Literally Murder

Black Cat Bookshop Mystery #4

by Ali Brandon

From her Brooklyn bookstore, Darla Pettistone not only sells mysteries, but solves them, aided by her big-boned black cat, Hamlet—who has suddenly pounced into the spotlight after unleashing his fists of furry…  
 
After a video of Darla and Hamlet performing at a martial arts tournament goes viral, the Florida chapter of the Feline Society of America invites the "Karate Kitty" to be the guest of honor at their championship cat show in Fort Lauderdale.
 
Upon arrival, Darla discovers that not everyone in the Sunshine State has a sunny disposition. Animal rights activists are on the march, and a cat show contestant stages his own angry protest when his special breed Minx—half Sphynx, half Manx—doesn’t win. Then Hamlet disappears—only to be found next to the dead body of the Minx owner. Now it’s up to Darla and Hamlet to take best in show and collar the killer…
 

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Cats, Ebooks, Books About Books

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 30, 2014

About the author

DIANE A.S. STUCKART who also writes as ALI BRANDON, ALEXA SMART and ANNA GERARD, is a member of that proud breed, the native Texan. She was born in the West Texas town of Lubbock, home to Buddy Holly, prairie dogs, and Texas Tech University, where her mom once taught. Most of her formative years, however, were spent in Dallas with her parents and siblings: one younger sister and three younger brothers. And then, when she was fifteen, her dad's work took them north of the Red River and into Oklahoma, settling just outside Oklahoma City. 

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hamlet and Darla have their hands full this time. Hamlet is the guest of honor at the Feline Society of American’s conference in Florida. Darla and her friend Jake escort the kitty to the event, but trouble starts from the very beginning.

Between animal rights activists protesting and angry cat owners not getting their way, a dead body shows up. Then, Hamlet vanishes. Darla and Jake search the town for the missing cat. Darla fears she will never see him again.

Hamlet is one of my favorite fictional kitty sleuths. The majority of this book is set in Florida, away from the series usual setting of Brooklyn, New York. It is a very nice change of pace. This is one series where the cat remains front and center through most of the book. He even uses books to help Darla crack the mysteries.

There were some additional secondary characters such as Jake’s mother which added more fun to the story.

The author does a great job of making each book a great adventure. Ali Brandon really kept me on my toes – I didn’t see the end coming at all. Nicely done!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite crime fighting cat, Hamlet is back and I couldn't be more excited. Along with his owner and mystery bookstore owner Darla Pettistone. Darla and Hamlet gained some notoriety when a video of Darla and Hamlet with the black cat Hamlet mimicking Darla in a karate tournament that goes viral on the internet and forever dubbs Hamlet the "Karate Kitty".

Hamlet is then invited to to be a guest of honor at a championship cat show in Fort Lauderdale, Flordia. Darla readily agrees as there is a renovation going on at her bookstore with a addition of a coffee shop and Hamlet would be better off away from the construction and soaking in the Florida sun.

Darla and Hamlet and Darla's friend, Jake in toe make it to the show to discover animal activists reeking havoc. Then a so called cat breeder, Ted when he tries to pass off a new breed, Minx, half sphnyx, half manx and does not win the competition then to the horror of Darla and with Jake being Hamlet's security guard for the show Hamlet is catnapped and he is found by Darla and Jake in the hotel room of the Judge of the competition beside the dead body of Ted. Now its up to Hamlet with the help of Darla and Jake to sniff out a killer before someone else takes a permanent cat nap.

Hamlet, the black bookshop cat is the star in this series along with some other charming and zany characters. Jake's mom, Nattie had me completely in stitches through out the book. Very character driven and well written, never a dull moment in this series yet. Along with the comforting Florida landscape beautifully laid out made me want to jump right into the book to help solve the murder right along with Hamlet, Darla and all their friends, while reading I was envisioning myself being there.That to me being the very best thing about reading. I can't wait to read and review the next in this delightful series.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Literally Murder (Black Cat Bookshop Mystery #4) by Ali Brandon is a solid cozy, but I don't know if I'm interested enough to read the rest of the series. I was definitely in it for the cat, Hamlet! I wouldn't mind seeing that viral video of him at that martial arts tournament. By the way, when my cat Finn was younger he used to do high fives with me. Not now though... if you try to get him to do one with you now he'll give you the dumbest look! You can feel the judgment coming off of him in waves!

