“My name is Lynley Cannon and I am the crazy cat lady, only I’m not crazy yet. I swear.” So begins Mollie Hunt’s cozy mystery about stolen diamonds and the amateur sleuths who join together to crack the case. The crazy cat lady explains that she is fifty-eight years old, had “a good run with sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll,” but now lives a serene life volunteering her time at the local cat shelter, Friends of Felines.

Unfortunately, trouble seems to find her at every opportunity, and her quiet life is shattered by an assault that leaves her with a broken leg and lingering trauma. How was she to know that the stone one of her cats was playing with was not an agate, but a large, uncut chocolate diamond, whose inclusions gave it the name “Cat’s Eye?” As the title suggests, there are more gems than one, and some very bad people want them back. Although her seven cats can provide her with the serenity she needs to heal, the villains will not give her such respite, and soon she is kidnapped and being taken to a remote place in the Washington woods…

Hunt has created an engaging tale, liberally sprinkled with interesting facts about cats, the shelters that care for them and get them ready for adoption, and the criminal investigations of animal abuse cases. No, you don’t have to be a lover of cats (“ailurophile,” no less!) to enjoy this novel. (I’m actually allergic to cats, but I’m pleased to say that I did not sneeze during the reading of this book!)

It should be noted that there is somewhat more violence than is usually associated with a “cozy mystery.” Also, as a septuagenarian, I found it hard to buy into the protagonist’s descriptions of herself as old at 58!

That said, the editing is excellent, the story is fast-paced, and there’s just enough action and wry humor to keep the reader turning pages and ordering the next book in the series. Well done, Ms. Hunt.
6 s SheilaAuthor 79 books190

Cats’ Eyes is a cat-lovers’ mystery about a cat-loving fifty-something-year-old woman who doesn’t just love her own pets; she helps out at the shelter; she fosters cats in need; and she gets uncommonly tangled in danger and mystery, rather a cat getting tangled in wool. Chapters are headed with cool cat motifs and intriguing tidbits of information about cats, making the pages of this novel a delight to savor. The protagonist, not quite a crazy cat-lady, is convincingly human, enjoying the benefits and pitfalls of an aging body, and quoting the Bene Gesserit litany against fear as well as the Serenity prayer when in trouble--fun if, me, you fell in love with Dune a long time ago. And it’s a fast, good read.

The story’s told in first person, and the protagonist’s voice is natural and easy to hear in the head.
Meanwhile the mystery has a grown-up Secret Seven feel, with over-the-top antagonists, a glorious chocolate diamond, and lots of accidents and missed turns along the way. It's the first in a series and I'd certainly read more

Disclosure: I met the author and fell in love with the book cover. And I offer my honest review.animal-lovers cats female-protagonist ...more2 s Lisa~Ilovemypug~ Currier1,878 69

Fantastic Book

I had no idea that I was going to love this book as much as I did.
The main character is wonderful, she's a cat lover, mother, grandmother and devoted friend.
This book involves stolen diamonds and Lynley is drawn into it by pure fate.
What she goes through is traumatic, but her love and concern for her fur babies is heartwarming.
I'm excited to read the next book.2 s Rachel103 3

Oh so pleased to have discovered this series of cat mysteries..... I’ve been a fan of cat cosies for years and having finished all the Joe Grey books by Shirley Murphy Rousseau I was looking for something to fill the void..... I found it with Mollie Hunts books featuring Lynley and her cats.... really connected with the characters and couldn’t put it down... will definitely be ordering the rest of the series. Thank you Mollie!2 s Leeanne241 20

Lynley Cannon - the crazy cat lady who isn’t quite crazy, yet - didn’t have any big plans going on in her life. Being retired means she can kind of do what she wants when she wants. The only plans she had were to spend time with her mom and granddaughter, continue volunteering at the cat shelter, work on the Mackey family tree, foster some kitties, and take good care of her own cats. She enjoys living her nice, leisurely life. Little did she know what was in store for her.

Lynley accidentally comes into the possession of the twin Cats’ Eyes diamonds. At first, she has no idea what they are, or even that the brown stone her cat finds is a diamond, let alone part of a rare pair. The thieves sure let her know that they’re important after her house is ransacked, she’s attacked, kidnapped, and a whole lot of other crazy things happen to her. The thieves are certain she still has the diamonds and are just refusing to give them to her, but she has no idea what they are talking about, or how the diamonds got to her in the first place.

A lot of time passes in between the many incidents Lynley has to go through. Her whole summer is basically written off. I guess it’s more realistic that it takes awhile to find the murderer, and for the actual murder to happen, but it slowed the book down. We kept jumping ahead after each incident and I was , “Uh, what just happened!?” I guess I’m just more used to more fast-paced mysteries.

The cat facts are again so awesome, and most actually pertain to the chapter they are the headings of. This book is kind of a promoter of pet shelters, adopting, and fostering, which is great. Lynley is very involved with the shelter and with her cats. I can’t even keep track of how many cats she has. I think maybe 6?

I must admit, I read the second book before this one. I didn’t this book as much as the next one, but I now have the background on Lynley and her life that I was missing in the second book. 2 s Nola Arganbright1,591 27

Torn

This was a good story with a good plot. The writing was clear with a good flow. My issue is that the story had more strong violence than I associate with Cozy Mysteries. There were several triggers toward violence that kept me from enjoying the book. The amount of terror did a lot to make the book totally untreatable to the reader. I couldn't connect with the characters and found myself only able to read in short snippets.
There were a lot of interesting facts about cars and I hope other readers can enjoy the book better.cozy-mysteries1 Mac Daly824

When one of Lynley's five cats brings a rock into the house, she thinks nothing of it, but that's the start of a summer of mystery and danger. With the help of her friends at the Friends of Felines animal shelter, she has to get to the bottom of both a jewel theft and a murder or be the next victim. I enjoyed the mystery and the cat tidbits at the beginning of each chapter. crazy-cat-lady mystery portland1 Dion7 2

A fun read, following the misadventures of a cat shelter volunteer who finds herself in the middle of a series of escalating crimes. Lots of unexpected twists and turns, with interesting cat facts thrown into every chapter. 1 Audrey DriscollAuthor 13 books35

This book has the classic elements of a cozy mystery--a main character with a niche interest a who is unintentionally drawn into investigating a crime, and a setting that is important to the story.
Mollie Hunt has first-hand knowledge of what it takes to be a volunteer in a cat rescue organization, and she lives in Portland, Oregon. Crazy (sort of) cat lady Lynley Cannon volunteers at Friends of Felines in Portland. She has six cats of her own, plus a couple of fosters, so there's a lot of cat action in this book. A lot. Every one of Lynley's cats has a unique personality and a part to play in the story. There are also interesting details about what goes into operating the shelter and adoption service, from cleaning kennels to carrying out a large-scale rescue from a hoarding situation. Reading the book, I learned stuff about the relationships between shelters and humane society investigators, and the laws around such investigations. And each chapter starts with a short paragraph of information about cats.
The cat-related parts of the plot actually surpassed the crime aspect of the story for me, maybe because the element of lived experience was missing from the latter. The criminals struck me as rather inept, and some of the plot elements didn't quite stick together.
Lynley is a sympathetic main character, good natured and enthusiastic about her interests. Besides cats, she's keen on tracing her Scottish ancestry. A key scene happens at a highland games event. The theft of the two priceless chocolate diamonds (something else I learned about by reading this), puts Lynley through a number of harsh situations, physical, psychological, and legal. At times, though, that aspect of the story gets lost in Lynley's ramblings about her misspent youth, her family's history, and various sights and scenes around Portland. These side trips are interesting and sometimes funny, but more than once I found myself wondering why the characters weren't more concerned with details of the crimes and trying to reconstruct what really happened.
Such details are fully revealed at the end, in what I might describe as a classic confrontation during the climactic scene. The story is wrapped up in a satisfying way.
I recommend this heartwarming and informative book to mystery readers who also love cats or are at least cat-curious. JeanAuthor 16 books40

This novel kept me up late at night turning pages to find out what next when bad things happen in the daily life of "crazy cat lady" Lynley Cannon.

Interestingly, Lynley is not your typical private detective or even a wannabe sleuth. Instead, she is a hapless victim of several crimes: home invasion, kidnapping, and assault (with the possibility of worse.) She is implicated in an animal abuse case and even becomes a prime suspect in a double homicide.

Lynley's daily life focuses on her clowder of cats, a few rescues, and volunteer work at a cat shelter. How could she get so mixed up in multiple crimes? It all starts with "something the cat drags in." Lynley doesn't notice her cat's plaything is a precious gemstone.

