Shock and Paw (Cat Cafe Mystery: Book 8) by Cate Conte

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: August 20th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

Series: Cat Cafe Mystery

Cat About Town—Book 1

Purrder She Wrote—Book 2

Tell Tail Heart—Book 3

A Whisker of a Doubt—Book 4

Claws for Alarm—Book 5

Gone But Not Furgotten—Book 6

Nine Lives and Alibis—Book 7

Shock and Paw—Book 8

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The eighth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast and featuring the cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ.Beware the cats of Christmas past…It’s the holiday season on Daybreak Island, and Maddie James is looking forward to stepping out of the limelight, watching the island’s Christmas decoration competition from afar, spending time with her boyfriend and family, running tours for visitors as part of the festivities and spreading holiday cheer through cute cats in jingle bell collars.But trouble hits close to home when word gets out that Donna Carey, the publisher of the island’s only daily newspaper where Maddie’s best friend Becky is editor, may be selling the business. Becky is a diehard journalist and to her, selling the only newspaper on the island is a fate worse than death. She publicly opposes the potential sale, wreaking havoc on her relationship with her big boss.Maddie is sympathetic, but she has her own problems – like getting pulled into a role on the Christmas event committee despite her best efforts to stay far removed, and solving the case of a mysterious cat breeder trying to sell expensive designer cats as holiday gifts on the island. But then Donna winds up dead—electrocuted by her own Christmas decorations—and it appears to be more than an accident. To make matters worse, Becky becomes suspect number one. Maddie is thrown into another murder investigation in order to save her best friend from a Christmas behind bars.

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First Line:

“I swear to God if I find the person who’s putting these flyers up, I’ll murder them.”

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Important details about Shock and Paw

Pace: Fast

POV: 1st person (Maddie)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Shock and Paw contain themes that include cheating, alcohol consumption, dead bodies, hospitalization, medical treatment, physical injuries, grief, loss depiction, strangulation, electrocution, murder, attempted murder, organized crime, physical assault, animal cruelty, animal abuse, and animal injury. Please read carefully if you are triggered by any of these.

Language: Shock and Paw contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Shock and Paw.

Setting: Shock and Paw is set on Daybreak Island, Massachusetts.

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My Review

Shock and Paw initially caught my attention because of the title. It was a charming play on Shock and Awe. When I read the blurb, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this series was centered around a cat cafe. So, I decided to read it. And I am glad that I did. This was a mystery that kept me on my toes.

Shock and Paw is the eighth book in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone, but to avoid the confusion I encountered while reading, I recommend reading the first seven books before picking this one up.

The main storyline of Shock and Paw revolves around Maddie, the Christmas competition, the murder of the town paper’s owner, and fliers that promise designer cat breeds by a backyard breeder. It is up to Maddie to control the Christmas competition, solve who killed the paper owner, and determine who is responsible for breeding designer cats.

Shock and Paw did rub me the wrong way at the beginning of the book. I was slightly turned off by how preachy the author was about not breeding and adopting only. Listen, I rescue cats myself and fall into the adopt when you can category. I have seen the effect that cat overpopulation has. I have also seen what happens when irresponsible owners don’t spay/neuter their pets. But I agree with responsible breeding (aka breeding to breed standard with breeders who are checked often). So, to repeat myself, I was turned off by the dialogue between Maddie and her friends in the first chapter. Thankfully, I don’t judge a book based on what I initially read.

The storyline with Maddie and the Christmas competition was amusing. I felt for Maddie being pulled into it against her will. I also felt for her mother having to deal with someone who was not only new to the island but also new to the committee. Thankfully, Maddie was able to help smooth things over for the competition.

The storyline with the flyers advertising the breeding of designer cats was interesting. I won’t go into my feelings (see above), but I liked seeing Maddie’s commitment to discovering who was breeding and hoping to educate them. I will say that I was shocked at who it was and how it was tied into the murder.

The storyline of the newspaper owner’s murder was interesting. I did kind of figure out who the murderer was, but the motive wasn’t clear. Maddie’s best friend’s red herring was just that—a red herring—but it did add some extra context to the storyline.

The end of Shock and Paw was exciting. I liked how Maddie tied everything together, and I was truly surprised at not only who the murderer was but also how it was tied to the flyers. I also liked that the author ended the book on a positive note.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Cate Conte for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Shock and Paw. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

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