| Title | : | Probable Paws (Mystic Notch #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 284 |
| Publication | : | First published April 5, 2016 |
Except Willa's search for the book has her crossing the path of Sheriff Eddie Striker one too many times for comfort. He's acting almost as if he's investigating a murder, but Adelaide died of natural causes. Didn't she?
When it turns out Adelaide's entire family had means, motive, opportunity, Willa's search becomes dangerous, and she finds herself matching wits with a cold-blooded killer that wants the same thing she does.
Luckily, Willa's cat Pandora is looking out for her and enlists the aid of the other cats of Mystic Notch who will stop at nothing to ensure Willa's safety as well as the recovery of the book ... even if it takes a little bit of magic.
Probable Paws (Mystic Notch #5) Reviews
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I really like this series, but there are a few things that are starting to bother me, mostly in how slowly it's moving (almost to the point where I am honestly kind of losing respect for basically everyone in the town, especially Willa), but there are other issues, as well. My grievances are as follows:
- The "paperweight." Really? This seems to be a useful item for Willa to understand and maybe figure out by book 3, but here we are and she still has no idea that it's more than a paperweight. And, it's not even like it's that big of a mystery, it's just that even though she always looks at it and thinks it's the drapes or whatever reflected in it, she never actually PICKS IT UP and examines it when it catches her eye, which is what I think anyone else would do. Willa knows that the glass balls the cats led her to are fire grenades (early fire extinguishers) due to her going to all those estate and antique sales, but she hasn't figured out the paperweight (BOTH UNUSUAL AND AN ANTIQUE, of which she is always bragging that she knows a lot about) is basically a crystal ball? And, if Elspeth has one and knows Willa hasn't figured out what it is WHY DOESN'T SHE JUST TELL HER after all this time??
- Willa's injured leg? I feel like there is something related to Willa's injured leg and the detection of magic being used around her or when questionable people are around her, like it causes her extra pain to give her a heads up as a dowsing rod of some sort. It is never fully addressed, but the hints at it also aren't stopping. She seems to experience the pain related to the actual injury less now, but that just means that when it DOES pain her now (like when she was in the basement at the end of this book), it seems to mean something significant, but it gets added to the list of the magical things she hasn't figured out yet.
- Now Striker sees ghosts?? In book 4, the novella starring Pandora, I was absolutely confused about how Striker all of a sudden can also see ghosts, even though, as far as I could tell(?), this was never alluded to as a thing in any of the previous books. We don't even know what brought this on! Willa started to see them after a near-death experience, but Striker just apparently started to see them for no reason? Maybe there is some backstory we don't know about? I hope all of this is addressed when (please don't be "if" *sigh*) they FINALLY talk to each other about it, which I hope is in the next book. Ugh. My rage over this may seem disproportionate considering we only found out in book 4 that Striker can see ghosts; however, let's remember that Willa has been hiding this from EVERYone but Pepper since book 1 (or, to be more accurate, for like three years since that is how long she's been back in Mystic Notch and since seeing ghosts was due to her accident which is what brought her back to Mystic Notch in the first place). I was going to let it go... I mean, we don't have to know EVERYthing about every character and it's okay for authors to have a little something up their sleeve; however, with this last book, I couldn't let it go anymore, which brings me to my next point.
- Endless waffling about relationship. I am not sure why there has to be this prolonged agony with Willa and Striker actually getting together. It was bad enough before when for seemingly no reason they were on again/off again (I think the excuse was both having been hurt previously, so they were taking things slowly--but taking things slowly is different from being on again/off again, which came out of the blue). Anyway, now I feel like Striker seeing ghosts has been invented as a mechanism for two completely disparate purposes:
-- First to drive a wedge between Willa and Striker (for absolutely no reason--they are already on again/off again due to hurt feelings in previous relationships and having a hard time committing)
-- Then to have them realize they are "perfect" for each other (like the thing that brings them together will not be anything substantial or a resolution of whatever concerns they have, just the idea that they must be "perfect" because they can both see ghosts but ghosts on different planes so it makes them great partners in crime-solving AND in life or something ridiculous like that)
So, now it's just absolutely PAINFUL as the reader that Willa and Striker won't tell each other about the ghosts they see. For one thing, it's just silly to be with someone that you can't be totally honest with, especially when it's RUINING YOUR RELATIONSHIP not to be honest!! For another, all of that hiding things from each other could really be dangerous and harmful with actual consequences for people in Mystic Notch. If they had just been honest with each other, this mystery could have been solved in, like, one day and other people wouldn't have been in danger.
