peggyemi's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of my favorite Lynn Cahoon series. When I pick up a Cat Latimer mystery I know I am in for hours of enjoyment. Slay in Character if the 4th book in a series I hope is around for a long time. What I enjoy most is the theme. I think the writer's retreat gives Ms. Cahoon the ability to bring her readers a regular cast of characters with a rotating cast of secondary characters that can be different and diverse each time. Cat, Shauna, Seth and Uncle Pete all are at the center of another suspicious death that happens during one of Cat's writer's retreats. This time, it's a retreat for a group of romance authors who are actually a writer's group in their hometown. The guests this time were fun, mischievous and actually wanted to help Cat solve the murder of a young university student. There are plenty of twists and turns and as each new clues is uncovered I was not sure exactly who I thought was the killer or why. Toward the end of the book I started to get a strong suspicion which turned out to be correct, but it was not long before the reveal in the books so the fact that I was right for a change didn't take away from any of the enjoyment of the reveal.
This is a series that I return to over and over again because it is well written, with strong, developed characters that have real chemistry, the setting and the terrific mysteries.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
This is a series that I return to over and over again because it is well written, with strong, developed characters that have real chemistry, the setting and the terrific mysteries.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
meezcarrie's review against another edition
5.0
Slay in Character is a really fun addition to the Cat Latimer series while also being sweet and sincere.
Another reviewer said that one of the draws of this series is the combination of the delightful ‘regular’ cast of both main and secondary characters & the rotating cast of additional secondary characters that are new in each book – and I completely agree! We get more layers in the lives & back-stories of Cat, her boyfriend Seth, her best friend Shauna, and her Uncle Pete (as well as some of the townspeople who play a role in each retreat) but we also get to meet a new cast of retreaters in each book. The writers who have booked the retreat for the week in Slay in Character are hilariously fun friends who are part of a regularly-meeting writers group, so their bond is really enjoyable to read about, as is the way they ‘adopt’ the Covington College student into their dynamic. Which mostly translates into getting into trouble with her, trying to solve the murder on their own lol. There is a very sweet side theme as well, as Cat’s bestie (and resident chef) Shauna is still dealing with grief from a tragedy in book #3 – and how she begins to heal.
Speaking of the murder, I was 99% sure I knew whodunit (I was right) but I had NO IDEA why. This kept me fully engaged in the story from beginning to end – along with several red herrings that almost made my certainty waver – and the sub-setting of the Old West tourist town added additional elements of possibilities to the mix. (Plus it was another fun aspect to the story too.)
Bottom Line: This fourth installment in the Cat Latimer mysteries is brimming with all the elements that make it such a great series – with a few additional bonuses that are the icing on the cake. It’s easy to read as a stand-alone if you need to, but you’ll want to catch up on the series, especially Of Murder and Men after reading Slay in Character. Every retreat where we get to tag along is sure to contain yummy food, delightful characters, and a masterfully-plotted mystery … and Slay in Character is no exception.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
Another reviewer said that one of the draws of this series is the combination of the delightful ‘regular’ cast of both main and secondary characters & the rotating cast of additional secondary characters that are new in each book – and I completely agree! We get more layers in the lives & back-stories of Cat, her boyfriend Seth, her best friend Shauna, and her Uncle Pete (as well as some of the townspeople who play a role in each retreat) but we also get to meet a new cast of retreaters in each book. The writers who have booked the retreat for the week in Slay in Character are hilariously fun friends who are part of a regularly-meeting writers group, so their bond is really enjoyable to read about, as is the way they ‘adopt’ the Covington College student into their dynamic. Which mostly translates into getting into trouble with her, trying to solve the murder on their own lol. There is a very sweet side theme as well, as Cat’s bestie (and resident chef) Shauna is still dealing with grief from a tragedy in book #3 – and how she begins to heal.
Speaking of the murder, I was 99% sure I knew whodunit (I was right) but I had NO IDEA why. This kept me fully engaged in the story from beginning to end – along with several red herrings that almost made my certainty waver – and the sub-setting of the Old West tourist town added additional elements of possibilities to the mix. (Plus it was another fun aspect to the story too.)
Bottom Line: This fourth installment in the Cat Latimer mysteries is brimming with all the elements that make it such a great series – with a few additional bonuses that are the icing on the cake. It’s easy to read as a stand-alone if you need to, but you’ll want to catch up on the series, especially Of Murder and Men after reading Slay in Character. Every retreat where we get to tag along is sure to contain yummy food, delightful characters, and a masterfully-plotted mystery … and Slay in Character is no exception.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
historical_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught.
melmo2610's review against another edition
5.0
A solid installment in the Cat Lattimer Cozy series. I thoroughly enjoyed this latest visit with Cat, Shauna, Seth, Uncle Pete and the new batch of guests attending Cat's writer's retreat. The mystery kept me entertained and I all but devoured this story in the course of an afternoon. This group of ladies attending this retreat were fun and likable even with their escapades in trying to solve the crimes happening in the story. This has definitely been my favorite Cat mystery thus far.
