The Time for Murder is Meow by T.C. LoTempio

Title: The Time for Murder is Meow ( A Purr N’ Bark Pet Shop Mystery #1)

Author: T.C. LoTempio

Published on: 8th August 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

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Crishell ‘Shell’ McMillan has moved from LA to Fox Hollow after the cancellation of her long-running TV show. With her aunt dead, the Purr N Bark pet shop is now Shell’s responsibility. Her aunt also owned a collection of Cary Grant posters. Shell wants the local museum to display them for the upcoming event but the museum head, Amelia Witherspoon votes ‘No’ for the posters. She also manages to coerce a couple of board members to vote against the posters. (Talk blackmail!)

Shell has an argument with Amelia on the streets and the next day, Amelia asks Shell to come to the museum for a discussion. But when Shell reaches the venue, she sees Amelia dead – stabbed to death! The good looking detective Joshua Bloodgood arrives at the scene of crime and Shell cannot keep her ‘crush-y’ feelings to herself.

The pain-in-the-backside reporter publishes a negative article about Shell after she refuses to talk to him. Shell is also a suspect in Amelia’s murder. With the help of her three new-found buddies – Rita, Ron and Olivia, Shell decides to clear her name.

The Time for Murder is Meow is the first book in A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mysteries. As the title suggests, there are meows in the story. Yep, plural. Meows. Meet Purrday and Kahlua. Purrday is the cool and calm, saint-like cat while Kahlua is the opposite. (Kahlua reminds me of my pet, Miss Puddykins! Ditto!)

The story is super cool. There’s romance, some delicious food – Shell is a bad cook so most of the ‘food’ is from the local pub or so, cats (!!), mystery, murder, jealousy, heartbreak and much more! In brief, this is a super-duper cozy debut!

The characters are very likeable, especially Shell and Gary. I really liked how the five-o (Shell, Gary, Olivia, Rita and Ron) sit down together to solve the mystery. There are references to Shell’s past – her cheating fiance and her life at Hollywood. Josh is a handsome fella that Shell falls for, on the first meet! Aww!

The story is well-paced and the mystery and suspense is well-maintained till the end. With our hero on a rescue mission and the heroine confronting her worst fears, the ending was superb. Purrday has a mystery of his own. 😀 Also, Shell talks to her cats throughout the story and the felines either nod their head or raise their paws in response. How cool is that! Yeah, call me partial but cats are way smarter and intelligent than… *hears a bark* – was that Rocco?

The Time for Murder is Meow by T.C. LoTempio is an entertaining and engrossing cozy debut! If you like cats and cozy mysteries then do check out this book and you will not be disappointed. 🙂

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There’s a giveaway for this tour. Giveaway details here.

Many thanks to Lori for giving me an opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.