Felines and Felonies (Chatty Cat Mystery 3), by Elle Wren Burke

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Set in March, in this third installment of Elle Wren Burke's spinoff series, Brighton has been tasked with catching mice in a local bookstore. It's the purrfect job for the snarky, but loveable cat. One morning, however, Brighton discovers a dead body in the mystery aisle of the bookstore. When the store's owner is accused of murder and Brighton is her only alibi, he sets out to clear her name. As if this isn't enough, Brighton's catnapper returns. Can Brighton clear the bookstore's owner's name before his catnapper gets to him? You will have to read to find out how this story unfolds!

I enjoyed this new adventure with Brighton and his humans. Brighton's stalker going after him while our feline sleuth tries to solve this mystery added depth to the story. It also goes to show how much Brighton loves his people and would do anything to help them. And while he's a sleuth, he's also a regular feline who partakes in normal everyday cat activities, such as sleeping in the sun and following the rays as they move throughout the day.

It was wonderful to see Alara in this installment. She is a main character in the series from which the Chatty Cat Mysteries is a spinoff, the Prickly Pear Mysteries. I just recently listened to the first one in that series, Mediums and Murder, so I was thrilled to see her in Felines and Felonies. However, it is not necessary to have read any books in the previous series to enjoy this one (although I really liked Mediums and Murder, and I plan to read or listen to the rest of them).

One thing I did feel that was missing from this installment was a lot of the humor I fell in love with, especially in the first installment, Purrs and Poison. It is still very much light-hearted and fun, but there were not as many laugh-out-loud moments. I also wasn't a fan of some of the language in this installment. Technically, there is no swearing, but some of the words and phrases are bordering on it. I prefer not to read language like that, especially not as often as I found it in this book.

I do appreciate the disability representation throughout the series. Brighton has an injury, so we get to see how he copes with this while sleuthing. Also, while some might say he's a talking cat, he can only psychically communicate his thoughts to some people. He cannot actually talk. I really like how this is done.

If you enjoy light paranormal cozy mysteries, especially those with animals who can talk or at least communicate their thoughts to humans in some way, then I think you will enjoy this series. As with most cozy mysteries, each installment is a self-contained mystery, but to enjoy the subplots, I highly recommend starting with Purrs and Poison and reading them in order. Either way, Brighton, true to his name, will have you smiling brightly long after you close the book.

Thank you to author, Elle Wren Burke, for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.