A Familiar Tail Book Review

A Familiar Tail: A Witch's Cat Mystery by Delia James is the first book in its series, and judging by this first book, it's a series I'm going to enjoy following!

About the Book: Struggling artist, Annabelle Britton, decides to visit her best friend, Martine, in the small town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Little does she know that her visit will reveal why she's always been a little different from the rest of her family.  Ever since she was young, Anna has been able to walk into a place and get a "vibe" from it.

She meets a gray cat named Alastair, whose former owner died under suspicious circumstances.  When she follows Alastair into what appears to be an abandoned home, she uncovers a witch's wand.  She soon meets a group of friendly women who use their spells and charms to keep Portsmouth safe.

When another local's dead body turns up, Anna knows she must solve the mystery surrounding both deaths.  She uses the help of her new friends and magic to solve the puzzle.

My Thoughts: A Familiar Tail is told in the first person by Annabelle, who is a very likable character in my opinion.  I really enjoyed watching her discover why she's always been a little different from the rest of her family.

The book has many twists and turns, and I was never sure what the next chapter might bring!  I had a suspicion on who might be behind the murders, but that didn't occur to me until pretty late in the book.

I absolutely loved how Alastair played a major role in this story.  He was an integral part of the story, and I don't think there were many pages on which he didn't appear.  Alastair possess some magical powers.  He's also very communicative; he seems to have something to say about everything, which makes him a rather charming cat.

I believe fans of the Harry Potter series might like this book as well as fans of cozy mysteries with cats playing a major role in the storyline.

I look forward to reading future books in this series and seeing how Anna's knowledge and use of magic develops over time.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of "A Familiar Tail: A Witch's Cat Mystery" by Delia James for a fair and honest review.  Receiving the book did not influence my opinions.  All opinions expressed on Fur Everywhere are my own.