- Fires. Speaking of being in danger, in three of these five books, everything comes to a head... and Willa is trapped in a room that is on fire. This seems to be the only tense situation that Dobbs can think of to end these stories with. Unimaginative and boring. It's like calling in to work because the same grandmother "died" six times. Oh, and where was Hope when this fire was going on? She is conspicuously, conveniently missing altogether during the ending when aaaaaaaall the other cats were there--she could have totally stopped that fire with her fire powers, as I'm assuming she can't just start fires and she can also put them out.
- Pandora. How many times is Willa going to "wonder if Pandora is trying to tell her something"? My god, even Evie in this last book was like, "I think the cats are trying to tell us something!" and Willa was like, "Oh, I guess she's right!" WTF. My cat isn't magical, from an order of ancient cats that protects humans, telepathic, or fluent in human-meow talk, and even *I* can tell when she is trying to tell me something and what that something is. Granted, we aren't solving murders together, but I'm pretty sure if we were we'd work together better than Willa and Pandora do. It is ludicrous that Willa still hasn't figured all this out about Pandora.
- Repetitive phrase. This is nitpick-y, but I am tired of Willa's blood "running cold" or "being chilled" when something scary happens--it happens three times in this book. It happens in the previous books, too (even to Pandora in book 4 whose blood both freezes and boils!), but at the most twice. I am sure there is another phrase that can be used instead.
- Pepper's disappearance. This was just odd. For whatever reason, Pepper was "on vacation" for the beginning, then randomly returns home in the middle as a way for Willa to get in to the Hamilton mansion, then she completely disappears again! Usually Pepper is "peppered" all over these books for Willa to bounce ideas off and as a way for Willa to get into places or access people she may not normally be able to. Come to think of it, her bookstore foursome was mostly missing from this book as well. I can only imagine this was done because Striker shows up all over the place in this one and so maybe Pepper and the others would seem superfluous... except that Willa didn't actually talk Striker about ANYthing useful or tell him the truth about anything. Or maybe it's supposed to show Willa's growing independence with solving these murders. I have no idea. It's like Willa's usual support system was taken away, but I am not sure why?
- Everyone is such "great friends," but no one trusts each other. It's not just Willa and Striker being dishonest with each other--the whole town is dishonest with her (and vice versa). I touched a little bit on this above with the paperweight, but I am mystified, particularly this far in the series, about why everyone continues to be so secretive and shifty with Willa (and vice versa) when she is CLEARLY integral to everything that is going on. Why doesn't everyone (Elspeth, Bing, etc.) just TELL HER everything instead of patronizingly advising her to "believe in magic"? Wouldn't it behoove them to have her in on everything, particularly if protecting the town is apparently their #1 priority and she clearly isn't getting it on her own? Maybe it's some sort of "you have to figure this out on your own to come into your true powers" kind of thing, but that makes no sense because Willa already has powers and they know that, she just isn't connecting all the other things. Any excuses from either Willa or the others about "being embarrassed" or "worrying people won't believe them" is silly this far into things. Willa's been back for something like THREE YEARS. How long are they going to wait for her to get a clue about all this?? At least with ghosts they "lose their memory" so they can't be more specific about things, which helps with the mystery side (though even then there still have been a couple who did remember things but wouldn't tell Willa even though they needed her help!), but where world-building is concerned with the mysticism of the town and the people in it, I am annoyed about the dishonesty--everyone is supposed to be so closely knit but in reality no one trusts each other and they never work together. Hell, even JOHN THE BUTLER from this last book seems to be in on the town protection! Also, I have no idea why her grandma didn't just leave her a letter saying, "I know all of this is weird, but the paperweight isn't a paperweight it's a crystal ball, Pandora is magical and you should listen to her, the town is constantly at war with good and evil and Elspeth and Bing and all the cats are in on it" and whatever else Willa needs to know. It just seems like it has gotten to the point where people are cutting off their nose to spite their face with this continued secrecy.