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun tale, although taking away the bookstore setting was a bit of a disappointment. It also meant that James and Robert got a backseat, and that wasn't any fun! Somehow I've come to love both of those characters, and just having the occasional email or phone call was not enough *scowls*
Anyhow, I did still like the plot and the eventual discovery of the murderer. The ending reminded me of a technique my English teacher once told me- end the story with a completely wacky out of no where ending (SPOILER; in this case, the murderer gets knocked on the head with a coconut while fleeing custody. My English teacher liked to have the main character run over by a steamroller)

I do have a couple more of these on my to-read pile, and number two should show up eventually. Dymocks accidentally listed it under the author 'Kira St Clair' instead of Ali Brandon, so I assumed they didn't have it on my original order. They've fixed their website, and book two will come in with my next lot. Yay! :)

Hamlet is the star! Four stars! *would be five with more James and Robert haha.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fourth book in the series, we join bookstore owner, Darla Pettistone and her best friend, Jake off to a visit and celebrity appearance in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While they are gone, the bookstore receives a new coffee bar, and Darla trusts everyone and everything to go well.

Why Ft. Lauderdale? Why because it is the Cat show that has invited the viral internet star, Hamlet the Cat, as their 'Celebrity.' Darla and Jake see this as a chance to enjoy the sun and ocean. Jake's Mother lives there also as an added benefit.

However, while the cat show is a huge success and everyone loves Hamlet's video and appearance, murder, chaos, and mice appear. Not to mention some real money laundering.

This was an amusing trip for Darla and for us readers. Where will Hamlet end up next?

[❂ Murder by Death · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should love this series: cats and bookshops. It's written fairly well too. But I don't; it's just not doing anything for me and after 4 books I'm just going to accept that and move on.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down (the half star is for Hamlet)

I started this series nearly a decade ago, but I keep putting the series on the back burner for some reason. It's been so long since I read the previous book in the series, it's hard to remember which characters I liked, and since this book has the MC traveling to Florida, I guess I'll have to wait till the next book to figure that out.

I *do like Hamlet, the black cat the series is named for, but I'm not a fan of Darla's negative attitude toward dogs. I get that she's a cat person, but some people prefer dogs -- or have both as pets (gasp! the horror!) This book involved several retired people, and the "old lady" stereotypes were a bit over the top... or maybe I just took them personally because I'm closer to the "old lady" demographic than to Darla & Jake's age group? :D

The mystery here was good, if a bit convoluted. I suspected so many different characters, it was hard to keep track of who my favorite bad guy was at any given moment, and I did not figure out whodunnit before the reveal. There are only two books left in the series, so I'll probably read them at some point, but not any time soon.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I like reading these books, (a cat and a bookstore) I seem to have a hard time choosing them from my shelf of TBR's. Maybe they start off a bit too slow, I don't know. This is the 4th one I have read, however and it was okay.

Darla, Jake and Hamlet travel to Florida for a national cat convention. Hamlet is the guess of honor, because of a video taken of him practicing Karate with Darla. There is some drama there, as there are protesters, and people mad because their cat didn't win in the competition. Staying with Jake's mom, they also discover someone is skimming off the top of her condos association money. When theyfind a kidnapped Hamlet in a hotel room with a dead body, the investigation is on.

[Sam Sigelakis-Minski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the change of scenery in this installment; Florida looks good on Darla and her feline friend. I also thoroughly enjoyed the elder community scenes, with drama and gossip abound. However, I didn't like the character cliches that seem to come with this series and lesser-touched issues that should have been a bigger deal (can't explain due to spoilers, but it's a big deal). I like this series because I like cats, books, and murder mysteries, but sometimes the cliches set my teeth majorly on edge.

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Capitalizing on Hamlet's internet game as the Karate Kitty, he and his owner Darla are invited to attend a cat show in Florida as the guest of honor. While leaving the cold and snow behind in NYC, they find Fort Lauderdale full of felines, catnapping and murder. Enjoyable read and my favorite in the series so far.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this was a good book. Jake's mom was a hoot! I would love to see her in more books. I was slightly disappointed that the murder didn't happen until almost halfway through, but there was enough other stuff going on that helped keep the plot moving.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, nice to see a change of scenery for the cast. I kept thinking of the Netflix documentary "Catwalk" for most of the book. The mystery itself was engaging and interesting enough; side character of Tino stole the show and Hamlet was wonderful.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It kept me guessing until the end. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely a favorite. I love that Darla, Jake, and Hamlet went to Florida, and Jake's mom adds a lot of color to the story.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/li...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie

*Beware of possible spoilers*

This book is fun! And scary, interesting, and hard to put down. Literally Murder is the 4th novel in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series; one does not need to read the earlier books to appreciate it, but I certainly plan to! Just enough information about Darla, her staff and friends, and of course Hamlet, the black bookstore cat, is seamlessly woven into the tale to allow the reader to join this mystery.