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts above are my own.
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts above are my own.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
3.0
This is the 4th in this series. Number 5 came out last week. Unless someone happens to bring it into the store, I doubt I'll bother. I liked the idea here just fine. The characters themselves we're mostly fine. But the interactions between the characters in this series we're horribly written. I realized when reading this one, that what we're missing are the character reactions when one of them drops a line. So what's supposed to be banter between friends comes across as weird and rude. Not to mention all the times when one character will ask another something and instead of answering (even with an "I don't want to talk about it."), they just leave the room. Also, this entire series needs a better proofreader. I found SO many errors.
spookshow's review against another edition
3.0
You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Kensington Books, and the author via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cat runs a writer's retreat, her previous retreats have all ended up involved in some form of murder mystery, and this time is no exception. Amongst the writer's who are already acquainted with each other, is Jessi Ball, a student from Covington. While up at the local 'ghost' and immersive western town, Outlaw, the retreat get into the normal thing of period photographs and watching the high noon shootout, they also run into Jessi's best friend, Dannielle. Things are thrown completely upside down when Dannielle is found murdered above the saloon in Outlaw, Jessi doesn't know what to do, especially when she finds out that her 'best friend' may not have been much of a friend at all. As more secrets come to life, Cat is worried that Jessi may be in danger, and so does Dante - part of the mob - he beseeches Cat to look after Jessi until he can get back into town at the end of the retreat week to take over looking after her. Who murdered Dannielle? And did it have anything to do with Jessi?
So this is the first Cat Latimer mystery that I've read by Cahoon. As I've said a million times before, in a million other reviews, I am a downright sucker for a cosy mystery. And one that is centred around a writing retreat with actual authors? Count. Me. In.
The story was okay, though I had the killer worked out at around halfway through the story, I didn't have confirmation, but I was pretty certain in my assumptions, and I was right. That did take away from the story a bit, as it's never as fun if you're working everything out before the characters, who find themselves in these situations a lot, do. In my eyes it was rather obvious who the culprit was, though throwing in the peeping tom and stuff did give it an air of uncertainty at times, I'll admit.
I liked the characters well enough. I find Seth and Cat's relationship a bit...odd? I'm pretty sure they are a couple...but there's not really much in the way of coupleness happening, that could have been because Cat was run of her feet with the retreat and all, but they just don't come across as remotely a couple at all, this had me scratching my head a bit. Not that it really adds much to the story, just a little thing I noticed. The characters were pretty run of the mill cosy mystery characters, there wasn't really any outstanding character development that I could see, but then I haven't read the previous 3 books in this series, so I could be seriously missing out on MAJOR character development.
I'm not a fan of massive recaps in series books, because I'm a firm believer that you should have read the series in order therefore not needing an extensive recap. However, I do find small, succinct, recaps valuable. They would've been exceptionally valuable in this case because there was a couple of previous events alluded to but never explained. Like, what happened between Shauna and Seth? And what's a bit of backstory on Cat and Dante? We're told that Dante is part of the mob, but that's about it, and that Seth's jealous of his and Cat's friendship and Dante is clearly hoping that something more will come of it. I just wish there was a little bit of recap given to these instances. It may have shown me a bit more about the characters themselves.
I loved the surprise that Seth is working on throughout the book, the reveal had me excited, though I had kind of guess (yeah, again) at what it was going to be, it still made smile when it happened.
Overall this was an okay story, with okay characters. It was interesting enough but it just didn't wow me.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Kensington Books, and the author via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cat runs a writer's retreat, her previous retreats have all ended up involved in some form of murder mystery, and this time is no exception. Amongst the writer's who are already acquainted with each other, is Jessi Ball, a student from Covington. While up at the local 'ghost' and immersive western town, Outlaw, the retreat get into the normal thing of period photographs and watching the high noon shootout, they also run into Jessi's best friend, Dannielle. Things are thrown completely upside down when Dannielle is found murdered above the saloon in Outlaw, Jessi doesn't know what to do, especially when she finds out that her 'best friend' may not have been much of a friend at all. As more secrets come to life, Cat is worried that Jessi may be in danger, and so does Dante - part of the mob - he beseeches Cat to look after Jessi until he can get back into town at the end of the retreat week to take over looking after her. Who murdered Dannielle? And did it have anything to do with Jessi?