I listened to the previous five books on audio, but for some reason, book 6 isn't available in that format and I'm already reading a couple other things so it might take me a while to read book 6. Though, maybe a break from this series would be okay (and maybe the audiobook for book 6 will be available by then). I am willing to try book 6, but I will likely abandon the series if the majority of the issues I mentioned above do not improve in that book. Though, on the other hand, I also fear that it will all be rushed to make up for poor pacing earlier and this series will take the turn that the Wishcraft series took, where nothing happened for four books, then allofasudden all the things happened in book five for no reason and was just unnatural and jolting. -
The fact Willa and Striker can both see and communicate with ghosts and neither of them knows the other has the ability, is hilarious! It’s definetly having a bit of a negative effect on their love life and although I can’t wait for the moment they find out they can both talk to ghosts, I’m enjoying this. It’s made these books even better.
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Still enjoying this series, but please, please let Willa and Striker find out that they can both see ghosts;
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Recipe Book For Food Or Magic?
Mystic Notch has lost a resident from cancer. Willa sees a ghost of the deceased, Adelaide who wantsWilla to find a book of recipes that was left to Elspeth.
Willa is not concerned because she thinks it is a cookbook. Pandora knows that it is a book of magic spells and Willa must find it before the evil forces do. Pandora meets with the other magical cats to help Willa finds the book. Sheriff Eddie Striker is also looking for the book. He can see a ghost but it is on a different plane than Adelaide. The are lovers and want to be together. There are enough turns and twists that will hold your interested as Eddie and Willa looked for the book of spells. Pandora trying to find locating the missing book. Of course, we must have evil forces involved, Felicity Bates and her cat Fluff.
Looking for a light and easy read they one is one the best. This series will better if read in order -
This is the cutest cosy murder mystery I have ever read. Willa runs a bookshop she inherited and can see ghosts who ask her to solve their murder, or in this case find a recipe book and make sure it gets to the right person. Her boyfriend can also see ghosts, but different ones and neither of them knows that the other can see ghosts too. To top it off, she has the cutest cat called Pandora who runs an Ancient Order of cats sworn to protect justice, who does her best to help "her human" solve the crime and to thwart the machinations of the evil Fluff who lives across the village. It's all so cute.
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Reviewed for
herding cats & burning soup. (posting to blog 4/18/19)
Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2JKZS7L
I've been having such fun with this series. A small town with some slightly mystical elements. A town filled with ancient cats who's mission is to protect their humans. A bookstore owning heroine and a sexy cop hero. I mean. Ahhhh!
The Gist: An old lady dies...or is it murder? Her shady family and a lost recipe book might prove it's the latter. And Willa...who has been tasked by a ghost to find that lost recipe book might get more than she bargained for with this set of crazy family members.
Oh Willa and Striker. They're both such great characters. I've enjoyed them and that they're slightly older coming in around 50. They're taking their romance slow (darn!) and we don't get nearly enough of the two together but I still enjoy their moments. And a new revelation about Striker this go around which was so fun!
I enjoyed the mystery, too. Wanted to shake some people because come on just say what you wanna say and stop being so mysterious and vague! but still a fun mystery that kept me semi-guessing at who was on which side of things and how it would all play out.
All in all, Probable Paws was another enchanting addition to the series. Some ghosts, some romance, all the kitties our hearts could desire...yes, good times, indeed. -
Willa Chance inherited a haunted bookstore from her grandmother, as well as a very strange cat. Sure Willa can see ghosts, but magic? She certainly doesn't believe in witches and magic spells. When Willa's grandmother's friend Adelaide Hamilton dies, Adelaide's ghost appears to ask Willa to retrieve a family recipe book and keep it safe from her greedy, bickering relatives. Sounds simple. But the book doesn't contain recipes for cookies, it contains recipes for magic spells, and people will stop and nothing to get it for themselves.
Despite this being #5 in the series, it's the first Mystic Notch book I've read. It's cute. Willa can see ghosts, her boyfriend Striker can see ghosts (though not the same ghosts), her cat is a secret town guardian who speaks with other special cats, and her grandmother was most likely a secret witch. There's nothing groundbreaking about Probable Paws but it's a delightful cozy mystery and I want to read more in this series. -
A fun read as always
Love this series. Always great for a fun quick read. Can't wait for the next one in the series! ... -
Super cute! Loved how involved the cats are getting. Striker and willow are adorable and I love everything about this.
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This book had a definite twist in it. It was a murder mystery, but for once, the main character, Willa Chance. owner of Last Chance Books, wasn't looking for a killer but a recipe book. That certainly didn't stop the fact that a murder happened, nor that Willa keep running into her on again/off again boyfriend, Eddie Striker who has a mission of his own.
