  | Book Details Title: An Incantation of Cats: A Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery |
Book DescriptionReview Spellbinding Praise for An Incantation of Cats! “Entertaining… Fans of talking cat cozies will have fun.” ―Publishers Weekly “Cat-lovers, even if not fans of the paranormal, will be enchanted by the feline trio.” ―Booklist “Simon expertly casts suspicion on one member of her tiny human cast after another…for readers who want all cats, all the time.” ―Kirkus Reviews “The second installment of the Witch Cats Of Cambridge Series builds on the first to deepen its mythology as well as expand on Becca’s life in contemporary Massachusetts. A sweet fantasy of magical cats helping to find out whodunnit that’s perfect for a few hours of cozy escapism.” ―Criminal Element Praise for A Spell of Murder, the first Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery “(A) delightful series launch…You don’t have to be a cat lover to appreciate this paranormal cozy’s witty observations, entertaining dialogue, and astute characterizations.” ―Publishers Weekly “Cats and magic–two of my favorite things! A Spell of Murder is a charming series debut.” ―Diane A.S. Stuckart, author of the Tarot Cats Mysteries “A delightful modern-day mystery―Simon has conjured up a magical tale for our reading pleasure.” ―Marty Wingate, USA Today bestselling author “Mystery, mayhem and magic, plus a triple dose of feline intuition, make an exciting start to this new series. These engaging felines will captivate and enchant you.” ―Mary Kennedy, author of The Talk Radio Mysteries “In this endearing first Witch Cats of Cambridge mystery, Clea Simon reveals what we’ve always suspected: cats really do have supernatural powers! While felines Clara, Harriet, and Laurel are focused on pillows and extra treats, it’s the readers who are treated to an absorbing plot as the cats use their secret abilities to help their human Becca find romance, a new career―and a murderer!” ―Leigh Perry, author of the Family Skeleton Mysteries Read more About the Author A former journalist and music critic, Clea Simon wrote three nonfiction books, including the Boston Globe bestseller The Feline Mystique (St. Martin’s), before turning to a life of crime (fiction). Her more than two dozen mysteries usually involve cats or rock and roll, or some combination thereof. A native of New York, she moved to Massachusetts to attend Harvard and now lives nearby in Somerville. Read more Customers Review: An Incantation of Cats by Clea SimonBook #2: Witch Cats of Cambridge SeriesSource: NetGalley and Polis BooksRating: 2/5 starsI would like to make it clear from the very beginning, I went into this book with a good attitude and true hope for a solid book that had worked out all the kinks found in in the first book. Alas, my hopes were once again dashed.I had really hoped from book one to two, Becca would have figured out she is, in no way whatsoever, magically inclined. Becca is one of those very sweet, very kind souls who ultimately find herself earning a Darwin award – that’s funny if you know what the Darwin’s are Not only has Becca not realized she has no magical abilities but she has also decided to turn down a real job in favor of advertising herself as a Witch Detective. Inexplicably, not only is Becca hired, but she is approached by two clients on the same day.In truth, it is Becca’s three cats who have the magical abilities though they are forbidden to reveal them to their people. The youngest of Becca’s cats, Clara is the most devoted to Becca and the one most interested in helping her human succeed. Clara often finds herself out in the real world chasing after Becca and learning all she can in order to help Becca work out the solution to her problems. Though Clara is young, she is crafty and clever – far more so than her human – and finds ways to nudge Becca in the right direction. More often than not, Clara has to enlist the help of her older and far more awful sisters as they have abilities different from Clara’s and necessary for helping Becca.Against the advice of literally everyone she knows, Becca continues to investigate multiple crimes that are all, ultimately linked to one another. From the beginning, everyone involved is lying and/or hiding something, everyone is terrified of being caught, and no one actually wants to involve the people who can actually help them, the police. Each new clue Becca uncovers leads her closer to the truth, but, as is her wont, it also leads her right into real danger. Thankfully, Becca’s cats are far smarter than she is and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to save Becca from herself.The Bottom Line: I just don’t even know where to begin. I sincerely wanted this book to be better than the first but that just didn’t happen. So many of the complaints I had from the first book crop up again in this installment. Topping my list is Becca’s naivete and reckless behavior; she is utterly convinced she has magical powers because of a pillow which has, in turn, led her to start a business as a witch detective. Though her research skills are strong, Becca has no experience or business working as a detective and that is made abundantly clear in this book! I was also very much hoping the cats would even out and become more likeable in this book but that didn’t happen either. Once again, the two older cats are wretched and treat Clara with contempt most of the time. I say this as a cat lover ☹ Finally, I found myself skipping over large passages because of the repetition – there’s only so many times you can read about how much a cat loves her person – and the predictability of the plot. I always like to try and find something positive to say about a book, but alas, I just can’t come up with anything this time around.
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8 reviews