The Trouble with Talent
Single mom Colbie Summers has a lot to be grateful for in the run-up to Thanksgiving. Relocating back to her California hometown has brought her irascible dad and adolescent son closer. Her gourmet cat food line—vetted by her trusty taste-tester, Trouble—is about to get a big re-order. And she’s made wonderful new friends and colleagues. Too bad one of them has just been accused of murder.
Sunnyside’s most gifted students have been at the mercy of a shadowy network of college fixers—including an abusive oboe teacher whose recommendation is necessary to get into Julliard and a school secretary who alters grades for cash. When they turn up dead, Colbie has to untangle a cat’s cradle of suspects and motivations—from livid parents and students whose dreams have been crushed to an entire secret Facebook group of spurned lovers.
Suddenly, holiday preparations just got a lot hairier. With the big re-order now on hold and the real killer still at large, Colbie discovers that someone has been grading on a very dangerous curve—and it will take all her newfound sleuthing talent to land safely on her feet.
Series: A Gourmet Cat Mystery – Book #3
Author: Kathy Krevat
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Animal Pet
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Page Count:188
Rating: 
Kathy Krevat’s latest mystery book addition to her “A Gourmet Cat Mystery” series The Trouble with Talent from Lyrical Underground is a fun-filled page-turner filled with real-world headlines and contemporary issues. Ms. Krevat (Aarons) has cooked up a mystery that will keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats.
Colbie is a typical mom, protective yet not wanting to be intrusive, she wants what’s best for her son. She tries not to interfere any more than she has to and does her best to keep her motherly opinions to herself. But when she sees a friend’s child being verbally abused by a trusted teacher, her outrage can’t be contained.
Colbie is outspoken, sometimes mildly irritating, and completely charming. None of which is uncommon in a mystery book character, but she does keep us entertained and turning the page. The fact that she didn’t realize how bloodthirsty parents and educators could be, only shows how often she looks at the world from a different perspective than most people. This makes her a very engaging character.
Most of the characters in The Trouble with Talent provide an integral perspective on the mindset of parents who will go to almost any length to give their kid an advantage. From one parent who is obsessed with making sure her son goes to the perfect school, to one who becomes violent upon learning about the teacher’s abuse, to a parent who just wants to get an abusive relationship out of her child’s life, these characters show us a side of being a parent few mystery books allow.
The killer is not who you would expect, and although the clues were throughout the book, some readers may not connect them until the end. The resolution of the investigation is concluded successfully, with each twist and turn explained.
The Trouble with Talent is an engrossing mystery book that is easy to read and filled with fun, exciting action-filled scenes, memorable characters, and a great plot. I highly recommend this book and series to readers of all cozy mysteries.
Readers who enjoy the Gourmet Cat Mystery series may also enjoy Bethany Blake’s http://www.bethanyblakeauthor.com/ “Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery” series https://www.thecozyreview.com/a-midwinters-tail/or Julie Chase’s http://juliechasebooks.com/ “A Kitty Couture Mystery” series https://www.thecozyreview.com/cat-got-secrets/.
About the Author:
Kathy Aarons (Krevat) grew up in rural Pennsylvania, attended Carnegie Mellon University, and moved to New York City where she built her career in public relations and met her husband. They relocated to California where she became one of “those” moms: running the PTA, fundraising for school foundations, helping with a high school writers conference, creating costumes for youth theater, building puppets, and cheering on her daughters in hundreds of swim meets and soccer and basketball games.
She began writing when her youngest daughter attended school five days a week and pursued publishing more seriously when her oldest daughter went off to college. She now lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters where she wakes up far too early and is currently obsessed with the Broadway Idiot documentary, finding the perfect cup of coffee, and Dallmann’s Sea Salt Caramels.
Contact Kathy: https://www.kathyaarons.com/
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