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DC Cat McKenzie Mystery #2
Feather and Claw
An unputdownable mystery that will have your racing to reach the end to find out who did it.
On the sun-soaked island of Cyprus, Cat McKenzie should have been enjoying a relaxing holiday. Instead, she finds herself delving deeper and deeper into the death of a fellow guest. With a keen intuition and an inability to walk away from even the smallest of loose ends, she continues to dig, uncovering the way into the world of a ruthless killer. Outside of her jurisdiction, Cat is forced to use all of her wiles to find the murderer and bring them to account; a task made all the more difficult given the cold-hearted killer’s cunning.
Choice not chance determines human destiny, but away from home, on sunnier shores, people aren’t always what they seem and choices can be ill informed.
On the sun-soaked island of Cyprus, Cat McKenzie should have been enjoying a relaxing holiday. Instead, she finds herself delving deeper and deeper into the death of a fellow guest. With a keen intuition and an inability to walk away from even the smallest of loose ends, she continues to dig, uncovering the way into the world of a ruthless killer. Outside of her jurisdiction, Cat is forced to use all of her wiles to find the murderer and bring them to account; a task made all the more difficult given the cold-hearted killer’s cunning.
Choice not chance determines human destiny, but away from home, on sunnier shores, people aren’t always what they seem and choices can be ill informed.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2018
About the author
Susan Handley
9 books7 followersSusan Handley grew up in the Midlands and despite a love of literature, and crime fiction in particular, she never dreamt of being able to carve out a career as a published writer. But the desire to write never left her and after years of writing by night she has at last been able to share the results of her efforts.
Susan now lives in a small village in rural Kent with her husband and three cats. When she’s not indulging in her love of writing crime fiction she loves walking (the hillier the better), bike riding (the flatter the better) and tending her veggie patch.
Susan now lives in a small village in rural Kent with her husband and three cats. When she’s not indulging in her love of writing crime fiction she loves walking (the hillier the better), bike riding (the flatter the better) and tending her veggie patch.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 5, 2019
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
FEATHER AND CLAW (DC Cat McKenzie Mystery #2) by Susan Handley is the second book in this series and it can easily be read as a standalone. The first in the series is your classic British police procedural, while this book is written as a mystery with Cat on vacation. She has no jurisdiction, but she can’t leave the case alone.
DC Cat McKenzie is on vacation on an island of Cypress with her friend Amy. She is supposed to be relaxing, but they witness the death of an American guest at their resort. At first it is thought to be a case of hypoglycemia leading to the gentleman’s death, but something does not feel right to Cat and being Cat, she cannot let it go. It may look like a natural death, but Cat believes it was murder.
As Cat learns more about the other guests and searches for clues, she also learns about the illegal bird pickling trade and a serial arsonist. She may be out of her jurisdiction, but she will not stop until she finds the killer, but at what cost?
I enjoyed this straight mystery plot. Cat’s character is always inquisitive and pulling on any loose thread. She just does not know how to relax. The plot was well written and kept my interest with several twists and red herrings that kept me on my toes and guessing. I also enjoyed reading about the island sun, heat and sand during my current winter weather.
Overall, an enjoyable mystery read.
FEATHER AND CLAW (DC Cat McKenzie Mystery #2) by Susan Handley is the second book in this series and it can easily be read as a standalone. The first in the series is your classic British police procedural, while this book is written as a mystery with Cat on vacation. She has no jurisdiction, but she can’t leave the case alone.
DC Cat McKenzie is on vacation on an island of Cypress with her friend Amy. She is supposed to be relaxing, but they witness the death of an American guest at their resort. At first it is thought to be a case of hypoglycemia leading to the gentleman’s death, but something does not feel right to Cat and being Cat, she cannot let it go. It may look like a natural death, but Cat believes it was murder.
As Cat learns more about the other guests and searches for clues, she also learns about the illegal bird pickling trade and a serial arsonist. She may be out of her jurisdiction, but she will not stop until she finds the killer, but at what cost?
I enjoyed this straight mystery plot. Cat’s character is always inquisitive and pulling on any loose thread. She just does not know how to relax. The plot was well written and kept my interest with several twists and red herrings that kept me on my toes and guessing. I also enjoyed reading about the island sun, heat and sand during my current winter weather.
Overall, an enjoyable mystery read.
Read
November 27, 2019This was a cute fun read almost cosiesh in its setting. 2 friends Cat and Amy went on a holiday to Cypress, met a lot of friendly guests, and a not so friendly one died. Cat suspected it was unnatural, police confirmed it, and Cat started her investigation.
My first book by author Susan Handley, I think I would have loved the main character more if I had read the first book as she intrigued me completely in the story. Nonetheless she was quite entertaining. I got to see her intelligence here and her instincts in it. Boy, she took some risks too.
