REVIEW: Romeow and Juliet by Kathi Daley

Romeow and Juliet
Author: Kathi Daley

It isn't often that a cozy mystery makes me laugh out loud. This one did. It was an absolute joy to read. The main character, Caitlin Hart, is at times beset by bad luck. She wears a low cut sweater in an attempt to charm a bank loan officer and has a severe wardrobe malfunction. She finds a stray cat who kindly gives her the gift of fleas, leading her to jump into the harbor within view of the same banker. She attempts to eavesdrop on possible criminals only to slip in sea lion poo ending up in the water yet again. I found the main character such a complete hoot that I couldn't stop reading. Just delightful!

As far as I am concerned Kathi Daley hit a total out-of-the-park home run with this first book in the Whales and Tails series.

The basic plot: Caitlin lives on Madrona Island off the coast of Washington State. She lives with her mother and her aunt, and they run a cat sanctuary. Caitlin  and her friend Tara plan to open a bookstore/coffee shop/cat adoption center in an abandoned cannery building. The building has been empty since the cannery closed, and the two women are working hard to secure bank financing to remodel the building. At the same time, the island's residents are divided between those who want to maintain their secluded island lifestyle and those who want to open things up to more tourism, condos and more modern ways. When Caitlin's dog Max discovers the body of an island councilman in the old cannery building, their business plans are put on hold while the murder is under investigation. When it appears that someone is trying to remove any opposition to the proposed condo project by whatever means necessary, Caitlin starts investigating to discover the murderer.

The story is rather short, but a very enjoyable read. The cover art is awesome! It was the cover that caught my eye online  and led me to read the book! The mystery is engaging and the characters likable. The humor made this a very fun read. I can't wait to read book 2 in the series!

There are 8 books so far in the Whales and Tails series. Daley also writes the Zoe Donovan mysteries, TJ Jensen Paradise Lake series, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries and Seacliff High Mysteries for teens.