Book Review: Gone But Not Furgotten
Gone but Not Furgotten: A Cat Cafe Mystery by Cate Conte
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I cannot, and never will, resist a book that celebrates cats! I pounced like a kitten on Gone but Not Furgotten.
The Good: Charming characters who interact in interesting ways. I genuinely liked Maddie, Cass, and Grandpa Leo. My heart ached for Laurel, a woman with heaps of problems but unable to accept help. And then there were all those cats! For me, this was a compelling storyline all on its own. Will all the cats be rescued? Will they be okay? I cared more about this than I did about solving the murder.
The Bad: The Big Reveal of who dun it was a complete surprise – and to be honest, unnecessarily so. I felt a bit cheated. I’d been closely following along, staying alert for all clues, motives, and opportunities. But near the end we were suddenly given a heaping helping of new information and character motives as the reason for murder was explained. These clues should have been dropped more organically throughout the book.
The Advice: I enjoy this author’s style and vision. I just wish she’d take more time to plot out her story arc and be more mindful of the clue trail, and the work her readers are putting into following them. I’d give her one more chance with another mystery.
Lori Alden Holuta
Lori Alden Holuta lives between the cornfields of Mid-Michigan, where she grows vegetables and herbs when she’s not writing, editing, or playing games with a cat named Chives.
