A Purr Before DyingNo one’s who they seem in the thrilling new Nick and Nora Mystery, and someone’s playing the part of a clever killer . . .
When a nighttime soap opera comes to town to film an episode, no one’s more excited than Nora Charles, who’s landed the contract for catering the shoot. But if she thought the show’s plotlines were full of drama and intrigue, that’s nothing compared to what she witnesses among the cast and crew. With half of them sneaking off for secret liaisons one minute and at each other’s throats the next, it’s all a titillating behind-the-scenes look for Nora—until she stumbles across the body of the show’s slain director.
It’s not long before the local authorities finger the brother of Nora’s good friend for the evil deed, and it’s up to Nora and her sidekick Nick to get him off the hook. As she begins to sort out the cast’s romantic entanglements and professional rivalries looking for a motive, she also discovers that the victim was involved in the mysterious death of the show’s previous director. And then another member of the crew is found murdered, and Nora knows she’ll have to act fast to figure out who’s playing the part of the killer, before she’s cast in the role of the next victim . . .
Includes scrumptious recipes!
Praise for the Nick and Nora Mysteries:
“The story has the unique twist of a cat who communicates through Scrabble tiles, which I found to be a very fun element of the book. I really looked forward to what the cat had to say! 5 STARS” —Nellie’s Book Nook
“If you love cozy mystery books with PIs, FBIs, sisters, friends, love interests . . . you get the picture! I think all cozy mystery lovers will be delighted with this entertaining series.” —Christy’s Cozy Corners
“I enjoyed the mystery, which was impossible to figure out before our smart and tough protagonist nailed it. A nice solid four stars.” —Here’s How It Happened
“The author’s suspenseful and startling reveal had me on the edge of my seat as I turned pages faster and faster and with the final conclusion.” —Cinnamon and Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder
“Murder Faux Paws is a captivating cozy with a fascinating cat and a diverse cast surrounding him. I am excited for this series to continue and I will keep coming back for more.” —Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book |
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Dollycas's Thoughts
Nick and Nora are back again. Will they be able to use his Scrabble tiles to spell out a killer this time?The cast and crew of the nighttime soap opera All the Days of Tomorrow have come to Cruz, California for two weeks to film an episode, and Nora's sandwich shop Hot Bread has been awarded the catering contract. She soon finds out the soap opera playing out in real life was more interesting than the one being filmed. That was made clear when she trips over the dead body of the show's director and she learns the previous director died not long ago in a freak "accident".
While the police question everyone involved with the show they put Nora's friend Chantel's brother Remi at the top of their suspect list. Remi has nothing to do with the soap and has remained frustratingly silent about the whole thing. So Nora decides she and Nick will have to again get involved and try to find the real killer. Good thing she had all that training and now has her P.I. license. But she barely gets her investigation started when another crew member is killed. She realizes she needs to work fast or she could be written out of the production permanently.
Will Nora catch a killer? Will Nick get his closeup? Will the soap survive? Will Nick and Nora survive?
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I love old movies and I can remember first watching The Thin Man with my mom on our old black and white t.v. many, many years ago and several other times with the movies being available on DVD, Streaming, and I think my mom even had it on VHS. We also enjoyed the many sequels that followed. So the characters of Nick and Nora Charles and their dog Asta are near and dear to my heart. That is why I love the way T.C. LoTempio has made these characters her own even turning the character of Nick into a clever cat with a flair for detective work and a unique talent. Although Nick's former human was also named Nick and he hasn't seen or heard from for quite a while. That adds just a little more mystery to this series. Every book in this series makes me love these characters more. They are well-developed and fun and surrounded by a great supporting cast.
The mystery has an overabundance of suspects including the whole cast and crew of the soap, Chantel's brother Remi, and who knows who else could have wandered into Sweeney Park. Nora and Nick had their work cut out for them. The author plotted out everything so well. I kept changing my mind about who committed the crimes until a certain character drew my attention. Then I discarded them too thinking I just couldn't be right. I was shocked as I kept reading only to see I had been on the right track after all. The reveal was excellent, Nora got into some scary but good trouble, and Nick, oh Nick. What a fabulous feline he is!
A Purr Before Dying was so entertaining. I hope this series continues for a long time as these characters are some of my favorites.
Just a note, this book can be read all on its own but I encourage you to read the whole series for maximum enjoyment.
Now I just need to decide which Thin Man movie to watch this weekend.
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| Title | A Purr Before Dying |
| Author | T. C. LoTempio |
| Publisher | Beyond The Page, 2023 |
| ISBN | 1960511017, 9781960511010 |
| Length | 238 pages |
| Subjects | › › › Fiction / Humorous / General Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Animals Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Culinary Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |