with each outing. I can just picture her in my mind as I enjoy the book. FTC Full Disclosure: I received this book as a gift from a friend and decided to share my thoughts on it.

This series just keeps getting better and better

It couldn't be said that Shawn Cuddahee, owner of the Mercy Animal Sanctuary, had much going for him at times, but he did have one thing going against him and that was a restraining order from the animal control officer. Cats with diamond studded collars weren't often left along the side of the road, but try as he might he couldn't get anyone at the Longworth Estate to respond to his calls. Jillian Hart, who was quickly learning how to be a small town busybody from the best of them at Belle's Beans, was up for helping a cat in trouble any day and was going to head over to the estate to investigate if and why Isis had been abandoned. It was said that Ritaestelle Longworth, once a pillar of the community and Isis's owner, was now five short of a six pack and was turning into a klepto. Jillian, who had three cats of her own, Syrah, Chablis, and Merlot, had a soft spot for cats and an investigative streak that wouldn't quit. She soon found herself standing in front of Ritaestelle's antebellum mansion in Woodcrest, South Carolina ready to claim she was a journalist checking out "grand homes of the south." Jillian lucked out and got past the butler to see Evie Preston, Miss Longworth's assistant, who was onto her act even before she set one toe through the door. "I don't' seem to be able to find anything on the Internet about a journalist named Jillian Hart, but there is certainly a good deal about that woman by that name who takes a great interest in cats. Have you come about Isis?" A "muffled cry" and a thud interrupted their conversation. This is *the* best mystery the cats have dragged in so far in this series. Just when you think things can't get any better they do. Sometimes when the plot thickens in a series they simply fall apart, but when Leann Sweeney mixed up her version of this cat mystery the recipe was smooth, sweet, and ultra delectable. All the characters I've come to enjoy from the first two in the series, including that cornball, Lydia Monk, are back on the scene ready and willing to help Jillian figure out whodunit for the third time around. There was just the right amount of mystery, intrigue, and humor to keep me flipping the pages. Quill says: This is one sweet Southern cat mystery full of pecans and they're not baked in a pie!

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