The Cat, the Mill and the Murder: A Cats in Trouble Mystery

Personal weekend time allowed me to check out the latest Cat in Trouble that was published many months ago... But that's alright, a book never gets too old, does it? And if you haven't read it yet, it brings the readers just as much fun! Check this one out!Jillian Hart thinks she might be going crazy in the latest Cats in Trouble Mystery...She doesn't believe in ghosts, but she's been experiencing some sensations that are not easily explained. After all, she has three feline companions so she knows the moves they make and what it feels like...So, if you felt something soft lightly rubbing against the side of your leg, Jillian did what any cat owner would, she looked down, expecting to see one of her own cats... But nothing was there! That she could see...It all started when a large former mill was going to be converted into some other type of building. Jillian is always on call to help Shawn who runs the local shelter. The mill had been home for many feral cats, so now he was being asked to move them.But when they went into the mill, they found a woman was also living there--and Boots belonged to her! As Jillian talked to her, the engineer went on to investigate the building, but when they found a skeletal hand, everybody knew that was going to stop the project! At least for awhile...Penelope, head of the community council was working with the two financial groups that were looking at the Mill. One was the former family owner of the Mill who wanted to convert to condos, while another was looking toward shops and a variety of spaces.. They knew Dustin, the engineer was scheduled to visit that day so Penelope on her own had scheduled a tour! But nobody was going to tour...a new crime scene!By the next time Jillian and Dustin visited the mill, they had found Jeannie had fallen and needed to be taken to the hospital. Asked how it had happened, she said she was running from the creepers who came at night, which might or might not be true. This would be fortunate for the investigation of the skeleton--they assumed that the individual had been murdered since it was wrapped and surrounded by bricks. Everybody had a guess as to who it might be, but before that could be confirmed, Penelope had been murdered!So now we had Jillian, who had had the smallest hand, to reach in and find the skeleton at the mill...also was the one who found Penelope at her home, where she had been murdered...One of the things I like about this set of characters is that Candace, the routine investigator for the local police is Jillian's best friend, so there is rarely friction during Jillian's nosing into the murder cases--most of the time. But, then, she is a smart woman who doesn't go off by herself or keeps people notified of where she's headed... Until the last time when she didn't have time to reach anybody...and was caught by the killer at the mill!The investigation had been going on for some time and everybody was getting anxious, especially those outside financial people who had been in town to tour the mill and discuss their plans. Boots had decided to stay with Jillian and did make up with her two male cats who finally were playing and racing through the house. Whether the female could actually see Boots and just ignored her wasn't shared but my guess is she was fully aware that another cat had entered her domain...But all three of Jillian's cats were grateful when Boots saves Jillian'ss life when she was confronted...and I'll only give you one clue... Feral cats are also afraid of ghosts!If you haven't already read this one, Enjoy! And you might be just like Jillian and start believing, and then seeing a ghost cat who comes to the name of Boots!I loved this one! Highly recommended!GABixlerReviews

I didn't like the step daughter at the newspaper getting involved wasn't a page turner for me. Won't be buying any more from this author don't know why she was a New York Bestselling Author.

I have been a fan of the Cats In Trouble mysteries since I read the first one. However, I have to say that Leann has totally blown me away with this book. It was so well written that I couldn't wait to turn each page, but was then sorry when I reached the end.All the people and sitautions from prior books meshed seamlessly into this one. It didn't feel like the information was being given as "back story". Information was presented in a way that you would not have to read the prior books to enjoy this one. However, for those of us who have read the prior books, it was nice to have the references to prior people and events.Jeannie was an endearing character and I was totally in love with Boots. The cat's character could have been a strange addition, but was instead a welcome, integral part of the story. I totally bought into the premise, and I think it added a wonderful element to the story.The research Leann did on the textile industry and the relationships and social barriers between the mill/village people and owners/town people was excellent and added much to the story. Sometimes providing such details can actually bring the story to a halt and feel like a history lesson. Leann did not leave me feeling that way. The details flowed into the story and made it that much richer.Adding the element of Jillian and Shawn trying to help ferals was also something that I appreciated. Having Shawn explain that they are what they are was a good lesson. Ferals are not your typical house kitties, and (for good reason) do not trust humans. However, this is a result of human failures, and these animals should be protected - not killed. Having them help save the day was a nice touch. Community cats are a very timely topic and Leann handled the situation wonderfully.I liked the changes in Morris, and the progression of the relationship between Jillian and Tom. I also hope that we will see more of Dustin in the future - I really liked him. And of course, as always, I love Jillian's kitty companions.I know I've gone on a bit here, but I just found so much to enjoy about this book. In fact, I think it's one of the best books I have read in a long time. I actually had it pre-ordered since November, but it was worth waiting for. And I truly hope there will be another in this series in the not too distant future.

It was a very interesting plot line with several great new characters, but I did not find the story line as riveting as previous books. I loved the cats participation, as usual and liked the sharp ending; that was a nice touch leaving us waiting for more!

Great story, and the ending what a cliff hanger.Can't wait for the next instalment.The stories are individual so you don't have to have read the previous ones, but if this is your first read the rest.

If you like cats and mysteries then this book does not fail. I have read all the books in this series and hopefully it will not be too long before another Cats in Trouble Mystery is published.

I enjoyed the way that the humans and cats interacted, and the ending was quite unexpected. the fact that the cats were rescued after Hurricane Katrina was a nice additional feature also.

Leann Sweeney is a great writer and I'm a big fan of cats, having three of them, these books are a delight to read.