The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon

A Cats in Trouble Mystery

By: Leann Sweeney

Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson

When quilter Jillian Hart returns to her lake house in Mercy, South Carolina, she discovers her friend, Tom, is missing-and his estranged half-brother has moved into Tom's house. Jillian doesn't trust the guy, especially since he allowed Tom's diabetic cat to escape. When police officers find Tom's wrecked car with a dead stranger inside, Jillian is determined to find out what happened to Tom-before someone else turns up dead.

©2012 Leann Sweeny (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Good Cozy Mystery

Any additional comments?

Surprises are in store for Jillian Hart when she returns home to Mercy, South Carolina. Her good friend, Tom, is missing. In his place, an irresponsible, unknown brother has appeared. Tom’s diabetic cat is also missing and is definitely a cat in trouble. Where do the wife and weapon tie in? Who is the strange murder victim? The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon is another mystery in the Cats in Trouble series by Leann Sweeney. There is just enough mystery and charm to make this a good cozy mystery and a great audio book.

My Friend, Her Cats, and Murder!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I come from a long line of crazy cat people, I can tell you how many cats you have by the hairs I count on your sweater so listen up! This is an amazingly well done well crafted story.

What did you like best about this story?

Jillian is that person that everyone in a certain age range begins to worry that they are become and yet celebrates the spirit of being unique and ordinary all weaved together as one. She is a turn on the dime, sleuth, who doesn't miss a thing and her babies...the deliciously named kitties are the reward of being a really great person, parent, and friend.

Have you listened to any of Vanessa Johansson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes many and I have to say she knows that her job is to make the characters become real so that they are virtually sitting with me actually fully there talking their parts. I have a hellish commute and it's like I am carpooling Jillian et al...with me sometimes i take the very long way home just to get further into the story because Vanessa is a brilliant communicator of the magic that these books produce.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

seeing julian really come into her own in realizing what her life with tom and everyone is really going to become after marriage an life stuff. It bounces me forward to want to know so much more.

Any additional comments?

YOU will love this series for the very human and animal friendly way it makes you think and feel. You won't agree always but you will understand more about life and yourself and slow down and for heaven's sake rub a kitty cat once in a while.

A+

My go to feel good when I need to come down from an intense novel. So lighthearted, cozy, and stress free!

LOVELY COZY MYSTERY

AS USUAL LEANN SWEENEY DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IN WRITING A VERY GOOD MYSTERY. WE HAVE LOTS OF ACTION, AND THE NARRATOR IS EXCELLENT. WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO PASS THE DAY, I WAS RIVETED TO THE STORY. THANK YOU LEANN SWEENEY AND VANESSA JOHANSSON FOR A LOVELY JOB. HURRY AND WRITE THE NEXT ONE. THIS IS A GREAT SERIES OF STORIES, GREAT CHARACTERS AND WHO DONE IT MURDER. I CANNOT WAIT TILL THE NEXT ONE.

The Best Yet

This is so far the best book in the series. The storyline was interesting and entertaining. This book was truly enjoyable.

Another Solid And Enjoyable Story

I'm a big fan of this series. I think I've audible-ed through these 3 times now over the years and still get a thrill out of listening to them. This particular story isn't one of her best imo. But it's still a 4/5 for me. The inclusion of the clueless kid, who is kind of a blumbler who seems to get everything wrong, and the story being so much about him was a bad idea imo. I'm glad that he didn't really become one of the leading characters if the books that came after this one. Still a solid story though, and kind of halfway between "cozy" and "hard boiled".

Another great book by Leann Sweeney

Coming home from a tour selling her cat quilts, Jillian becmes alarmed when she hasn’t heard from her friend Tom, but when she goes to Tom’s house, she encounters his estranged half-brother, Bob, who has broken into Tom’s house, arousing fears in Jillian in The Cat, the Wife, and the Weapon by Leann Sweeney. Causing further drama, Jillian learns that Bob has let Tom’s diabetic cat get loose, and Jillian finds him comatose with dangerously low blood sugar. After returning home from the vet, where Dashiell gets proper treatment, Jillian finds Tom in her house, where he retreated to take a shower, and she is alarmed to see his face badly beaten up.

Tom explains that he has an ex-wife who has a son with whom Tom really bonded before divorcing Hillary a year later, and soon after turning 18, Finn has run away from his mother and her husband, Nolan Roth, who happens to be Tom’s ex-partner from the police force whom Tom turned in for being a corrupt cop and got out of prison a year earlier. This man, certain Tom must have Finn hidden in his home, has kidnapped Tom and held him captive with repeated beatings until Tom managed to escape. As Jillian takes Tom home, they see a young man walking on the side of the road, and Tom recognizes Finn. But when they pick up the young man, Jillian recognizes a head injury and signs of a concussion, and Finn can’t remember anything from most of the day. When Finn’s step-father is found murdered, Finn becomes a suspect in the crime.

The book explores the soap opera that is Tom’s former life. It contains quite a few characters, which gets a little bit confusing at times, but that was a minor concern. But the thing that seems unusual to me is the extensive past in Tom’s life that, despite dating Jillian for what I think has been about a year, Tom has never even given Jillian a hint existed. She suddenly learns he has twin brothers, is divorced, and has a step-son he is devoted to and has continued to keep in touch with. What kind of relationship that appears as healthy as Tom’s and Jillian’s has, involves such deep secrets? Further, Tom’s deep bitterness against Hillary seems very uncharacteristic of his character.

Vanessa Johansson continues in performing the narrative of the audiobook. I really love the sound of her voice, which just sounds so perfectly like Jillian likely sounds. Her inflections and gentle southern accent suit the character of Jillian, the narrator of the book, very well.

I enjoyed The Cat, the Wife, and the Weapon a lot, but it isn’t as strong as the first three books. But a weak Leann Sweeney book is still a strong book in general. I give this book four stars.

Cute, Cute, Cute

Where does The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love this series. Very light listen and some very touching moments. The cats are so cute and funny while the story keeps you guessing. A really fun series. I wish there were more of them.

The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon

Did not care for this book at all. Not much of a cat in this one and the Narrator got on my nerves. Don't think I will be buying any more of her books.

Not as good as I thought

Unfortunately the narrator just read. By the end I could not stand the - She said - He said which had to be used so you knew which character was supposed to be talking.
Decided I will not try any more.