Cat Got Your Diamonds (Kitty Couture Series #1)

by Julie Chase

Overview

Witty and whimsical, this first installment of a pet cozy mystery series will be the cat's meow for fans of Rita Mae Brown and Miranda James

Grandeur and opulence are everything in the famed New Orleans Garden District where pets are family and no bling is too big. Opening Furry Godmother, pet boutique and organic treat bakery, is Lacy Marie Crocker's dream come true—until the glitter gun used to make her Shih Tzu tutus becomes a murder weapon. And Lacy becomes public enemy #1.

Now Detective Jack Oliver is hounding Lacy, and her Furry Godmother investor wants out before his name is tarnished by association. To make matters worse, a string of jewel heists with suspicious ties to the murder case has New Orleans residents on edge. To save her dream, Lacy must take a stand, put her keen eyes to work, and unravel what really happened at her shop that night. But can Lacy sniff out the killer cat burglar in time to get her tail-raising designs on the catwalk?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629538433
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	11/08/2016
Series:	Kitty Couture Series , #1
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	114,271
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Julie Chase is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She is the author of the Kitty Couture cozy mystery series as well as two holiday cozies, T'was the Knife Before Christmas and Twelve Slays of Christmas. Julie is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC). She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three small children.

Editorial Reviews

09/19/2016
Chase’s uneven series launch introduces Lacy Marie Crocker, the owner of Furry Godmother, a New Orleans pet boutique and bakery. When an intruder who acted strangely in her store earlier in the day attacks Lacy in her storeroom that night, she drives him off with a glitter gun. Hours later, Det. Jack Oliver accuses her of murdering the man, Miguel Sanchez, with her glitter gun. Unfortunately, Lacy’s only witness to Sanchez’s earlier behavior is Pearl Neidermeyer, a customer who was focused on tutus for her dancing dogs. Lacy’s financial backer, Mr. Tater, withholds funds until her name can be cleared, prompting Lacy to start her own investigation. Too many plot threads and improbabilities make this cozy less effective than it could be, but hopefully Chase will show a surer hand in future installments. Pet lovers will certainly appreciate the recipes for treats. Chase is the pen name of Julie Anne Lindsey (Murder in Real Time and two other Patience Price mysteries). (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Leann Sweeney and Linda O. Johnston devotees will love this cozy debut and its charming, optimistic sleuth.”
—Library Journal Debut of the Month

"[A] well-crafted series kickoff."
—Kirkus Reviews

"The banter between Lacy and the detective, plus the local New Orleans color, will delight readers."
—Booklist

"Julie Chase has [created] a new ‘world’ that is entertaining, and will introduce all those feline fanciers who love to read Rita Mae Brown to a couple of brand new four-footed friends...really a fun beginning to what I already know will be great future stories."
—Suspense Magazine

"Julie Chase is a master storyteller with a positive gift for whimsey and wit compelling the reader’s riveted attention from beginning to end."
—Midwest Book Review

"A deftly crafted and unfailingly entertaining mystery from cover to cover...very highly recommended."
—Midwest Book Review

"The Garden District of New Orleans is the perfect setting for this light-hearted debut mystery series that highlights all of its unique charm...readers will enjoy the snappy sense of humor."
—Kings River Life Magazine

"A fun read...Vivid writing, fun characters and cute scenarios."
—Daily Republic

"In all that New Orleans heat and glitter, there’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A fun read."
—Rita Mae Brown, New York Times bestselling author of the Sneaky Pie mystery series

"Everyone needs a Furry Godmother! A delightful new series steeped in the flavor of New Orleans and its old families. Julie Chase’s clever characters are guaranteed to make you smile."
—Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the Paws & Claws mysteries

"A stunning debut...Julie Chase’s new series is a cross between Laura Childs’ Scrapbooking series and Ali Brandon’s Black Cat Bookshop. A fantastic start to what looks like a promising cozy series. Even if you are not a cat/dog lover, you will love this one!"
—T. C. LoTempio, author of the national bestselling Nick and Nora mystery series.

From the Publisher

★ 11/01/2016
Lacy Marie Crocker fled a broken relationship in Arlington, VA, and rebuilt her life in New Orleans by opening Furry Godmother, an upscale pet boutique on Magazine Street specializing in pet fashions and handmade, organic confections. When Miguel Sanchez is murdered with the glitter glue gun she uses on her doggie tutus, Lacy becomes Det. Jack Oliver's primary suspect. Fearful her business will crater if she can't clear her name, Lacy takes on an investigation of her own. She is determined to put the past in her rearview mirror and move on, helped by her mother's grudging support and her father's compassion, not to mention some romantic interest from Jack. Pet treat recipes at the end of the book are a bonus. VERDICT Leann Sweeney and Linda O. Johnston devotees will love this cozy debut and its charming, optimistic sleuth.

Library Journal

Aug. 31, 2016
Returning to New Orleans signally fails to make life easier for the owner of a pet boutique accused of killing a man she’s never met.Lacy Crocker’s dad is old money, and her mom is new money. But she’s pretty much no money and so must restart her life in her hometown after a failed engagement. Apart from emergencies, Lacy’s too proud to let her parents help with her business venture, Furry Godmother, a store that carries the pet clothing and special treats she’s designed. She’s stuck instead depending on Mr. Tater, a middle-aged local businessman, as her patron and investor, though he’s more interested in her bottom line than the unique vision she’s trying to bring the area’s wealthy pet owners. While Lacy’s checking the shop one night after a string of local burglaries, she comes upon an intruder and defends the shop with the weapon of her trade: a glitter gun. Though she’s certain she’s more afraid of the attacker than he is of her, the next thing she knows, he’s dead, and his body is being carted away, leaving her as the prime suspect. Getting grilled by Detective Jack Oliver is totally unfair, since Lacy is the wronged party, but Jack, as her parents insist on calling the detective, isn’t quite sure Lacy is innocent. Now Mr. Tater is threatening to pull his funding unless Lacy’s name is cleared, and she’s stuck working with Jack to find out who the real killer is before she and her glitter gun are carted off to jail. Even though the privileged status of her leads may be hard to take, Chase, who’s already published as Julie Anne Lindsey (A Geek Girl's Guide to Justice, 2016, etc.), puts her experience to good use in this well-crafted series kickoff.

Kirkus Review