Purr M for Murder by T.C. LoTempio is the first book in the NEW “Cat Rescue” mystery series. Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, March 14, 2017

Sydney McCall left behind an ex-fiancé and a New York advertising job to return home to Deer Park, North Carolina and help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Determined to save the shelter from financial trouble, Sydney and Kat organize a cat café fundraising event at a local coffee shop. Things are looking up until their landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, threatens to shut down the event. When Sydney drops by his art gallery to make peace, she finds Kat–along with Littleton’s dead body.

Local homicide detective Will Worthington–who just happens to be Sydney’s old high school crush–is highly suspicious of the sisters’ involvement. Desperate to clear their names from the suspect list, Sydney pounces on the investigation. With the help of one of the shelter cats, a savvy orange tabby named Toby, Sydney begins poking her nose into other local businesses whose owners may have benefited from Littleton’s death–until the killer notices she’s pawing a little too closely at the truth.

Delightfully clever and charming, Purr M for Murder, the first in a new series from nationally bestselling author T. C. LoTempio, will leave readers clawing for more.

Sydney with help from an unlikely source begins an investigation to clear her sister’s name when she becomes the prime suspect. I love books that completely have me engrossed in all aspects from the introduction of the characters to the murder to the interactions with secondary players to the list of suspects with much stronger motives to clues sprinkled throughout and the possibility of a blossoming relationship all enhanced the telling of this intriguing tale. The narrative kept me glued to the pages as it visually placed me alongside Sydney as she traversed the littered path in a finale worthy of this satisfying multi-plot story. With an adorable and likable cast of characters that also included Toby, engaging dialogue and the purrfect backdrop of Deer Park, North Carolina, this fast-paced whodunit was charmingly delightful. This is an excellent read and a great addition to the cozy mystery genre.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.