Darla and Hamlet have bonded sufficiently in the year since she inherited the bookstore and Hamlet to have become a bit of a team in the store, even though it seems he still runs the place when she isn’t looking. And being a team included becoming an internet hit when someone took a video of Darla and Hamlet when she performed in a martial arts tournament with Robert, one of her clerks. Unbeknownst to her, as Darla went through her karate routine, Hamlet duplicated her movements where she couldn’t see him and they were instant hits.

As a result, Darla and Hamlet, with Darla’s best friend Jacqueline “Jake” Martelli acting as Hamlet’s bodyguard, are on their way from the midst of a Brooklyn winter to sunny Florida, courtesy of the Feline Society of America. Their all-expense-paid trip was for Hamlet, the Karate Kitty, to be the guest of honor at their championship show. Darla, Hamlet, and Jake would stay a few days after the show for a much-needed vacation in the sun.

The timing perfectly coincided with the construction of a coffee bar to Pettistone’s Fine Books; Hamlet would not be disturbed by the worst of the construction and cleanup. Robert, the goth bookstore clerk would be the barista, having finished his classes successfully.

The oddest things can occur at a cat show! People can raise their very own potentially “new” special breed of cat. In this case, the proud owner of a “”Minx”, a cross between a Sphinx and a Manx, is part of the show. Animal rights activists protest outside, woefully unaware of the love and special care that cat owners give to their pampered pusses. The hijinx of unhappy people at the show, and the kidnapping of Hamlet after Jake is knocked out cold, are just the beginning. Then Hamlet is found with the body of a murder victim. If only he could talk….

Jake’s mother lives in a senior complex in sunny Florida, where missing finances have the homeowner’s association members and board pointing fingers. And the murder victim at the hotel just happens to be a board member, and more mayhem begins.

The characters are so well-defined that I’d like to meet some of them! Hamlet, of course, knows that he is the star, and his panther-like appearance adds to the mystique as he helps his mistress in her latest escapade. Jake, who left the NYPD after an on-the-job injury, is overqualified to be a PI or a bodyguard. The personalities of those in the bookstore mesh well, as do Jake and Darla. Conversations and actions are well-described to enable the reader to “watch” the action unfold. Cat owners are portrayed, for the most part, as normal, everyday people instead of as future shopping cart ladies, and the cats are shown as the intelligent, beautiful, loving creatures that they typically are.

The plot is well-planned, there are no loose ends. It is a delight to read, with just the right amounts of mystery, tension, panic, and calm. The twists and turns in the plot led this reader to consider one, then another suspect with motive and opportunity. The end, though surprising, was satisfying – and a new adventure with Hamlet can’t come too soon!

Four paws up for Literally Murder! Ali Brandon displays excellence in writing in all aspects of this mystery. I highly recommend Literally Murder to mystery lovers who enjoy literary references regarding this specialized bookstore, who love seeing cats in the sleuthing mix – sometimes with head and tail rising above the crowd as they help save the day, and who appreciate a cozy mystery that is just plain fun. I’m looking forward to delving more into this series and learning more about the collectible and contemporary book business – and Hamlet.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. This is the only book of the six that is not in the bookshop, but at a cat show in FL while maintenance (putting in a coffeeshop) of the second floor in her bookshop. The characters still make me laugh or smile, and the impeccable teamwork even out of their normal niche made an awesome read.

[Alannah Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been going through this series one after the other, and the adventures of Hamlet the bookstore cat get better with each book. In this entry, Hamlet the cat has become an internet sensation thanks to numerous cell-phone-videographers capturing Hamlet on video as the Karate Kitty. He is invited to be the guest of honor at a cat show in Florida.

There is a likable easiness to the storyline and dialogue. I love Tino the taxi driver, as well as Ricko the pot-smoking boat driver. Nobody here is stereotypical. They may start out that way, then book surprises us by going into an unexpected direction.