This was a surprising mystery. It opens with a funeral of Willa's Grandmother's friend, Adelaide Hamilton. When who should arrive at the service, but Adelaide herself, now a ghost. If you have read this series you know that Willa an see ghosts and talk with them. Normally, they want her to solve their murder, but, in this case, Adelaide is anxious for Willa to find a book of recipes. Curiously Willa's Grandmother wrote in her will, to pass on this same book to their mutual friend, Elspeth Whipple. What is so important about this book?
An odd family, old enemies, love affairs throughout lifetimes, and oh so much more is in this book. And, yes a murder will be solved. And the book? Well, you will just have to find out when Willa does. Smiles. -
Leighann Dobbs continues to get 5 thumbs up in Probable Paws, book 5 of this cozy paranormal mystery series. The stories center on Willa, an appealing character, as well as a group of cats with supernatural abilities sworn to protect their town and its human residents from evil. There are always surprising twists and turns for mystery lovers. There is also a light romance with the local sheriff, for those who like romance. Probable Paws also includes ghosts, which need help.
The books in this series are separate stories so they can be read out of order, but I started from book 1 and think most readers will prefer going in sequence to get more out of the author's occasional reference to past events.
Every book in this series has rated 5 stars with me and hopefully there will be many more. -
Kindle Unlimited, Leighann Dobbs writes under Leighann Dobbs, Annie Dobbs and (soon) L.A. Dobbs but her real name {not sure if she writes under that one} is Lee Dobbins, Hazel Martin Mysteries only one I found for this type with her, she has not made sure that terms used match the British terms as well as in other areas for that period of architecture and assorted styles.
The Notch Cozy Mystery Series {5 out as of this writing} and the Blackbore Sisters Cozy Mysteries are not on Kindle Unlimited which as said before about 1 & 7 {the only ones given free, sure would not have bought them} and ditto for Ghostly Paws which is 1 of 5 at this time but did get others free over time.
While some of her other books are Kindle Unlimited none of the Blackmoore Sisters Cozy Mysteries are which doesn't matter to me as read #1 and #7 and was way underwhelmed. Leighann Dobbs writes under Leighann Dobbs, Annie Dobbs and (soon) L.A. Dobbs but her real name {not sure if she writes under that one} is Lee Dobbins, Hazel Martin Mysteries only one I found for this type with her, she has not made sure that terms used match the British terms as well as in other areas for that period of architecture and assorted styles. By the way, bakeries and other food service places don't run like that. Badly needs to proof things, it's messing up the flow of the book, which my computer reads to me, so that's bad. As for these, it's not that the situations couldn't happen, it's in the telling of the story, with unlikable unbelievable characters and situations, again.
Yet another goodreads won't hide it don't want to see the badly proofed badly plotted poor excuse for bad soft core porn crap. The 'historical' ones are like that and so are the some of the non cozy mysteries and some of the sorta but not really mysteries because can't write, etc ad nauseum. The most any of them got was 2 changed to 1 for crap cozy, some get a 1 which means basically crappy soft porn 'romance' etc.
3 in Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series so far which are on kindle unlimited, 3 in the Moosamuck Island Mysteries , 5 in the Mystic Notch Cozy Mysteries so far {not ku}, Blackmore Sisters has 7 {not ku}, Hazel Martin Mysteries only has 1 so far, Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery series 12 so far is on ku. Others.including Scandals and Spies Book series so far 4 which are basically romance soft core porn dreck but hey you can get them on ku. Witches of Hawthorne Grove 1 so far,Cevonne Bride of Oklahoma, Unexpected Series 4 so far ku.
The Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series By the way, bakeries and other food service places don't run like that. Badly needs to proof things, it's messing up the flow of the book, which my computer reads to me, so that's bad. As for these, it's not that the situations couldn't happen, it's in the telling of the story, with unlikable unbelievable characters and situations, again.
Copy/paste fill in the blank seems to be pretty much what she is doing in her books, which wouldn't be half as bad if the plots and ploys and actions were believable at all.Just change the name for a book and maybe change the series list under, and you are right back to copy paste same old same old.
NOTE: I specifically mentioned certain of the 'books'/series were achieving soft core crap status, and specifically said which ones those were, reference AGAIN the above quoted review, and did not specifically mention the blackmore ones as that, BUT and had not mentioned that had went back and rated all no talent no plot cardboard charactered 'stories' listed above as 1 as well. I will change the original review to reflect that, but it is still a 1, and MY review of the crap stands. -
I like this cozy mystery series by Leighann Dobbs even though they are about talking cats and magic. If you don’t want to pretend or use your imagination, then don’t bother reading them. They’re fun and easy to read and provide an afternoon’s entertainment in an otherwise sad world.
