The Christmas Kitten

Polly Parrett Pet-Sitter #2

by Liz Dodwell

Polly Parrett finds herself in the midst of another murder mystery. This time it involves two little girls, a wicked stepmother, and a missing father. Oh, and Christmas is almost here. It all begins with a mysterious gift box that's left on Polly's doorstep. Along the way she encounters problems with her pet-sitting customers and her arch nemesis, Britney Harris, who has her eye on Polly's boyfriend Tyler.

An Open House is planned at Welcome Home, the residential home Polly and her mom have created to provide a safe haven for homeless military veterans and their pets. It's all go in Polly's world, but with a killer on the loose and two children in need of her help, she'll do anything she can to keep everyone safe.

Genres: Holiday, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

114 pages, Paperback

Published December 8, 2015

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely ever read a cozy ... so this is my nod to the Christmas Season.

Polly Parrett runs a Pet-Sitter Service so finding a small kitten wearing a gold chain in a box on her front door didn't even merit an extra blink. Taking the bundle to her mother ..who runs a halfway house for homeless veterans and their pets, one of the boarders discover two young girls sleeping out in the barn.

Their father is in the service and the girls think they are responsible for the death of their stepmother. Being scared to death, they ran.

The characters are great ... there was only one I wanted to slap some sense into. And I absolutely loved all the cats and dogs. No animals were injured or killed during the writing of this book. I really appreciated that the homeless veterans played such an important part .. I wish there were more of these type of places in the real world.

Polly and her boyfriend, Tyler, investigate as well as they can .. coming up with a few suspects. There were several truly funny conversations.

All in all, for a short story, this was packed full of love, laughter, holiday fun ... and a murder to solve.

This is a part of a series but a nice stand-alone. Would recommend this one to anyone who likes cozies.

[The Badger · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I was in the hospital for a week on a ketamine drip (for pain management) when I ordered this book. I was trying to finish a murder/suspense novel, but I couldn't concentrate because I kept seeing myself reading as if I was looking through mirrors and it was really trippy. Then I started to cry because of the animal slaughter industry and animal suffering. This was the first hour on the drip. My doctor came in and told me I wasn't allowed to be reading anything disturbing. I asked if I could call my ex-boyfriend so my doctor could talk to him and tell him that he (the ex) was a pathetic schizoid loser with male pattern baldness. My phone was disconnected. I then used the red light from the oxygen monitor on my finger to try and laser open my doctor's head. They turned up the ketamine, and a week later, after I had been released from the hospital, I found that my friend had downloaded cute animal books. I don't remember them, so they're getting a solid 3.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this short cozy. Pet sitter Polly Parrett comes across an abandoned kitten on her porch one cold night. She nurses it back to health. Meanwhile, a woman in town is murdered and her two stepdaughters have gone missing. The girls are found unharmed, but the search is on for the murderer. Well written and edited!!!!

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A purrfect christmas

A terrific second book! Can she make it a dream christmas for two little girls whilst solving another mystery? The characters are just getting better and better. This is for all cozy mystery lovers - it contains a solid mystery, romance and lots of emotion. Recommended

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like these stories because they are always sweet and have a nice mystery at the center. The main characters are all well defined while those introduced are still shadowy since they have no real back story. The language is always perfect and a part of the people who use it. I gave this a low star rating because it stated a side story but did not really deliver on it as I had expected. The story itself was actually kind of thin and even though who the perpetrator was came as a surprise, it was mostly because you had no major interactions with the character.

Polly arrives home to find a box on her porch when she was not expecting any deliveries. When she opens it and finds a kitten in pee soaked tissues on a freezing day. After checking with her boyfriend on whether he dropped it off she goes to the Sheriff to give him the diamond bracelet she found around the kittens neck.

Nicole Whittier, a new resident in town , has been murdered and her two step-daughters are missing from the scene. Who could have killed her and why are the girls missing, where is their father, and what does the kitten have to do with it? All really good questions, with some interesting answers.

I think even though there are some flaws with this it is still a good clean mystery story. Good for anyone who likes a mystery without a lot of blood.