SPOILER ALERT: This does not spoil anything about solving the mystery, so I'm not posting this as a spoiler. However, I feel it's an important message. If you want every detail to be a surprise, stop reading this now.
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When Jake went to the animal shelter to pick up Trixie the 3-legged kitten, I admit to crying when she gave up her beloved adoptee to the amputee child. But then Jake left the shelter empty-handed? What? A big deal had been made earlier in the story about the last kitten waiting for adoption - a little black kitten named Nera, who nobody wanted to adopt because people still succumb to the superstitions of black cats being bad luck. This was a perfect opportunity to have Jake prove that a black kitty like Nera can be cherished and that superstition deserves no attention. Instead, Jake goes home alone and I'm assuming Nera perished. I would have given this 5 stars, but because I feel strongly that an opportunity for compassion and education was bypassed, I must eliminate a star.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dang, I really wanted to like this series....but the last two books have been bad. Darla acts and speaks as though she is about 60 years old, instead of in her 30's(?). There were endless descriptions about the clothing people were wearing and why...oh my gosh, I don't care! The mystery really made no sense and the ending was preposterous. I had to force myself to finish it and I skimmed the last 100 pages. I don't think I'll pick up another in the series which is unfortunate because I really do like Hamlet and James.

[Dustpuppy]

Failed to capture my interest. Cutesy writing, jejune characters. Meh.

[Cecelia Solomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very intertwined plot by the bad guys, almost too many threads.

[Aprilleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

An improvement over the previous volumes. Jake isn't calling Darla "kid" all the time (very condescending between two adults even when one is older than the other), and the author apparently has an actual police officer to run her understanding of police procedures past. I'm guessing I wasn't the only one making a point of how irritating both of those things were. This probably would have been my last title in this series had that not improved.

As is somewhat typical in this genre, multiple seemingly unrelated threads come together into one interconnected story. In this case, the threads are a little better connected in the beginning because they all involve a small group of individuals in the Fort Lauderdale area who have known each other for a long time, with Darla and Jake being the only outsiders. Hamlet, as usual, is the star of the show and even provides early hints as to who can't be trusted. I suspect the author participates in, or has at least attended, an actual cat show because the descriptions of what happens there remind me strongly of actual cat shows. This is also an improvement on other previous volumes, where either she was writing about things she didn't know enough about, or she took substantial liberties hoping that her readers would mostly not know the difference.

Some of the characters are caricatures, but most of the main characters are fleshed out at least a little bit. The second book was probably the best so far at hitting exactly the right amount of details, but this one didn't do so bad, either. My single complaint about the cast of characters is the extreme convenience of having met Tino at the airport who just happens to have all the connections they need at his fingertips. Sigh.

The overall plot was a little convoluted involving a stunning series of seemingly unrelated crimes, other than the fact that the same people were involved. It was all a little confusing, actually, but by the end the major crimes (murder and embezzlement) were related to the others and it all made sense.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came into this on book four after being given this book. Darla owns a bookstore in NYC and she's on her way to a cat show in Florida because her big black cat, Hamlet, became a viral internet entity after imitating her doing karate. Going with them is Jack, a cop turned P.I. friend of Darla and whose mom lives in a senior condo in that same FL town.

Darla and Jack are fun women to be sure and Hamlet is a cool cat. However this took literally 110 page to have any crime happen and another 20 pages before we to the murder. Now there is some set up in those 130 pages and it was entertaining enough but 130 pages of set up in a 290 page book is a little long. Literally nearly one half of this mystery isn't a mystery.

Jack and Darla get dragged into the investigation partly because of Hamlet and partly because of Jack's mom Nattie who is friends with the accused. Jack would much rather leave it to the cops as she isn't licensed in the state of FL. But investigate they do and it was also enjoyable enough.

What bothered me was the end. I'm a little tired of the over the top made for hollywood sorts of endings that get tacked into these things and the characters have to be pretty dumb to get into in the first place. I really want to say it's okay to have a lower stakes, lower energy ending but I guess the publishing world disagrees because we keep getting this ridiculous stuff.

Would I read more of this series? Maybe. I like that Darla has an in law enforcement friend but I wouldn't go back to read the others in the series because of a few lines in this one describing the detective in them as not wanting Darla involved (a hard no for me) but they're friends now so that's probably changed. That and she blames his misogynistic attitudes towards women on his Italianess. Oh boy...

