The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse: A Cats in Trouble Mystery

by Leann Sweeney

Book Overview

the author of the yellow rose mystery series, leann sweeney, is... "A welcome new voice in mystery fiction." (Jeff Abbott, bestselling author of Collision ...and her brand new series about adorable... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451225740
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: New American Library
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.7" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Missing cats and murder

Sweeney, the author of the Yellow Rose mysteries (see my review of Pick Your Poison (Yellow Rose Mysteries)), here moves to Mercy, SC, to begin a new series. Her sleuth this time is Jillian Hart, a 50-something widow still trying to adjust after her husband's sudden death and make a new life for herself in their "dream home" with the three cats--Chablis, a Himalayan allergic to human dander; Syrah, an Abyssinian; and Merlot, a massive Maine Coon--whom the couple adopted after they were rescued from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Making a living by creating and selling custom mini-quilts for pampered cats to use as beds, Jillian returns home from a weekend craft fair to find Chablis sneezing (which means a stranger has been in the house) and Syrah among the missing. Desperate to recover her missing cat, she finds her way to Flake Wilkerson, who is believed to "collect" cats, some of which may be other people's. When Flake turns up stabbed to death in his kitchen, and the owner of the local private animal shelter is accused of the crime, Jillian, blaming herself for his involvement, sets out to find out the real murderer, assisted by her new friend, Deputy Candace Carson, and the attractive security expert and part-time PI Tom Stewart. Like most cozies, this one features a well-drawn small-town setting with a cast of very individual characters, including Belle, the owner of Belle's Beans (a sort of country version of Starbuck's), Tom's slightly eccentric mother and her long-time gentleman friend, and the flamboyant assistant coroner who thinks Tom is her property (he disagrees). Sweeney herself has three cats, who may have served as the models for Jillian's crew (and, yes, Syrah returns home safely); she inserts several tidbits of felinology into the stream of the story. And the ending is particularly charming. Definitely a promising debut and one that spurred me to try her other work as well.

A Mystery for cat lovers!

Jillian Hart's cat is allergic to people. When she returns home from a quilt show, the sneezing of her cat Chablis raises a red flag. Jillian uses a special shampoo and takes precautions so Chablis has no reactions to her. The sneezing can mean only one thing. Someone has been in her home while she was away. A further examination of the premises reveals that her Abyssinian cat Syrah is nowhere to be found. Convinced that Syrah has been kidnapped, Jillian Hart starts her own investigation, an investigation which leads her to stories of more missing cats and a murder. Jillian Hart is a wonderful amateur sleuth! Intelligent, caring and endowed with a spunky, smart humor, Jillian brings a nice flavor to this mystery. Her character adds just a dash of contrast to the small town South Carolina setting with its cast of delightful characters. Her world centers around cats, not only her beautiful rescue cats but she imparts her knowledge and love of cats in everything she does. She makes little cat quilts (what a wonderful idea --- my cat immediately goes to the comfort of a bedspread whenever he has the chance!) as a business and for the local shelter. When her cat quilts show up at the murder scene, the clues become even more mysterious and the stakes more personal. As she narrows down the possible suspects, Jillian suspects more cats are in trouble and she might just need to save herself as well! THE CAT, THE QUILT AND THE CORPSE is a mystery for cat lovers! At every step of the way from the sleuth to the case itself, cats are center stage in this mystery. Fascinating cat lore, humor and knowledge fill the pages. So often cats seem to play only an ancillary role in mysteries but in this first book of the Cats in Trouble Mysteries, readers can count on Leann Sweeney to give what cat lovers crave --- cats, cats and more cats! THE CAT, THE QUILT AND THE CORPSE will appeal to all sorts of cat lovers from those who adopt rescue cats from shelters to those fascinated by beautiful purebreds. Jillian Hart has a heart of gold that extends to every cat. Lest a cat lover fear the theme of cats in trouble, rest assured that Jillian Hart is indeed a sleuth determined to bring comfort to cats (and their beloved owners) as well as solve the murder mystery before her. The mystery of the missing cats has several delightful twists that keep the reader guessing even as the clues narrow down the motive of the case. If you are a mystery lover with a feline soft spot, THE CAT, THE QUILT AND THE CORPSE is a must-read. This reader anxiously awaits the next case! COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

This new "Cats in Trouble Mystery" proved to be a fantastic first in the series!

Mercy, South Carolina was one of those towns where everything is only a five minute drive away and gossip flits around faster than a speeding bullet. Jillian Hart figured out both of these not so subtle facts soon after moving to the town. Anyone crossing her path gave her the "I'm so very sorry for your loss" line within minutes of meeting her. "Heard tell" could have easily been the town motto. It wasn't easy being a widow, but with the company of her three cats, Syrah, Merlot and Chablis, life seemed to be a little easier at times, but not much. Even with her babies and quilting business, tears still bubbled to the surface. Things would soon be flip flopping big time and Jillian feel like she was living in Mayberry rather than Mercy after someone broke in and stole Syrah, her Abyssinian, while she was away on a business trip. Barbara Lynne, the 911 dispatcher, was a crooning darling until she found out those `babies' were dumb old cats. Did anyone mention ice cubes? Deputies Morris Ebeling and Candace Carson (don't you ever, never call her Candy) were quickly dispatched to the scene of the crime. Morris couldn't have cared less, but Candace was getting ready to have one of her "evidence obsession seizures" right there in Jillian's living room. She'd try to collect everything from cat hair to dandruff if you let her. The nuttiness (and we're not talking pecans here) was only just beginning. There were any number of potential suspects, but if anyone had a weirdo complex in Mercy, Flake Wilkerson would top the list. The rest of the lineup could probably be easily squeezed out of lips of the Piggly Wiggly gossip crowd. Jillian just knew that man had stolen Syrah and went over to his pink house to see for herself. What she saw was a bit more than she bargained for. Flake was deader than a bag of nails and that butcher knife sticking in his belly was none too pretty. Syrah was there, but several of her quilts were too. Mercy, Maude, what the heck was going on? I just loved the twists and turns of this wonderful mystery and found Leann Sweeny's sense of humor quite refreshing. This is the first book in the "Cats in Trouble Mystery" and this is a series that will explode on the scene with fans scrambling to buy the next in the series. Say, do I see Lydia Monk, "Miss Upstate Winnebago," Mercy's deputy coroner, heading to Flake's pink house? Later. I have to run and see what she says about this fantastic whodunit!

the cat, the quilt, & the corpse

"The Cat, the Quilt, & the Corpse," is the first book in Leann Sweeney's new Cats in Trouble Mysteries. I love cats, so I knew I had to read this book. The main character, Jillian Hart, is a cat lover and instantly likable. She has 3 cats, & , when one goes missing, she becomes involved in a mystery in her small, adopted town of Mercy, SC. The supporting cast of characters is great, & this cozy has a great, small town feel. They mystery itself kept me interested, & I hope to see many more books in this series.