Purr M for Murder

Purr M for Murder by T.C. LoTempio is the first book in A Cat Rescue Mystery series. Sydney McCall has returned home to Deer Park, North Carolina after catching her fiancé in flagrante with his secretary. Since Preston Renshaw III was the boss's son, Sydney quit her job as Director of Marketing at Reid and Renshaw. Her sister, Kat needed her assistance with the Friendly Paws Animal Shelter. Donations have been down and their last two fundraisers did not elicit many funds. Kat is hoping Sydney can apply her marketing prowess to the shelter. Sydney's first idea is to hold a cat café at Dayna's Sweets and Treats. It will help raise funds and, hopefully, some cats will find forever homes. Trowbridge Littleton, owner of The Brush and Canvas, is against their event and confronts Kat. It ends with Kat threatening Mr. Littleton (not a wise move on her part). Sydney decides to talk to Mr. Littleton the next morning and arrives at his gallery around 6 a.m. Sydney finds the door open, but no one answers her call (you can see where this is heading). Sydney is startled when Kat turns up next to her (she had been watching for Sydney across the street). They find their way to office and find it has been ransacked. Kat admires a beautiful antique cabinet and is insistent upon looking inside. They open the doors and Trowbridge Littleton falls out. When the police arrive, Sydney is started to discover that Will Worthington (high school crush, of course) is one of the detectives. It is soon apparent that Kat is the primary suspect. It seems that Kat has been holding back on a few details. Sydney puts on her detective cap and sets out to find the real perpetrator with the help of her new cat, Toby (master escape artist). But the killer must take action when Sydney gets a little too close for comfort.

Purr M for Murder is easy to read and nicely written. I found that the book had a good pace which made it easy to read. I appreciated the pet rescue element in the book. It will help make readers aware of the problems facing animals in our society (there are too few no-kill shelters). I liked the main characters of Kat, Sydney and Toby. Toby was a great addition to this tale. Without Toby, Purr M for Murder would not have been as entertaining (he elevated the story). I give Purr M for Murder 4 out of 5 stars. I do wish, though, that the mystery had been a little more complex. It was evident which character would get murdered (the nastiest). Solving the crime was easily discernable. There is one big clue that gave it away early in the story (at least to me). I am hoping that in the next book the author will not put the murder or crime so early in the novel (it makes for the book feel long). I liked the subtle attraction between Will Worthington and Sydney. It is low-key and plays out nicely in the background until the end. I do wonder, though, why authors feel the need to provide a romantic counterpart for their main character in the first book. I like a little romance in my cozies, but I like it when it plays out slowly over the course of the series. I thought the ending was uplifting and cute. With a few tweaks, I believe this will be a pleasurable cozy mystery series. I am looking forward to reading the next book in A Cat Rescue Mystery series.