Reviews

Nine Lives and Alibis: A Cat Cafe Mystery by Cate Conte

sjsreads's review

funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

sueec's review

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

tamsterdam_reads's review

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

My first Cate Conte book did not disappoint! This cozy mystery is the seventh book in the Cat Cafe Mystery series and it kept me hooked the entire way.

The storyline had me pulled in different directions with strategic red herrings, but it was done so well, I wasn’t left feeling dizzy. The writing kept me engrossed with its interesting characters, unique murder plot, cute cats and the relationships between the main characters and her family and friends. It is also the perfect read to get you into the Halloween spirit!

Thanks to Minotaur Books for the gifted copy and arc. Thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

booknallnight's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.0

I need more of JJ and Maddie in my life! Of course I found book 7 in this series and now have to go back and grab the other 6 😂

This is a purrfect read for Spooktober. Let's see:

Small Town✔️
Halloween Setting ✔️
Murder Mystery ✔️
Ghost Stories and Haunted Vibes ✔️
Kitty Cuteness ✔️

All that and some cozy goodness makes for a quick and fun read. I really enjoyed Maddie too. She's a great MC. Definitely grab this one if you're a fan of mysteries.

I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

lauralanelee's review

lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

3.5

amanderz58's review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

librarypictures's review

dark lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

sophiarose1816's review

lighthearted mysterious relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 

I come as a newbie to this series jumping in at the seventh book.  It can be a gamble doing that and I’ll admit that I probably didn’t catch all the nuances as a result.  However, I didn’t get lost as the author gave plenty of backdrop and started with Maddie, her family and the town working on their Halloween festivities.  I loved the small town island setting and my attention was piqued right away when the haunted inn and the forty year old cold murder case that happened there were mentioned in the opening chapter.  Oh yes, a fall festival and historical mysteries at the inn were a delight to my eyes. 

 

This is a cozy so its pace was slow out of the gate when it comes to the murder- this doesn’t happen for several chapters.  I expected this, no longer being a cozy greenhorn, and got comfy for all the early antics with the cast of characters of Maddie’s family and small town dynamics as they sought to out do Salem as a Halloween destination for the tourists.  Maddie owns a cat café with her granddad and has a rescue cat JJ.  She doesn’t spend much time with the café which I was rather curious about as a cat lover, but JJ gets on the page often enough to justify the series theme. 

 

The murder victim, the celebrity guest psychic, was actually a guy I liked and was sad to see him bumped off.  He was well-liked so I think that made it harder to plunk to his killer’s motive for me.  Naturally, Cate Conte provided a good pile of characters who were a tad shifty-eyed even if it wasn’t for murder. 

 

So, a fun autumn mystery read that hit the sweet spot for my seasonal craving.  Cozy mystery fans should pencil this series in for a tryout. 

 

stacksofpaperbacks's review

funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

This was my first experience with this series, and now I can’t wait to go back and catch up on the rest of the Cat Cafe Mysteries! Nine Lives has everything you could want in a Halloween cozy—cold cases, a murder of a psychic, a Halloween festival, pumpkin carving in a funeral home, Shakespeare, and plenty of quirky characters. The main character from the author’s Full Moon series also made an appearance in this installment, which made me want to read that one as well! One of my favorite elements was the newspaper stories scattered throughout the book; and let’s not forget that I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was! Overall, excellent story and I’m excited to read more of the Cat Cafe series!

book_reader_lover's review

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I love cozy mysteries and this one being a holiday one really hit the spot. This is the 7th book in the Cat Cafe Mystery Series.  The town of Daybreak Harbor is putting on their Halloween Festival. They have asked a medium, that grew up in the town, to be the featured guest. When he arrives, Maddie isn't to sure about him. She's a skeptic. Soon she gets thrown into a murder mystery, and with the festival going on, as little time. The case involves a new murder, a murder from 40 years ago, and a missing person from 40 years ago.  There's a lot of suspects and Maddie isn't sure about anything with the case.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you need to read this series. Though the cats aren't as prominent as past books.

Tentative Publishing Date August 22, 2023.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Conte for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

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