However, of all I’ve read this far, this one’s ending was the most implausible and I wish the author had put a little more thought into it. I can’t say much without giving a spoiler. There’s no way that the ending would take as long or the two characters would be having the conversation they are while everything else is happening. When you read it—you’ll know.
Anyway, I still love the characters and the cats and I’ll
continue reading the series. -
Probable Paws (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery #5) [Kindle Unlimited]— Leighann Dobbs (28 chapters) July 16-17, 2019
An older woman is killed, but all she's concerned about is getting her recipe book to the right people. However...the deceased can't remember where she put it, people are moving it around, and she feels her long deceased hubby is near and that she's about to lose him. Meanwhile, Striker can see the hubby, but not the newly deceased.
Hijinks ensue and both Willa and Striker try to keep the other one from discovering their secret. However, if Willa is not careful, she may be the next to die.
Pandora continues her quest. But when her human gets in trouble, it's up to her to save her in an unexpected way.
Four stars. -
So glad I found this series
This book you can read independently but if you can read the others first I would recommend it. The others just give you an on-site to the history,personally, and just the air of the story. But if you don’t have access to the others in the series don’t neglect reading this. There was a small time that I felt as if the writer was stalling but that didn’t last long. If you pay close attention as you read you may figure out “who done it” (personally I had it down to one of two) very nicely written. And like the others in this series I can honestly recommend it to my preteen-tween advanced reading friends. No language and no sexual issues. Am off to read the next adventure -
A cute series.....
but the reader must be okay with good witches and cats that have magical powers and main characters who are visited by ghosts. I'm okay with it as these are light and quick reading. And I like cats. I won't repeat a summary of the plot. You might want to read the first book in the series so you have some of Willa's backstory. Since this is book 5, there aren't many clues on that topic. The story is complete, though, and one could enjoy it even without the background. One peeve I do have is now we are on book 5 and Willa still hasn't figured out her cat has magical powers? Good grief, get a clue already! ☺ -
Once again, bookstore owner Willa Chance is implored by a ghost in Mystic Notch, New Hampshire, to do an errand for the recently departed, Adelaide Hamilton. It sounds easy enough: find a book Adelaide calls "Betty's Recipes" and pass it along to Willa's neighbor, Elspeth Whipple. But things are never exactly as they seem in Mystic Notch.
For one thing, there is a question as to whether Adelaide's death was natural. For another, it seems that the entire Hamilton family, as well as Willa and a few others, are looking for that book. And the cats of Mystic Notch, with their supernatural senses, are recognizing that something evil is afoot ... -
Just gets better and better
I really enjoyed seeing all the notch's cats get together again to help save the town.
I liked the funny interplay between Stryker and Willa as they both tried to keep one another from their 'secret'. I bet they'd be an even better team if they each found out that they share the same gift. I'd be interested to learn how Stryker came about his gift.
This one had a nice twist. And the frog bit... LOL.
I can't say more as I don't want to give anything away. But this was a funny and yes, serious, story too. Keep up the great work Ms Dobbs! -
A simple recipe book - or is it more?
Wow! The death of an elderly resident is viewed as natural. But when her ghost comes back and says that a recipe book is missing - things take on a different hue. Will they be able to sort out the clues before more lives are put at stake? Wish the series had ended with the hero and heroine admitting to each other they could see ghosts. Maybe another book will come out and do so? -
This is the 5th in the series. The main characters are Willa and Striker. They are both able to see and hear ghost but haven't told each other that yet. When there is a death in town they both see different ghosts who want the same thing. Find Betty's recipe book. They are all over the place looking for it but can't figure out where it is hidden. Can they find it before it's too late ? Before this book falls into the wrong hands ?
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This book returns to the voice of Willa Chase, bookseller, who can see and speak to ghosts. A recently deceased neighbor comes to her to ask for help in getting a book of "recipes" to the proper person. As usual, Pandora the cat and her magical cat friends get in on the action.
Cozy mysteries are so much fun to relax with in mid-winter. -
Mystical Recipes
When both Willa and Stryker get haunted by the ghosts of a couple who want to be together in the afterlife things get crazy. They are scared to death to tell the other of their special powers and instead they end up acting foolish. I can't wait for Pandora to talk Willa into sharing her secret with Stryker and they can work together.
