I do love Leann Sweeney's books. She hooked me with her Yellow Rose mysteries, then with her Cats in Trouble mysteries. The setting is neat, the characters are engaging, the cats aren't too precious for words [they are just right]. Ornery and keep Jillian, the main character, on her toes.
There's also a love interest and a woman who is trying her darndest to keep Jillian and love from finding a way. I really like not-liking Lydia. I like when a character is so well-written that I want to smack them.
This time around, though, it was mostly cats and investigations for Jillian and not as much of the quilting she does. I missed the quilting.
A really good mystery with plenty of suspects and a heckuva whodunit. I didn't see it coming. I like that.
A definite recommend.

The third in the Cats in Trouble series and it is another action and fun packed story. Jillian Hart is a cat lover, she has three of her own and an open heart for any other cat. In this story Jillian takes in Isis- a cat named after an Egyptian goddess. This cat seems to think she is a goddess, but Jillian's three cats learn how to get along with her. When cats are in trouble Jillian helps them out but she gets a lot of help from her own very cleaver felines.

I’m loving these cat mystery books. Again not what one would consider serious earth shattering literature, but a purely enjoyable escape from reality. And come on, isn’t that what books should do. I love entering the world of Chablis, Merlot, and Syrah. These books combine 2 of my favorite things: reading and cats.

I love this series. They are fun, fascinating, funny, mysterious, silly and so so good. This series is definitely one I would recommend to anyone who like murder, mystery, cats, simple southern lifestyle, and always an interesting plot. I love Jillian and her lifestyle, I love how she always drinks sweet tea, how she cares for everyone around her, and her 3 adorable kitty cats !

The cats are the best part of this book - they are real and have true personalities. The rest of the book felt rather formulaic for a cozy mystery. I did like that I was able to guess whodunit although I questioned myself because it was a little outside the box compared to the rest of the plot.

After Isis is found abandoned on the side of the highway, Jillian is enlisted to investigate her food woman and find out if she is fit to own a cat.
When she first arrives at Jillian's home, she isn't too happy, hissing and arching her back at Jillian's three cats, Merlot, Syrah and Chablis. But Jillian's cats won't take any stick from the spoiled Isis and before long she knows her place in the pecking order.
When Isis's food woman turns up on Jillian's doorstep one night, she couldn't know that her very future hangs in the balance. Her food woman is suspected of murder and needs the help Jillian and her cats to clear her name.

The Cat, the Lady and the Liar very much follows the same formula as all the books in this series. There's nothing ground-breaking about it but it's an entertaining cozy murder mystery and well worth the effort.

If you are looking for a fast, fun read, look no further. Leann Sweeney's latest quilter/cat lover book is a lot of fun. There's not a lot of emphasis on quilting, but lots on cats. The latest plot is a bit of a stretch. A stray cat that belongs to a wealthy woman is picked up by Shawn who operates an animal rescue and is passionate about cats. Before he returns the cat to its rightful owner, he asks Jillian to check out the owner basically to see if he SHOULD return it to her. A little far-fetched perhaps. Jillian goes to the house and is accused of trying to collect a reward for the lost cat. While she is there, she sees the lady of the house fall and leaves quickly. She is stopped by the police chief and told to leave the town and not come back. However, the next day the same lady of the house shows up at her house at night in her night clothes and her personal assistant, a young woman named Evie, is found dead in the pond on Jillian's property. Definitely a little far-fetched, but the writing is decent and it's a fun read.

A fun read, not quite as good as CiT #2, but still better than many out there.

As always I liked spending time with Jillian and her friends, and appreciated the update on her life since the previous book, [b:The Cat, the Professor and the Poison|7195212|The Cat, the Professor and the Poison (Cats in Trouble Mysteries)|Leann Sweeney|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31LQUN-Er5L._SL75_.jpg|7806691].

This book made it within my plausibility parameters for cozy mysteries, but not by much (and I allow quite a bit of leeway for them!). Still, I really wanted to believe that the grand matriarch of a small town would take one look at Jillian, and know she was the one that could help her, and I equally wanted to believe the Jillian would take on her cause (and her cat) without any further thought; offering her spare bedroom and her sleuthing skills to solving her problems.

The characters did hit the right balance on the quirkiness scale-- just odd enough to be interesting and unique, but still within those plausibility parameters I mentioned above. At least, the humans were. I love the cats in these books, but they did push one of my buttons by producing the vital clue at just the right moment

Overall, the mystery was fine, particularly by cozy standards. It primarily served as an excuse to get to know this group of characters, which works for me in a cozy. There weren't any glaring inconsistencies, and it did keep me wondering about the motivations of several people.

I'd suggest starting this series at the first or second book if you enjoy quiet, fun, character driven cozy mysteries.

Jillian Hart is back with her three wonderful frisky felines, Chablis, Syrah and Merlot, for another Cat In Trouble Mystery. This time they are joined by yet another feline who was found near the highway. This rescued kitty's high brow attitude has proved to be too much for shelter rescue owner Shawn Cuddahee. He has begged Jillian to take the royal Isis and help him determine if she should be returned to her rightful owner, who has not returned any of his calls, or be put up for adoption for someone that truly wants her.

This leads Jillian to a huge mansion in nearby Woodcrest, the home of Ritaestelle Longworth, the registered owner of the lovely long haired, green eyed, black cat with diamond studded collar. Unfortunately the meeting doesn't go as planned and Jillian ends up making a hasty exit from the grand estate.

Jillian soon learns the town gossips are questioning the incredibly wealthy Longworth's sanity due to some unusual behavior and when Ritaestelle shows up at Jillian's door clad in a bathrobe, wearing slippers claiming she is being drugged and is in fear for her life Jillian starts to believe the gossip.

But before Jillian can even start to can get to the bottom of Ritaestelle's claims a body is found in the lake behind Jillian's home and the eccentric Longworth is standing at the end of the pier holding Chablis, and both she and the cat are covered in blood. Ritaestelle begs Jillian to help her and she can't say no. So with the help of her intuitive feline companions she begins her quest to claw and paw out the clues to solve yet another murder mystery.




The last book in this series was my favorite cozy of 2010, so you already know I love this series, but Leann Sweeney has outdone herself with yet another purrfect paws down marvelous mystery.

The new characters added from Woodcrest to the already beloved characters from Mercy are well defined and cleverly written. You can envision them popping right off the page, from the eccentric Ritaestelle and each of her quirky relatives, down to the gossiping Dolly at a local coffee shop. Have to say I loved Dolly, reminded me of someone, just can't put my finger on who :)

The plot is strong, smart, intriguing, and will keep those pages turning one right after another until the very end. The cat's antics will have you chuckling throughout. Why are cats whiskers a certain length? The answer can be found within the pages of the truly wonderful story.

If you are already a fan of this series you are going to absolutely love this next edition. If this series in new to you and you love a fun mystery that will engage you immediately and/or love cats, pick up the first two novels so you are ready when this one is released in April. I promise you will love each and every word!!

Thank you Leann for allowing me to read an advance edition and not making me wait until April to enjoy this awesome cozy, kitty treat.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”