So this is the first Cat Latimer mystery that I've read by Cahoon. As I've said a million times before, in a million other reviews, I am a downright sucker for a cosy mystery. And one that is centred around a writing retreat with actual authors? Count. Me. In.
The story was okay, though I had the killer worked out at around halfway through the story, I didn't have confirmation, but I was pretty certain in my assumptions, and I was right. That did take away from the story a bit, as it's never as fun if you're working everything out before the characters, who find themselves in these situations a lot, do. In my eyes it was rather obvious who the culprit was, though throwing in the peeping tom and stuff did give it an air of uncertainty at times, I'll admit.
I liked the characters well enough. I find Seth and Cat's relationship a bit...odd? I'm pretty sure they are a couple...but there's not really much in the way of coupleness happening, that could have been because Cat was run of her feet with the retreat and all, but they just don't come across as remotely a couple at all, this had me scratching my head a bit. Not that it really adds much to the story, just a little thing I noticed. The characters were pretty run of the mill cosy mystery characters, there wasn't really any outstanding character development that I could see, but then I haven't read the previous 3 books in this series, so I could be seriously missing out on MAJOR character development.
I'm not a fan of massive recaps in series books, because I'm a firm believer that you should have read the series in order therefore not needing an extensive recap. However, I do find small, succinct, recaps valuable. They would've been exceptionally valuable in this case because there was a couple of previous events alluded to but never explained. Like, what happened between Shauna and Seth? And what's a bit of backstory on Cat and Dante? We're told that Dante is part of the mob, but that's about it, and that Seth's jealous of his and Cat's friendship and Dante is clearly hoping that something more will come of it. I just wish there was a little bit of recap given to these instances. It may have shown me a bit more about the characters themselves.
I loved the surprise that Seth is working on throughout the book, the reveal had me excited, though I had kind of guess (yeah, again) at what it was going to be, it still made smile when it happened.
Overall this was an okay story, with okay characters. It was interesting enough but it just didn't wow me.
girlonthecsaw's review against another edition
3.0
First, let me state that this is one of my favorite series. I love the premise. Who wouldn’t want to attend one of Cat Latimer’s writing retreats despite all the mayhem and murder? However, this entry was lacking something. I wasn’t that invested in who committed the murder or why. There were too many red herrings and a couple of twists that didn’t really add to the plot. Previous story lines have been tighter and every action was essential to the conclusion. I also think this book may not appeal to readers who are unfamiliar with the backstory. There are discussions and motivations that won't make sense if you haven't read the other titles. That said, I still love the interaction between the recurring characters. With each book the development of their relationships is believable and leaves me wanting more. Ms. Cahoon's writing style is very engaging and keeps your attention. I didn't love this book as much as the previous titles but I will continue to read the series and look forward to the next installment.
morticia32's review against another edition
3.0
Book 4 in the series.
It's good to be back at a book retreat with Cat and her friends, but this wasn't my favorite of the series.
The setting for the murder is an old West town, set up as a tourist attraction. And this time, it's not just Cat involved in the mystery, but her guests that seem to get a kick out of putting themselves in danger. I think that's why I didn't like this one as much. It's bad enough when the main character has too stupid to live moments, but then you throw in a gaggle of women who seem to think the whole thing is a game, and I just kind of got annoyed.
My favorite part of the whole book was the end, when Seth's surprise project was finally revealed. That bumped it from two stars to three for me right there.
As always though, I am looking forward to more book retreats!
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley*
It's good to be back at a book retreat with Cat and her friends, but this wasn't my favorite of the series.
The setting for the murder is an old West town, set up as a tourist attraction. And this time, it's not just Cat involved in the mystery, but her guests that seem to get a kick out of putting themselves in danger. I think that's why I didn't like this one as much. It's bad enough when the main character has too stupid to live moments, but then you throw in a gaggle of women who seem to think the whole thing is a game, and I just kind of got annoyed.
My favorite part of the whole book was the end, when Seth's surprise project was finally revealed. That bumped it from two stars to three for me right there.
As always though, I am looking forward to more book retreats!
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley*
rob7487's review against another edition
4.0
Slay in Character is the first book I’ve read by Lynn Cahoon. This book was very good and I really enjoyed it. Since this book is the fourth in the mystery series, Cat Latimer, I’m going to have to go read the first three books because I was somewhat confused of the character’s relationships to each other. Throughout the book, I kept wondering who the killer was. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.