Series: Second Chance Cat Mystery, #1
Publisher: Signet
Released: April 1, 2014
Source: Review copy from the publisher

Sarah Grayson is the happy proprietor of Second Chance, a charming shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. At the shop, she sells used items that she has lovingly refurbished and repurposed. But her favorite pet project so far has been adopting a stray cat she names Elvis.

Elvis has seen nine lives—and then some. The big black cat with a scar across his nose turned up at a local bar when the band was playing the King of Rock and Roll’s music and hopped in Sarah’s truck. Since then, he’s been her constant companion and the furry favorite of everyone who comes into the store.

But when Sarah’s elderly friend Maddie is found with the body of a dead man in her garden, the kindly old lady becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Even Sarah’s old high school flame, investigator Nick Elliot, seems convinced that Maddie was up to no good. So it’s up to Sarah and Elvis to clear her friend’s name and make sure the real murderer doesn’t get a second chance.

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THE WHOLE CAT AND CABOODLE is a fun start to Sofie Ryan’s new cozy mystery series with a gregarious feline called Elvis taking center stage. Elvis’ person is Sarah Grayson, and she runs a nifty shop selling vintage and refurbished items in North Harbor, Maine.

Sarah gets dragged into a murder mystery when her grandmother’s friend Maddie is arrested for murdering her boyfriend. Well, Sarah actually gets involved in the case because she wants to keep a group of dear elderly friends out of trouble. They are a stubborn and determined bunch wanting to find the real murderer on their own, and Sarah promises investigators that she’ll keep them out of of trouble. Or at least try to!

The mystery was good and the plot moved quickly, but what I loved most was the cast of characters. Elvis the cat was an intriguing little fellow, savvy about what’s going on and able to give the humans a push in the right direction. Cat cozy mystery fans will love him. Sarah was likable and easy to connect with. I enjoyed her back story, and her complicated relationship with her childhood friend Michelle Andrews and old flame Nick Elliott. Sarah’s group of elderly friends were a lot of fun and provided several good laughs along the way. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Rating: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.