The Time for Murder is Meow (A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mystery, 1)

The Time for Murder is Meow is the debut of A Purr N' Bark Pet Shop Mystery series. When Crishell "Shell" McMillan finds herself a person of interest in the murder of Amelia Witherspoon (think Wicked Witch of the West with white hair), Shell sets out to clear her name with help from her new friends. She believes her experience in playing a spy on Spy Anyone will come in handy. Shell talks to a variety of people around town gathering information and clues. This gives us a chance to meet the secondary characters and learn about Fox Hollow. Shell's co-star, Gary Presser arrives in town and helps in solving the crime. Gary was my favorite character and he outshone Shell. He has a great personality and provides engaging humor. Purrday, Aunt Tillie's cat, is a delight and I like how he communicates with Shell (cats have a way of telling us what they want). I like how Shell talks to Purrday and her cat, Kahlua. Kahlua acted in typical cat fashion when first introduced to Purrday—by hissing. I am glad that the author took the time to introduce the characters and the town (set the stage so to speak). Amelia Witherspoon was a disagreeable woman which leads to multiple suspects and misdirection. The clues were a little too on-the-nose which allows readers to pin down the guilty party early in the story. I enjoyed the movie references and how Shell would compare an individual to a movie character or actor. I liked the descriptions of Aunt Tillie's collection and the Victorian home she left Shell. Detective Josh Bloodgood provides a potential romantic partner for Shell. The Time for Murder is Meow is a lighthearted cozy mystery with movie memorabilia, a wicked victim, bewitching brew, a gregarious co-star, playful Purrday, and one anxious actress.