Cat Lady Mystery Books In Order

Publication Order of Cat Lady Mysteries Books

Author Linda Reilly writes the “Cat Lady Mystery” series, which began publication in the year 2017, when the novel “Escape Claws” was released. The series is from the genre of cozy mystery.

The series stars Lara Caphart, who is coming back to her hometown, and solves murders when she is not helping her aunt take care of her cats. Her aunt has problems with her knees and has been having a tough time caring both for herself and all the cats.

“Escape Claws” is the first novel in the “Cat Lady Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2017. Lara Caphart comes back to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire for the first time in sixteen years. She wants to reconnect with her alienated Aunt Fran, who is currently having some difficulty taking care of herself, as well as her eleven cats. Taking care of a bunch of cats is simple, but keeping Fran from being bothered by Theo Barnes, the local bully is tough. The wealthy builder has got his eyes on Fran’s property, and is bound and determined to make her an offer she can’t dare refuse.

Lara sees a Ragdoll cat with blue-eyes that she would swear is the reincarnation of Blue, her beloved childhood pet. She goes after the cat to the edge of Fran’s yard. It is here that she sees the body of Theo Barnes’ body, who is clearly the victim of foul play. To remove both herself and Fran from the list of suspects, Lara finds that she is following the clues from the cat to hunt down the killer. Could Blue’s ghost actually be trying to help her solve the murder, or has Lara been inhaling far too much catnip?

Whisper Jog is a place that makes you want to settle in and stay for a spell. Fran and Lara are great characters, who have genuinely good souls and a strong love for animals, helping any that need it. The mystery puzzles the reader, leaving you guessing at who the killer is the entire way through.

“Claws of Death” is the second novel in the “Cat Lady Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2018. Whisker Jog is a long ways away from Hollywood, but it is the very place that legendary actress Deanna Daltry would like to call home. She takes up a residence in a mansion made of stone off of Cemetery Hill, the retired but still glamorous septuagenarian has adopted two cats from Lara’s High Cliff Shelter for Cats. With help from Fran, Lara makes sure the cats settle in and are safe with their new celebrity mother.

Not everybody is a fan of the fading starlet. Deanna was in the town of Whisker Jog when she was a younger lady, getting a reputation for sneaking around, and there is someone using this knowledge against her. After she is frightened by some rather nasty pranks, Deanna finds that she is the main suspect when a local teacher’s body is found on her own property. It is up to Lara, Ragdoll, and Aunt Fran to catch a killer before there is another victim pounced upon.

It is a ton of fun going back to Whisper Jog, and spending time with Lara and Fran as well as the rest of the residents of the tiny town. Linda Reilly creates characters who you could easily see yourself becoming friends with and spending a bunch of time with them. The book captures your attention on the first page and keeps your imagination fed until the end.

“Claws for Celebration” is the third novel in the “Cat Lady Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2018. Whisker Jog celebrates everything Christmas, and there aren’t many things more beloved than the town’s yearly holiday cookie competition. Lara, who helps Fran run High Cliff Shelter for Cats, is waiting to get the go ahead for a new category: pet-friendly cookies. The woman that was filling in as a last-minute replacement judge dies after she samples somebody’s Santa-themed cookie. Lara’s recipe for healthy snacks for cats is going to need to be put on hold.

The victim, named Gladys Plouffe, was the roundly despised former home economics teacher in the town. The lead suspect is the mom of Lara’s best friend, who was determined to get the grand prize for the bake off. Cryptic clues from the grave only serve to deepen the mystery, pointing to a kitty cat with striking blue eyes, one that looks like Lara’s cat Ragdoll. Lara starts up a dangerous cat and mouse game, not even her significant other will be able to stop a perfectly clawful murderer from getting away with this purr-fect crime.

This is a fast paced and fun series that makes readers eager to read more in the series. Linda Reilly does a stellar job of writing engaging mysteries, and filling her fictional town with some likable characters, both feline and human. The mystery this time has some cleverly made clues and red herrings mixed into the plot here. Fran and Lara just have a great relationship with each other.

“Claws of Action” is the fourth novel in the “Cat Lady Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2019. The one thing that could make High Cliff Shelter for Cats cozier is to add a reading room where kids can snuggle up with a kitty and a book. Lara and Fran get ready for the reading nook’s official opening, but Evonda Fray, the town health inspector says that it has to be shut down. This is due to the fact that the shelter qualifies as a “cat cafe”.

Evonda’s body is found inside her car gripping a copy of the injunction, suspicion immediately falls on Fran and Lara. There is an entire litter of potential killers, including one disgruntled daughter-in-law, one of the tenants in a building of Evonda who was ordered to give up the cat he rescued, and more. Lara, with some help from Fran and Blue, her spirit cat must pin the tail on the correct suspect.