Publication Date: 09/01/2015
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425275248
ISBN-13: 978-0425275245
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound
Kay Finch on the WEB: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Synopsis:
In the first in this cat-filled cozy series, aspiring mystery author Sabrina Tate is about to discover that when it comes to solving murders, her new feline friend Hitchcock is a master of sleuthing…
Sabrina has never been the superstitious type. Still, when she moves to Lavender, Texas, to write her first novel and help her Aunt Rowe manage her vacation rental business, Sabrina can’t avoid listening to the rumors that a local black cat is a jinx—especially after the stray in question leads her directly to the scene of a murder.
The deceased turns out to be none other than her Aunt Rowe’s awful cousin Bobby Joe Flowers, a known cheat and womanizer who had no shortage of enemies. The only problem is that Aunt Rowe and Bobby Joe had quarreled just before the cousin turned up dead, leaving Rowe at the top of the long list of suspects. Now it’s up to Sabrina to clear her aunt’s name. Luckily for her, she’s got a new sidekick, Hitchcock the Bad Luck Cat, to help her sniff out clues and stalk a killer before Aunt Rowe winds up the victim of even more misfortune…
Thoughts:
Kay Finch brings readers the first book in her new Bad Luck Cat mystery series. Black Cat Crossing has everything from Pecan Tarts to a handsome game warden, and of course a little bit of murder. Finch takes superstition and feline hijinks and weaves them into this mystery that will have mystery lovers on cloud nine. Hitchcock, the 'bad luck cat' helps a mystery writer solve the murder at the local vacation paradise and readers are along for the ride. A great new series for cat lovers, as well as mystery fans.
What I Liked:
Now I am not really a cat person, I have a fiesty little dog, who rules the roost around here. But I am an animal person in general, so books featuring any kind of animal are always a good fit for me. The idea that Finch plays on in the first book in her new series, is that of a black cat being bad luck. Personally, I think black cats are beautiful and I was really happy to see the direction Finch went with this one. Hitchcock is the perfect name too, very original. I liked the superstition angle surrounding the cat and how the cat helped solve the murder. This is a character cat lovers will fall in love with and mystery readers will get a big kick out of him as well.
Sabrina Tate is a mystery writer who happens to working on her next novel while helping her Aunt Rowe, out at her vacation rental business. Her aunt has an injury and Sabrina helps out, but her natural curiosity gets the better of her when the local 'bad luck cat' leads her to the scene of murder. What's more, Aunt Row ends up one of the prime suspects, due to a heated argument with the victim shortly before his death. Now I don't know if Finch named her heroine Sabrina for a reason or not, but it makes me think of black cats and magic, so that was a nice touch. What she does for sure is give readers a great new cozy heroine to fall in love with.
Sabrina is a writer and that isn't always a profession that is easy to write about. Giving her the added angle of working at the vacation rental was genius and played well into the story. The local game warden, Luke is quite the catch and I feel like we haven't seen the last of him in this series. A great love interest for this sassy heroine. The secondary characters are well developed and I thought the mystery was plotted well and the clues were easy to follow, but not overly simple.
Bottom Line:
All in all this was a very good debut for the series. The writer sets a fast pace, but still gives readers plenty of time to get to know the background and some information on the town of Lavender and it's townspeople. Sabrina was a fabulous sleuth, especially with the help of Hitchcock, the bad luck cat. The characters will draw you in but the mystery will keep you flipping the pages. Nice job on this one, looking forward to new titles in the series!
Black Cat Crossing is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Black Cat Crossing by Kay Finch.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, September 17th.
1. Please leave a comment. Are you superstitious and if so what kinds of things are you superstitious about?
2. Please fill out the FORM.
24 comments:
i am not very superstitious. I do find myself throwing salt over my shoulder if I spill it. I know it is silly to do it, but...
I am not superstitious and have never been. I can feel things instead. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
I don't think I'm superstitious about anything. lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I'm not too superstitious either, but I do steer clear of walking under ladders!
I think this new series sounds like it has great potential--interesting heroine who's a writer and of course, a cat with a great name like Hitchcock!
Thanks Debbie!
I've never been very superstitious, but one can never be too careful!
No, I'm not superstitious, I love black cats, I knock salt over all the time, I've had mirrors break, I try not to walk under ladders but that is because I'm afraid something will fall off of it, LOL.
This sounds like a great start to this series, thanks for the chance to win it.
I also love the name Hitchcock for the cat.
I am a little superstitious. Especially when it comes to football. I will not bet even a penny that my team will win because I think I am jinxing them.
Thereadmaster@me.com
The only place I'm suspicious is on the golf course. I won't wash a golf ball before a water hole for fear that the ball will get used to the water---and silly stuff like that. I'd love to get started on this series with book one. Thanks for the contest.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I don't really have any superstitions. Black cats are my favorite, I don't worry about ladders, broken mirrors or such. Life is life!
bobntoni@aol.com
I'm not very superstitious, but believe in fate. However, sometimes we do need to be a little more careful the way we do things. I don't worry about black cats, but cats do have a way of looking at you like they just know things.
I'm superstitious - I try to avoid ladders etc
Drakebdog at gmail dot com
I am not superstitious. In fact, I'm the reverse :).
I don't know if it's being superstitious but I believe that death comes in three. I worked in a church and if one parishioner passed away we would fine two more would follow shortly after that.
I am superstitious about a black cat crossing in front of me!!
I am a touch superstitious :)
This book sounds great!
not really
Not very superstitious. Ok, will occasionally throw salt over my shoulder if I spill it. I cringe when I break a mirror . 7 years is a long time! Wonder if throwing salt would counteract the mirror breaking?
I am slightly superstitious. I won't walk under ladders, and I do throw salt over my shoulder if I spill it. On the other hand, I have an all black cat. ;) Can't wait to read this book!!!
I don't think I am superstitious, but then I find myself thinking twice about something like walking under a ladder, so who knows? Sounds like a good first in a series, thanks for the giveaway.
I am not that superstitious............
No i'm not.
Thanks for the chance to win!
I am not very superstitious. I own a black cat and that doesn't bother me, but I do end up knocking on wood a lot. =) I figure it can't hurt, right?
What an interesting sounding book. Also a coincidence that my daughter loves cats and lavendar, lol, I think she will enjoy it too.
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of this book.
wfnren at aol dot com
I try not to be superstitious. However, I will say that I will not walk under a ladder.
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