Title:  Kittens Can Kill
Series:  Pru Marlowe Pet Noir
Author:  Clea Simon
Genre:  Mystery
Published:  March 3, 2015
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

The dead don’t keep pets. So when animal behaviorist expert Pru Marlowe gets a call about a kitten, she doesn’t expect to find the cuddly creature playing beside the cooling body of prominent Beauville lawyer David Canaday. Heart attack? His three adult daughters angrily blame drug interactions, feline allergies—and each other. And begin to feud over their father, his considerable estate, and that cute ball of fluff.

While the cause of death is pending, each sister has an axe to grind –with arguments that escalate when David’s partner reads out the will. Pru’s special sensory talents and sensitivity to animals that caused her to flee the cacophony of Manhattan for the quiet Berkshires add further problems. The local vet is overwhelmed with money running out. There’s that needy Sheltie and some invasive squirrels? But the dead man’s kitten, his former partner, and his troublesome family keep drawing “wild-girl” animal psychic Pru back in.

Despite the wry observations of her trusty tabby Wallis, now the wrongfully accused kitten’s guardian, and the grudging compliance of her cop lover, this may be one time when Pru can’t solve the mystery or save the kitten she wants to believe is innocent. A single witness knows the truth about that bright spring morning. How far can Pru investigate without risking her own hidden tale?

Read on for my thoughts on Kittens Can Kill.  No true spoilers, promise

Pru hadn’t expected to walk in and find a dead man.  No, she was here simply to get a brand new kitten settled in his new home.  Finding the kitten next to the body, the very dead body of David Canaday playing with a button was not in the game plan for the day.

And so begins the newest addition to the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir series by Clea Simon.  As with any mystery, I need to be very careful as to how much I reveal about the story.  I believe you have the basic set up in the cover/story blurb.

I bounced around among the various suspects in this mystery.  For about 15 minutes one person would be my solid pick, then a few chapters later.. no, it just has to be this person – until finally I just threw up my reading hands and settled in to let the story tell me who did it.  And I really didn’t see it until the end – oh sure looking back I can see tons of clues scattered about – but isn’t that the level of a good mystery?  The job of an excellent mystery is to keep me guessing until the last page, and Kittens Can Kill did a very good job at that.

Since this is the first Pru Marlowe novel I’ve read, (it certainly won’t be the last) I was fascinated with Pru’s abilities.  I so often wish I knew what my pets really wanted instead of trying to guess.  Pru has no magical abilities really, just for some reason she can hear animal’s thoughts.  Considering how many animals there are in this world – that could be deafening.

I simply adored Wallis.  Since one of my cats is almost 18 years old, and with a kitten in the house (now a terrible 2 year old) – I can so imagine my Charlie looking at me with the same distain that Wallis looked at Pru.  Humans – do they understand nothing!  🙂  Maybe we should pay more attention to what our pets are trying to tell us.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Kittens Can Kill.  The story moved along at a steady pace, the suspects acted a little more guilty as time went on and when the guilty party is finally revealed – it all makes perfect sense.  What I really respected is that the one “who did it” really is in the story the entire time – I cannot stand when an author tosses in someone totally never in the book, out of the blue as the killer.  To me that is such an insult.  Nope, we just have to figure out who it is.

I would recommend Clea Simon’s Kittens Can Kill to anyone who remotely enjoys a mystery.  From diehard mystery fans to those just dabbling their toes in the genre.  It’s a very good story and a satisfying mystery.  I’d give it a 4 outta 5 on my rating scale.  Go check it out for yourself.

*I received an e-ARC of Kittens Can Kill from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*