The story weaves on at a good pace, with one thing after another happening to Lynley (and occasionally her cats.) A random day at the cat shelter or an afternoon at a county fair can quickly turn into a sinister occurrence for Lynley. The suspense is well done, with some delightful cat asides and extraneous dialog. At one point there are about four chapters that contain much information about cats but little notice of the mystery. But then comes the payoff.

Other characters in the novel add to the action and solution of the tale: Lynley's 80-something mother is an amateur sleuth; the policeman heading up animal abuse investigations at the cat shelter uses his skill to absolve Lynley from suspicion of murder. Good friends and a granddaughter help to keep Lynley on a sane path as her life suddenly becomes a nightmare.

The writing is polished, with metaphors and details that bring the reader into Lynley's experiences. When I meet the author soon at a writers' group meeting, I must ask her if she has experienced a home invasion with vandalism, a broken leg, being kidnapped, being lost in a mountain wilderness, or being held at gunpoint. She writes realistically about these incidents that happen to Lynley. And she brings an array of cats into the main frame of the story by showing their personalities and affinities. Perla Ceh-Cocom5

Where do I start with this?

I guess with the first part is that I work for an animal shelter and I did feel a huge connection right off the bat. I own 5 cats and 4 dogs. So, again I felt that connection. Especially with the white cat solo. My white cat isn't deaf but he is skittish around people and only loves me and my husband. That also hit home for me as well.

There where times when I felt confused and had to re-read a page or sentence cause I was wondering when that happened or how it happened but in the end it turned out to be fine. It was a part with the cat Little was supposed to be somewhere else but then the author wrote his name right afterwards as being in the house and I was confused but it was an easy mistake for my brain to correct.

The evidence, the crimes, the outcome. I wasn't expecting any of it. I was wondering where the sorry was going after the kidnapping cause the diamonds were gone now and so were the perps. I was confused and was wondering where it was going. It did surprise me a lot and honestly there were times my own heart sped up and made me feel deeply. When the cops entered the house and Lynley felt that fear of where her cats were, or before that when the house was vandalized and she didn't know where all the cats where. I felt that deeply. Then at the end when the cats got out and she was so worried for them that she disregarded her own safety.

I.Felt.That

It made me almost start crying with her and i felt my own nerves and anger flare up. I'm excited to order the next book. Meeting the author at the shelter was also a plus and it made my day getting a signed copy.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Krystyna5,134 40

Whoever said diamonds are a girl's best friend never owned a cat

A good read. A plot about a retired grandmother who suddenly finds herself wondering if she is suffering from dementia or has criminals after her. Loved the main character spunky but also wondering if she is completely compos mentis. Down to earth and determined to clear her name but a ion essential when her furbabies are threatened. The cats though playing a small part all come over as separate characters with their own little foibles.
She is starting to think she has gone mad. Was someone in her home? Why had one of her cats been playing with a small brown rock. Then comes the realisation that her home isn't the only one broken into. A neighbour is in a critical condition after being attacked at home. Throw in attacks, threats, diamonds, suspect in a double murder, hospital stays and a home invasion. Will she find out what and why she has been threatened? Will the police clear her name and catch the real suspects? Cheri Schaefer1,100 10

So happy I gave this series a-look-see!!!!!!

This was intense and very riveting! I'm totally intrigued by this first book in this series! I love the rescue theme as background for the books. All the kitties are wonderful characters, each with its own personality. I d the storyline. Very involved with a lot of twists and turns all the way to the end. I kinda had the female pegged as a suspect when she insisted on going to Lynley's home to pick up the cat. I just didn't get it all figured out. Fantastic series and one I'll definitely keep reading. Margaret Appel273 1 follower

Not Crazy but Heart of Gold

Lynley, an older lady with six cats of her own, helps out at the FOF (Friends of Felines) shelter and fosters cats who need a little extra help. Sadly she inadvertently gets caught up in the theft of a pair of chocolate diamonds known as Cats Eyes. This is a great cozy mystery interspersed with lots of cat facts while revolving around volunteer work at a cat shelter. Really nice for folks who love cats in their books! Rose Scarrow116 1 follower

Disasters on a Crazy Cat Lady

This story is a cute tale about an older lady who adores cats and volunteers at a cat shelter. Somehow she gets involved with some criminals, and her summer spirals out of control. There is a lot of intrigue and seemingly endless capers and drama. Anne-Kathrine1,189 7

Overall the story was ok. Best part were the cats (which is why the book got 2 stars instead of 1). Lynley, the main character, I found to be irritating. Biggest problem is that at 58 she is retired (lucky her since most aren't able to retire that early) and spends most of her time complaining about being old. I'm 44 and don't consider 58 old and I think many will find that offensive. cozy-mystery murder-mystery mystery ...more Ruby Gay315 1 follower

Fairly good mystery

I enjoyed reading Cats' Eyes. The mystery was kind of strung out here and there but it comes together at the end. I didn't care for the "not finish up all the details" though! What about Mike? It seems he was just left hanging out there. The kitty characters are brought to life in this book! Biana493 6

ADORABLE!

