Can you fight like cats and dogs, and still be perfect for each other?
Things are getting ruff in this Brooklyn neighborhood when new veterinarian Caleb Fitch moves in next door to the Whitman Street Cat Cafe and gets on the wrong side of cafe owner Lauren Harlow. Lauren has a few things to teach the new vet on the block, and rescuing kittens is only the start...
Lauren can't ignore the fact that she is instantly attracted to Caleb, but he gets her even more riled up when he argues with her about how best to treat the cats in her care. Determined to smooth things over, Caleb comes to the rescue when a new litter of abandoned kittens is left on Lauren's doorstep, and they confront the fiery attraction that's been building between them from the start. But saving the baby kittens is only the first challenge Lauren and Caleb have to face, and when a real estate developer comes sniffing around their block, they'll have to work together, or risk losing everything...
My Review:
Like Cats and Dogs is the first book in the Whitman Street Cat Cafe. Local cafe manager Lauren Harlow and the new vet next door, Caleb Finch butt heads from the start. This book is most certainly a enemies-to-lovers trope. Some of the encounters at the beginning of the book actually seem more like hate-to-love. This book is also a super-slow burn romance so be prepared for that. Prior relationships for both characters have been rough. Neither are ready for anything in the romance department, or so they thing.
Lauren and Caleb are interesting characters. Lauren is a cat lover. Caleb is a dog lover. They don't see eye-to-eye over pet care, which causes the friction. When sparks fly though, they are scorching. Both characters spend a lot of time with their inner monologues who eventually tell them "best not to think about it," which detracted from the dialogue. Lauren and Caleb's banter brings things back around though.
This is fun story with great characters. The author wrote a spectacular story with several tropes: enemies-to-lovers, contemporary romance, and romcom all mixed together. I enjoyed Like Cats and Dogs so much that, while I was provided a copy of this book, I also bought a copy.
My Rating:
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On a frosty Sunday morning in February, Dr. Jonathan Gray, Coroner of Orleans Parish, faces a gruesome sight. A dead man splayed against the circular steel and cut-glass blocks of the city’s AIDS memorial in Washington Square Park has strange symbols carved into his forehead and chest. A coded note—a cipher—has been placed under one hand. The body mutilation and note are hallmarks of a serial killer dubbed by the news media as the “Mardi Gras Sweeper,” because he strikes during Carnival season and leaves coded manifestos taunting police and giving hints about his next victim.
Hoping to avoid a panic during the city’s most profitable season, Mayor Max Jamerson asks Gray to investigate the murder “on the sly,” without formal assistance from the New Orleans Police Department. Time is of the essence as Gray races to figure out the cipher and track down the Sweeper in order to prevent additional killings—and save Mardi Gras.
Praise for Shadows of Frenchmen:
"A chilling, razor-sharp mystery set against the explosive energy of Mardi Gras. This cat-and-mouse hunt fuses cryptic clues, relentless suspense and rising terror into a tale that gives us a horrifyingly intimate glimpse into a killer’s mind. Dr. Jonathan Gray is a hero you won’t forget—and the Mardi Gras Sweeper is a nightmare you won’t escape." ~ Kathleen Antrim, Bestselling Author, President-Outliers Writing University
"Michael Rigg does it again, with another thrilling mystery that you won’t be able to put down featuring New Orleans Coroner Jonathan Gray. Shadows of Frenchmen takes readers into the darkest corners of New Orleans’ lush settings and spooky cemeteries as Gray and his colleagues hunt for a possible serial killer, all against the backdrop of raucous Mardi Gras celebrations. Rigg’s love for this extraordinary city shines through on every page, even as danger lurks among the Spanish moss and above-ground tombs." ~ Ellen Byron, USA Today Bestselling & Agatha Award Winning Author
"As a coroner, Dr. Jonathan Gray is the new Kay Scarpetta. In Shadows of Frenchmen, author Michael Rigg skillfully uses beads, beignets, bullets, bombs, and bodies to make New Orleans vivid and alive." ~ John DeDakis, Former CNN editor, writing coach, and author of the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series, at johndedakis.com.
"Great action from the get-go! Atmosphere, characters, and all the right ingredients. A great read by Michael Rigg!" ~ Heather Graham, New York Times Bestselling Author
"Featuring smart and complex characters, Shadows of Frenchmen pulses with energy, taking the reader on a breathless chase for a serial killer terrorizing the city in the days leading up to a city-wide Mardi Gras celebration. Fans of the intrepid New Orleans coroner Dr. Jonathan Gray will not be disappointed!" ~ K.L. Murphy, Author of the Detective Callie Forde Mysteries, The Great Forgotten, and the award-nominated Her Sister's Death
Alpha and Omega Sunday, February 1, 2015 – 1:47 a.m.