[The Hobbit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is a murder mystery, the murder does not happen until page 133 of 290 pages. However, there is plenty of action before and after the murder. Hamlet, the Karate Kitty on YouTube, is invited to be the guest of honor at a cat show in Fort Lauderdale. As Hamlet's human companion, Darla is invited also. Darla's best friend Jake is coming along because her mother lives in Fort Lauderdale and was instrumental in getting Hamlet invited. As a former cop, Jake will be Hamlet's "security." However, before Hamlet can get on stage, Jake is knocked over the head and Hamlet is catnapped. When Darla and Jake finally locate Hamlet, he is on the railing of a unit in Jake's mother's condo complex. The unit is owned by one of the cat show judges. When the building Security finally gets them into the unit, they find a dead body. From then on, Jake's 70-year-old Mom and Hamlet lead the way in finding and capturing the murderer. The story does not flag - the pages keep turning!

[Dlora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun cozy murder mystery featuring a black cat who "solves" murders. I suspect I would enjoy even more Hamlet's usual setting in his owner's bookstore (because I love books more than cats), but they have been invited to a championship cat show in Florida where they get involved in solving the murder of one of the cat show owners. I thought author Ali Brandon did a good job describing what happens at a cat show, including animal rights activists, as well as creating a complicated murder plot. While Hamlet had a bit of the unbelievable about him, he was still a cat with a cat's behaviors and personality, not anthropomorphized with human traits and intelligence. In a way, it reminded me of Susan Conant's books about dog owners and their dogs, although Ali Brandon focuses more on the murder mystery than on the life of being a cat owner and cats' behaviors and care.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book four in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery is a little bit different in that cat, owner and bodyguard are heading south to Florida for a cat show and vacation. Naturally, things go not as planned and sleuth Hamlet is once again on the prowl ...
Ali Brandon smoothly draws the reader into her mysteries, be that newcomer or somebody following the series, and hold their attention from beginning to end. There is often a detailed introduction into the situation, location and characters, but they are written in a way that you feel as if you are there yourself - trying to solve the mystery of what happens.
There are a number of intriguing sub-plots interwoven with the main storyline and more possible culprits that may have done the deed ... or at least be up to something. The what will be revealed as you follow along, with a rather surprising and unexpected ending ...

[Shirley Hartman-Rozee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamlet’s video, wherein he follows Darla’s moves as she practices for her martial arts tournament, goes viral and he and Darla are invited to sponsor a prestigious cat show in Florida. Prior to the show, Hamlet is catnapped, and Darla is traumatized. Fortunately, Hammy is a kitty to be reckoned with and manages to make his way to a balcony where he is spotted. In the process of regaining her precocious kitty, Darla and friends stumble upon a dead body. Not only does Hamlet leave clues to the identity of the murderer, but he manages to take down the killer himself. A cute little cozy mystery with the added attraction of a genius cat—maybe even psychic. I like the Hamlet and Darla duo and the special friends with whom they associate.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom got this book for free from a lady who was bringing a bunch of books to the library for their exchange section. I have not read other books in this series, but I love books, so I liked the idea of a mystery series set in a bookshop.

This mystery doesn't much take place in the bookshop though. Hamlet, the black cat from the series title, becomes famous for mimicking his owner during a karate tournament and is invited to be guest of honor at a cat show in Florida. I thought the idea of a cat doing karate was humorous.

I did not guess the identity or motive much before it was revealed. I liked the characters.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darla and Hamlet attend a cat show where Hamlet is the main VP Cat. Darla was not sure what to expect but Hamlet was great with the pictures and such. He gets catnapped but is found by Jake and Darla outside a person's hotel room and they ask the Custodian to please let them in so that they could get the cat. They get the cat but find a murder victim in the hotel room which belong to someone else. In the meantime we get to meet Jake's mom and get to know Jake more. This ends when Darla heads back to her bookshop which was being work on and updated while she was away.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamlet aka the karate kitty gets invited to be the guest of honor at a cat show in Florida. So Darla accompanied by Jake set out to Fort Lauderdale where chaos, crime, catnapping, & a dead body inevitably occurs. While the bookstore & workers James & Robert are missed the locale change is refreshing & the new kooky characters more than make up for it. Jake’s mother & her antics made me laugh out loud repeatedly!

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Hamlet the mystery-solving karate kitty. My big frustration with this is that thanks to Hamlet's clues, I knew who the bad guy was halfway through the book, and it was beyond frustrating to see Darla continuing to misunderstand his clues and pursue other suspects.

Seriously, the cat was chill with most people but kept hissing and growling at Mildred. Gee, I wonder what THAT could mean? 🙄