The book was a pure murder mystery, even though Cat was a cop, she was on a holiday. So it was fun to see her at work on a holiday. Her friendship with Amy was fun, which brought humor into the story. There were moments where the two were in a tizzy fight.
The investigation was detailed where Cat had to negotiate through the clues to get to the killer. The author maintained the aura of mystery down the pages which had me turning pages to reach the who, why, and how of the murder.
An easy breezy read light read.
My first book by author Susan Handley, I think I would have loved the main character more if I had read the first book as she intrigued me completely in the story. Nonetheless she was quite entertaining. I got to see her intelligence here and her instincts in it. Boy, she took some risks too.
The book was a pure murder mystery, even though Cat was a cop, she was on a holiday. So it was fun to see her at work on a holiday. Her friendship with Amy was fun, which brought humor into the story. There were moments where the two were in a tizzy fight.
The investigation was detailed where Cat had to negotiate through the clues to get to the killer. The author maintained the aura of mystery down the pages which had me turning pages to reach the who, why, and how of the murder.
An easy breezy read light read.
September 30, 2019
Can a detective switch off and take a holiday? Not this one anyway!
A girls week away in the sun quickly becomes anything but relaxing for Cat and her friend Amy. The duo find the body of a fellow holiday maker and Cat’s inquisitive mind starts working in overdrive - is Tony’s death unfortunate or a murder?
Her gut tells her it’s sinister and murder but she can’t get solid evidence.
Told in the third person her quest for the truth leads her on a dangerous path.
Set on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus this paradise is anything but relaxing and heavenly. There’s an underground illegal bird pickling trade, an arsonist and a murderer on the loose and Cat is getting ever closer to the truth - but at what price?
The plot is complicated enough to keep you guessing without becoming boring.
This is a great crime story in an exotic setting.
A girls week away in the sun quickly becomes anything but relaxing for Cat and her friend Amy. The duo find the body of a fellow holiday maker and Cat’s inquisitive mind starts working in overdrive - is Tony’s death unfortunate or a murder?
Her gut tells her it’s sinister and murder but she can’t get solid evidence.
Told in the third person her quest for the truth leads her on a dangerous path.
Set on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus this paradise is anything but relaxing and heavenly. There’s an underground illegal bird pickling trade, an arsonist and a murderer on the loose and Cat is getting ever closer to the truth - but at what price?
The plot is complicated enough to keep you guessing without becoming boring.
This is a great crime story in an exotic setting.
December 18, 2018
Can a detective ever truly take a holiday? Cat and her friend Amy find the body of a fellow holiday maker and Cat’s mind starts ticking. She believes the circumstances indicate murder but she can’t get solid evidence. The story of her search for it takes her into danger. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Cat, who’s annoying enough to feel human rather than some know-it-all or goody-goody. Also her friend Amy who wants a holiday romance which gets in the way of her and Cat’s original plans. The writing is elegant and the atmosphere created becomes tense. A great crime story in an exotic setting.
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March 14, 2023I was really looking forward to this book and was expecting this to be a five star read but unfortunately this one was not for me.
46% into the book and I still hadn’t seen any thriller aspects. I became very bored and felt like nothing was happening in this story except our main character getting more frustrated with her friend she was on holiday with.
Although this story was not for me I know for sure that this book would be a good book for people starting out in the mystery/thriller genre.
http://www.foreverthewanderer.ie/feat...
46% into the book and I still hadn’t seen any thriller aspects. I became very bored and felt like nothing was happening in this story except our main character getting more frustrated with her friend she was on holiday with.
Although this story was not for me I know for sure that this book would be a good book for people starting out in the mystery/thriller genre.
http://www.foreverthewanderer.ie/feat...
December 12, 2019
I have a little and embarrassing confession to make. Yes, yet another one. Although I have the first book in the DC Cat McKenzie series called 'A Confusion Of Crows' on my ever expanding 'to be read' mountain, I haven't actually read it yet. What a mistake to make!! I have just finished reading 'Feather & Claw' and now I have realised just how great an author Susan Handley is, I will definitely be reading 'A Confusion Of Crows' just as soon as I can. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Feather & Claw' but more about that in a bit.
I really liked DC Cat McKenzie from the start. When we first meet her in this book, she is on holiday for some very 'rest and relaxation'. I didn't know at first what led up to her suffering so badly in a previous case, but it's clear that whatever happened was significant and traumatic. She is on holiday with her friend and she is having fun, although I got the impression that she was feeling bored with just sitting around doing nothing. A murder happens in the hotel and Cat can't help but become involved in the investigation. Once a police officer, always a police officer. Cat comes across as kind, compassionate, sensitive, determined, stubborn, tenacious and thorough. You can be sure that Cat will investigate a case and do her best to secure justice for the victims of crime and their families.