Twenty-plus years with the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office taught Jonathan Gray to expect the unexpected. But Washington Square Park had always been a tranquil haven on the fringe of the French Quarter. So crime-scene tape draping the square’s wrought-iron fence presented the visual equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. Moonlight filtering through stately live oaks cast eerie—almost funereal—shadows, adding to the dissonance.
Fluttering in the nippy midwinter breeze, the neon-yellow ribbon communicated
a mute warning. On this side, normalcy. On the other, insanity. Stepping into the dysfunction never got easier. Regardless, turning back wasn’t an option. As if speaking the incantation aloud would immunize him against the unfolding drama, he repeated his trite pre-crime scene mantra: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” His breath lingered in the frosty air before evaporating.
After checking in with the uniformed officer monitoring access, Jonathan angled toward floodlights illuminating a temporary canopy above the city’s AIDS memorial. More tape—red as opposed to yellow—identified the innermost “Do Not Cross” perimeter. Crime scene technicians in white Tyvek protective suits busied themselves measuring and photographing what must be the reason he’d been summoned. A male corpse sitting upright on the ground—its arms and legs twisted at seemingly impossible angles—leaned against the memorial’s circular cut-glass and steel panels surrounded by a pool of thick, dark-crimson liquid.
A curved, nearly rectangular piece of wood with brass edges—most likely a knife handle—protruded from under the right side of the dead man’s rib cage. A portion of his intestines spilled out of the wound. A second knife—its handle and part of its blade visible—had been thrust downward into the soft tissue between the left collarbone and neck.
Cause of death seemed too obvious to require someone of Jonathan’s seniority. A first-year med student could have made the call. But markings carved into the dead man’s forehead and chest hinted at something more sinister. No wonder Mitch Broussard from NOPD had called him in the middle of the night. The man’s heavy flannel shirt lay open, exposing his chest and a series of
capital letters etched into his skin. The letters—G I D I A I D I V—made no sense, at least not in English. A folded piece of paper with similar letters and other symbols, not quite readable from that distance, lay under the man’s left hand. Lack of blood covering the letters in the chest signaled they had been added postmortem. Jonathan focused on two marks in the man’s forehead. An uppercase “A” and what looked like an upside-down horseshoe—the Greek letter Omega—apparently cut while the victim was still alive.
It couldn’t have been two years already. But there it was. Alpha and Omega. Jonathan bit his lip and cursed under his breath. Then, a silent prayer. Looked like the nightmare was about to begin—again.
One of the CSTs stood and raised her clear face shield. “Hey, Doc. Welcome to Funsville.”
Excerpt from SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN by Michael Rigg. Copyright 2026 by Michael Rigg. Reproduced with permission from Michael Rigg. All rights reserved.
Meet the Author:
Agatha and Anthony-nominated author Michael Rigg, a lawyer for more than four decades, writes mysteries and thrillers set in two very different locations: Virginia Beach (where he lives) and New Orleans (which he visits as often as possible “for research,” including participation in three Mardi Gras Krewes). He is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and a retired civilian government attorney, formerly working for the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and both the Sisters in Crime national organization and its Southeastern Virginia Chapter—Mystery by the Sea.
The Amanda Cadabra British Urban Fantasy Mysteries
by Holly Bell
About Amanda Cadabra and The Twilight Toxin:
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Setting - Cornwall, and an English village
Publisher : Independently published
Publication date : April 29, 2026
Print length : 422 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 : 979-8252946870
ASIN : B0GZ3HJ99Z
Digital
ASIN : B0GY11CBMZ
Someone is Watching
A body is discoveredin a troubling location, just as the killer had intended, the crime scene drawing covert witch Amanda and her irascible feline familiar back to the Cornish land of her birth. Inevitably, Detective Inspector Thomas Trelawney is drawn in to help her unravel this perplexing crime.
At the heart of this heinous murder lies an unknown weapon, a device possessing an extraordinary and lethal power. Worse still, the killer remains, somewhere close by ... waiting. Who can it be? Can a daring venture into the past, to reclaim a distant memory from the curious Lucy Penlowr, bring Amanda and the inspector any closer to the truth?
Trelawney, determined to solve the case by normal methods, finds every turn a blind alley until a perilous path leads to two fateful hours at a secret gathering. Now, Amanda's mounting temptation to embrace a dark revenge, and the ultimate test of her burgeoning magical skills, risk everything in a race for survival
Can Amanda and Trelawney unmask the killer and discover the true meaning of The Twilight Toxin?
