The Cat Who Solved Three Murders

Conrad the Cat Detective, Book 2

By: L T Shearer

Narrated by: Imogen Church

WATERSTONES BEST CRIME BOOKS OF 2023 PICK

The Cat Who Solved Three Murders by L T Shearer is a charming cosy crime listen for fans of Richard Osman and S. J. Bennett.

Retired police detective Lulu Lewis’s life changed forever when she met a street cat named Conrad. There’s something very special about Conrad, but it’s a secret she has to keep to herself.

When Lulu takes her narrowboat to Oxford, she is planning nothing more stressful than attending a friend’s birthday party. And drinking a few glasses of Chardonnay.

But a brutal murder and a daring art theft means her plans are shattered – instead she and Conrad find themselves on the trail of a killer . . .

A killer who may well strike again.

©2023 L T Shearer (P)2023 Macmillan Publishers International Limited

Critic reviews

'A terrific read - murder, arson and a cat who is so much more than he seems!' – J. M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder

'A charming, off-beat story with some great characters and wonderful locations' – S. J. Bennett on The Cat Who Caught a Killer

Terrible Narration & Some Plot Issues

This narrator drove me out of my mind? Notice the inappropriate use of a question mark there? That’s because I’m illustrating the problem with about fifty percent of the dialog? The narrator has chosen to end at least half the dialog, especially that between women, by raising the pitch of her voice at the end? This is the cue universally acknowledged by English speakers to indicate a question. It’s correct when the dialog actually IS a question but it masks the authors intent when it isn’t a question at all.

Additionally, the narrator speaks all the male characters with straight forward, fairly firm voices but almost all the women with reticent, almost quavering voices. Again, this badly warps authorial intent.

I have listened to literally thousands of audiobooks and in all that time there have been just two or three narrators I feel actually ruined the experience of the book. This was one.

In terms of plot holes, there were a couple of giant ones. The most glaring hole is that the plot describes the role of a “bag man” in the police force but then, absolutely unrealistically, pairs the main character up with the police detective, provides the main character with information she would never be given in any universe, and puts her in danger while leaving the bag man behind for all but a couple of tiny mentions. The second plot issue is that there’s no possible way any police force would have left the character who actually turns out to be the murderer out of their detailed inquiries. The moment that character was mentioned any mystery reader will put the pieces together. Had the story between that point and the actual reveal been stronger (and less whiny) then I would have appreciated the ride and let it go. Sadly this was not the case.

I loved the first book in this series but this one badly needed an editor who was not asleep at the wheel. The same is true for the audio production. I’m truly disappointed that I can not recommend this book.

Great new cat mystery

This is the second one I have listened to and I am looking forward to the next.