Yes, she's got a thing for cats, and she has all the little trinkets and tshirts and whatnot to prove it. She also has time to care for them and she talks about real cat issues... cleaning the litter boxes every morning.

My favorite part is the little cat-isms that pop up through out the book.

The mystery is decent, nothing extraordinary. Just awesome cats! Alasandra Alawine972 13

I Loved it!!! being a certain age I could identify with the main character, who becomes the victim of a family of thieves who hide two expensive Chocolate Diamonds in her pond. Interwoven with the hunt for the diamonds is information about her cats, her work at a shelter and useful info about cats. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Ewa407 2

Fantastic book. Maybe not too much crime story, but really nice descriptions of characters and cats, their behaviors and problems, a lot of interesting facts and tips about cats, quite educational feeling in the book. Pamela Ferguson291 2

Fun, easy to read, suspense, lots of parrells to my life - cats, age, living in Portland, foster cats .. Annie Garstka50 1 follower

Cute, fun cozy mystery! And SUUUUUPER cat-centric which I loved! Quick, easy read. Chris Houghton15

If you want a cat cozy murder, this series delivers. Deann Doolittle1,273 4

Good readcozy Missi Martin (Stockwell)893 22

After just losing my cat, Sammy, I wasn't sure that reading a book regarding cats in any form would be good. BOY was I wrong !!!! Being a "crazy" cat lover myself and having rescued 2 wonderful cats there was so much I could understand and relate to in Cats' Eyes by Mollie Hunt. If you are a cat lover or even an animal lover and pet owner I HIGHLY recommend grabbing this book. It is the first in Hunt's Crazy Cat Lady Mystery series and I cannot wait to get my paws on book two, Copy Cats.

Lynley Cannon is the definition of "crazy" cat lady. She has a handful of cats of her own, she volunteers at a cat-only shelter with her best friend Fannie and she foster's cats. Although she a huge cat lover and lives in a big house alone with her cats she is far from crazy.

Lynley finds her world turned upside down and she doesn't even know why. Apparently there are 2 stone-looking diamonds that are brown and resemble a cat's eye and 2 brothers think that she has them. She actually had one that her cat Fluffs brought in from the backyard. Her home was broken into but Lynley had no idea why. She didn't even realize the ONLY thing taken was the rock/diamond.

Lynley gets attacked, kidnapped, drugged, left to die on a mountain and then held captive in her own home and throughout these ordeals the only thing she is worried about is her CATS.

As a cat lover myself I can totally relate. Although I usually only have one cat of my own, that one cat is my WORLD !!! I personally hate going on vacation and leaving them behind and alone. If that doesn't tell you something.... I suggest you pick up Cats' Eyes and read it. Then you will understand...... Kathy84 9

Very good and fun!!

I've never read the author before, but I'm sure glad I found this book. I love cats (and dogs) and the book revolved around cats and a great mystery. I really that the author put information and tips about cats at the beginning of each chapter.
The only thing that I didn't care for- The main character, 58 year old Lynley, calls her mother by her first name, Carol, and not mom. Lynley's granddaughter calls her Lynley, instead of grandma. It's no big deal, it just bugged me. Other than that, I was a great book! I'm starting book number two. Sheri1,550 22

What a fun ride of a read! This book has very well-developed characters, both able and unable, an adorable cast of cats (each with their own distinctive personalities). I love that the protagonist works at an animal shelter, what a great thing to do!

This book went fast and quick for me (even though I was in a hospital stay).

I enjoyed it so much I'm starting number 2 in the series.

Keep up the great work! Zonell60 8

Lynley Cannon is the crazy cat lady, much of the fifty-eight-year-old retiree’s life is focused on cata. 2015 cozy-mystery crazy-cat-lady Michelle Olms856 6

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