A British urban fantasy with a side of cosy mystery, a dash of adventure, and a healthy helping of humour, The Twilight Toxin is the ninth standalone whodunnit in the Amanda Cadabra series.
About Holly Bell:
Humorous and quintessentially English with excitement and magic.
Cat adorer and chocolate lover, British author Holly Bell’s life changed in a day. A best-selling author friend convinced Holly that she could write cozy mysteries, after many years' experience with non-fiction, photography and video making.
Holly devoured all of the Agatha Christie books long before she knew that Miss Marple was the godmother of the Cozy Mystery. Her love of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings meant that her first literary creation in this area would have to be a cosy paranormal. Over the series the books have grown to straddle urban fantasy mystery too.
Having derived immense delight from the adventure of writing Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole and its 8 sequels, and a prequel to date, Holly has more in the pipeline.
Her favourite feline is a black cat called Bobby. He is black. Like her favourite hat. Purely coincidental.
Holly loves to hear from readers. She always responds in person.
The Amanda Cadabra Cozy Paranormal Mysteries (in order):Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole TruthAmanda Cadabra and The Cellar of SecretsAmanda Cadabra and The Flawless PlanAmanda Cadabra and The Rise of Sunken MadleyAmanda Cadabra and The Hidden DepthsAmanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy PenlowrAmanda Cadabra and The Hanging TreeAmanda Cadabra and The NightstairsAmanda Cadabra and The Twilight Toxin
Voted Most Likely to Murder: A Novelby Lacey Moone
About Voted Most Likely to Murder:
Voted Most Likely to Murder: A Novel
Cozy Mystery
Setting - Nova Scotia, Canada
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books
Publication date : May 12, 2026
Print length : 304 pages
HardcoverISBN-13 : 979-8892425674
ASIN : B0FM6T8D6X
PaperbackISBN-13 : 979-8892425681
ASIN : B0FM6JKTPR
DigitalISBN-13 : 979-8892425698
ASIN : B0FM6SR4BQ
AudiobookASIN B0GSX6Y6JV
A high school reunion comes to an abrupt end when the dead body of the class jock shocks the school’s gymnasium in this cozy mystery debut, perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Eva Gates.
Belinda Bishop is unemployed and single. At thirty-two, her journalism career feels stuck, and let’s not even speak about her love life, which isn’t helping her look forward to her upcoming high school reunion. Stuck working at her parents' seaside cottage and RV park in Nova Scotia for the time being, she needs time to regroup and come up with a killer story to get her career and her life back on track.
When she literally stumbles across the dead body of the philandering class jock at the reunion, the party quickly comes to a stop. At first, it seems like the perfect opportunity for Belinda to channel her inner Christianne Amanpour, until her childhood-best-friend-turned-nemesis, Jolene Dexter, is declared the prime suspect. Despite their falling out, Belinda is convinced the former pageant queen is innocent.
About Lacey Moone:
Lacey Moone was born and raised on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. As a former military spouse, she has lived from one end of the country to the other, even as far north as the Northwest Territories. She currently resides in Alberta. She loves to write mysteries starring tenacious women who are as clever as they are sarcastic, with a focus on strong female friendships.
When a catastrophe threatens Ellie's business there's a puzzling mystery to solve, and Gertie steps in to follow the clues. Love and romance are the very last things on Gertie's mind right now. But while she's risking her safety helping to hunt down the culprits, could she also be in danger of losing her heart?
My Review:
A Cornish Escape is the 46th story in the Little Duck Pond Cafe series. Each story in this series is fresh, interesting, and entertaining. The reader will be engaged from the start.
When a burglary at the Little Duck Pond Cafe causes Ellie's livelihood to come to a screeching halt, her employee Gertie has a plan. Jonah is a private investigator and he may be able to help fill in the gaps in the official investigation. As Gertie plays sidekick to Johan's PI, romance may be in the air.
A Cornish Escape is a continuation of Gertie and Jonah's story from book 45. I loved coming back to this world, visiting with old characters, and meeting new ones. A Cornish Escape isn't just a contemporary romance, featuring shady journalism, burglary, and danger. The realism of Rosie's stories will evoke emotional responses.
The author crafted a wonderful world and continues to build it and grow the characters. I enjoyed the writing style, pacing, and vivid imagery. The characters are written with depth, emotion, and realism.
I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not
affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have
expressed are my own.
Rosie Green is the author of the popular Little Duck Pond Café series, set in the fictional village of Sunnybrook. Watch out for lots more café drama and romance in 2026, including ‘The Secrets of Midsummer Cottage’, which will be published in July.
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