[Rebecca Rakes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked that the main character had some flaws and a sense of humor. Cute Christmas themed story. I found the end, after the mystery was solved, a little odd though. ... I mean, what kind of Dad would leave his two daughter with a complete stranger to take care of them after their stepmom was murdered, they got lost in the woods, and one was held at knife point by the killer? Other than the unbelievable foot note at the end. I enjoyed it. It was also very pro-military and I enjoyed that aspect of it.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful, quick cozy with warm characters, including four legged varieties. My rating 4.25.

Polly Parrett has a lovely business as a pet-sitter in Mallowapple, Maine. As Christmas draws near she is busy taking care of pets and helping her mother plan an Open House for their new venture, Welcome Home, a residential home created as a safe haven for homeless military veterans and their pets.

Polly is only a little surprised to find a rescue kitten left on her doorstep. The greater surprise is the expensive bracelet around the kitten’s neck. The new kitten is quickly adopted by one of Polly’s dogs (which is adorable).

Polly brings the kitten to her mother at Welcome Home where two young girls have just been discovered sheltering in the barn. The girl’s father is away in the service while they have been left with their mean stepmother. When a murder is reported, Polly and her lawyer boyfriend, Tyler, begin to investigate the mystery of the necklace, the runaway children and the murder.

This is light and fun listening with wonderful pets to share in the warmth of the holiday season. I loved the animals and the concept of the shelter for the vets with pets. The mystery is fully developed for a short work. Polly is a lively, likeable character and I am sure I would enjoy more of her adventures.

This is a nice cozy mystery for all ages. I especially recommend it to cozy fans who like animals. It may be set at Christmas time but it is a warm story for any time of year.

Audio Notes: Jennifer Fournier does a charming job with the narration. It is light and easy and brings appropriate emotions to the listener. The audio added to my enjoyment of the story.

I received this audio title from the author for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's almost Christmas and Polly is busy getting ready when she finds a box on her front porch. Thinking the box has a smelly cake from a customer in it she pushes in to the side only to discover it has a kitten in it. Now to find out who the kitten belongs too. Turns out the kitten belongs too 2 little girls who's stepmother has just been murdered. Now to find out who killed their stepmother and protect the girls from the killer. This was a warm fuzzy, happy feel good Christmas story. The victim is never made to feel like someone you need to have any sympathy for and the other characters go out of their way to make sure the little girls are happy.

I received this book for free from AudioBlast in exchange for my honest review.

[Teressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Cute Cozy Mystery"

I really enjoy listening to these short cozies. I find them cute and relaxing. They're especially fun to listen to while drawing or doing busy work. I listened to "Doggone Christmas" as well as this one, "The Christmas Kitten" and enjoyed them both. I look forward to Liz Dodwell writing these.

The narration by Jennifer Fournier is perfect for the characters in this story. She has a great voice and she makes this a delightful listen.

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

[Laura Cushing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute if somewhat predictable cozy mystery. The kitten in question didn't play too much of a role in the story other than belonging to the loveable urchins who round out the holiday theme. The main character is too Mary Sue with different colored eyes, charming clumsiness and a hot boyfriend who adores her. Not a bad story overall if you are looking for a quick holiday read, but like sugary Christmas cookie it is sweet without substance.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

A sweet cozy mystery with murder, attempted kidnapping, a bit of romance, and lots and lots of dogs and cars. Small town folks work together to solve the crimes and protect two young girls. I will look for more from this author.

The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. I loved the enthusiasm provided by the narrator !!!!

[Susie Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liz Dodwell's characters are such fun and quirky that you instantly love them and their quirkiness. I love that the setting of the book is at Christmas time and that Its about kittens because I love both! Jennifer Fournier does such a good job narrating these fun characters and makes listening enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries and animals.
I was given a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Mariko Tsubaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute, whimsical mystery that is perfect for the holiday season. Short enough to be read in one sitting.

[Linda Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

Easy entertainment nice characters happy ending what else do you need for a Christmas story? Oh of course a cat who saves the day

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good Christmas mystery. It keeps you guessing until the end.

[Kandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading only Christmas mysteries this month. I've read quite a few and this was one of my favorites. I read the first book in this series last year and hope there will be another one next year.

[Carolee DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable book with lots of town involvement!