Review: Kill All Cats

 

Synopsis:

Ron Black is a 35-year-old night security guard living a moribund existence. Past deeds need to stay buried for him to remain a free man. When the elderly cat lady next-door dies along with her thirty-eight cats, Ron feels the investigative heat from Detectives Moore and Porter. His alibi: “I was at work.”

The police disrupt Ron’s life, which he shares with Brisbane, his cockatiel. He squawks surprisingly relevant quotes learned from watching crime show reruns 24/7—some of which don’t help Ron’s situation. Ron picks up clues about what happened next-door from conflicting comments by his odd neighbors: “She was popped.” “Poisoned.” “Chopped up.” The neighbors include Ron’s estranged great-uncle Kirk, a disgruntled scientist, who had worked at the pharmaceutical company where Ron is the night guard.

When Ron’s only friend, Jean, disappears, the police double-down on him as a suspect for this crime, too. The next day, the police infer his arrest in twenty-four hours for the crime at his neighbor’s house. Despite the pressure to save himself, he is compelled to find his friend.

Sprinkle a bit of an Agatha Christie closed-room mystery with the situational humor of Evanovich for a high-level concept as Ron tries to “…control what he can control.” And just when you think it’s all over, another layer of horror reveals itself, and Ron didn’t even see it coming.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

Kill All Cats by Rick Bylina is an intriguing novel. This crazy tale about an elderly lady owning thirty-eight cats has been found dead. But that’s not all. So were her cats. All were found dead. Who did it and how are left unknown, until the ending where all it all became known. I found the beginning dragging behind a bit until more suspicious events occur like his friend gone missing. The writer has brilliantly incorporated humor into his writing. The bird inside this story will keep you turning the pages….but so does Ron’s troubles. Ron seems like the average guy. A guy who happens to pull himself deeper into hot water with the police than pulling himself out of it. Every page kept me wondering if and when they police would arrest Ron or if something horrendous would happen to Ron. Kill All Cats is similar to a cozy mystery that keeps readers held in suspense as the plot unfolds. Steady paced, and packed with crime and mystery, and a peculiar set of characters. I enjoyed reading this novel. Overall, I recommend Kill All Cats by Rick Bylina to readers everywhere.