It didn't take me long at all to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first couple of chapters, I knew that this was going to be one of those brilliant reads, which needed to be read as soon as possible. I made the mistake of starting to read the book shortly before I went to bed which was another boo boo. Let's just say that sleep was delayed for quite a while and I ended up feeling very tired the next day. I was extremely reluctant to put this book to one side for any great length of time. I found the relationships between the lead characters to be very intriguing. As I was reading, I came up with my own theories as to who did what and why and of course I had to keep reading to see if my suspicions were correct or not. The pages turned at a furious rate as my desperation to find out how the story concluded steadily grew and grew. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had anticipated. This was one of those books that I wanted to finish so I knew who did what and why but I didn't want to finish because I was enjoying the book and the investigation so much that I just didn't want the story to end. I hope that makes sense.
'Feather & Claw' is really well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She certainly knows how to start the story with a bang and once she has your attention, she will not let it go. For me the story hit the ground running and maintained the pace throughout. Susan writes so realistically and convincingly that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself and I was assisting Cat with her investigations. In that respect I was 'interacting' with the book and randomly passing comments on the characters and their shenanigans.
Reading this book was like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns along the way. It wasn't a story that had me diving behind the settee for cover or because I feared what was going to happen next but I did keep holding my breath in anticipation of developments in the investigation and the story.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Feather & Claw' and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading the first book in the series ('A Confusion Of Crows') just as soon as I can. I look forward to further books in the DC Cat McKenzie series and learning more about her past and her background. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I really liked DC Cat McKenzie from the start. When we first meet her in this book, she is on holiday for some very 'rest and relaxation'. I didn't know at first what led up to her suffering so badly in a previous case, but it's clear that whatever happened was significant and traumatic. She is on holiday with her friend and she is having fun, although I got the impression that she was feeling bored with just sitting around doing nothing. A murder happens in the hotel and Cat can't help but become involved in the investigation. Once a police officer, always a police officer. Cat comes across as kind, compassionate, sensitive, determined, stubborn, tenacious and thorough. You can be sure that Cat will investigate a case and do her best to secure justice for the victims of crime and their families.
It didn't take me long at all to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first couple of chapters, I knew that this was going to be one of those brilliant reads, which needed to be read as soon as possible. I made the mistake of starting to read the book shortly before I went to bed which was another boo boo. Let's just say that sleep was delayed for quite a while and I ended up feeling very tired the next day. I was extremely reluctant to put this book to one side for any great length of time. I found the relationships between the lead characters to be very intriguing. As I was reading, I came up with my own theories as to who did what and why and of course I had to keep reading to see if my suspicions were correct or not. The pages turned at a furious rate as my desperation to find out how the story concluded steadily grew and grew. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had anticipated. This was one of those books that I wanted to finish so I knew who did what and why but I didn't want to finish because I was enjoying the book and the investigation so much that I just didn't want the story to end. I hope that makes sense.
'Feather & Claw' is really well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She certainly knows how to start the story with a bang and once she has your attention, she will not let it go. For me the story hit the ground running and maintained the pace throughout. Susan writes so realistically and convincingly that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself and I was assisting Cat with her investigations. In that respect I was 'interacting' with the book and randomly passing comments on the characters and their shenanigans.
Reading this book was like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns along the way. It wasn't a story that had me diving behind the settee for cover or because I feared what was going to happen next but I did keep holding my breath in anticipation of developments in the investigation and the story.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Feather & Claw' and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading the first book in the series ('A Confusion Of Crows') just as soon as I can. I look forward to further books in the DC Cat McKenzie series and learning more about her past and her background. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
June 22, 2020
Another fab read in the cat mackenzie series, This one is based in cyprus where cat is on holiday. It is a little different to the previous novel i read by her but i really feel like the characters grow and develop in this book. I very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading more about Cat - next up the body politic
January 1, 2020
Check out my blog Jackiesreading4leisure.home.blog for full review
December 19, 2019
The Mediterranean is not the usual setting for a cozy mystery (honestly, nothing about the Med screams “cozy” to me). In this book, it worked. Cat is on vacation, but a murder piques her investigative instincts. She was a little “fish of out water” without her usual connections and tools, but that made it more interesting. It was difficult to get a handle on everything at first because the author kind of just jumps in assuming that the reader will catch up, which was frustrating. Once I did understand the set-up, though, I enjoyed this book. For a complete review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. This review was written based on a digital copy.
September 2, 2021
This was so so boring ….they’re at the breakfast buffet…the toast drops out of the toaster ….they’re by the pool she opens the book she’s bored she closes the book she walks around she gets a drink from the bar ….what’s on the lunch buffet? …she comes back she opens the book she closes the book ….give me strength nothing happening till the very end and even that was a damp squid
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews