The Cat Who Solved Three Murders revolves around retired met detective Lulu and her cat Conrad who are in Oxford for her friend Julia's husbands 60th birthday party. The day before they arrive a man is murdered at the house and as the title suggests this is the first of multiple murders which Lulu and Conrad assist Tracey, the detective, in solving. This book is the second in the series however it can definitely be read as a stand alone.

This book was a fun, fast-paced read and I was never bored whilst reading it. I really liked the Oxford setting and as a current Oxford university student there were lots of places mentioned that I have visited which was really fun to read about. Lulu's narration was entertaining to read and I liked the friendship/mentorship which develops between her and Tracey.

The fact that Conrad the cat could talk took a bit of getting used to however by the end of the book it didn't throw me off as much as it did at the start. I do wish that the friendship between Lulu and Julia had been fleshed out slightly more and that Julia's character had been developed beyond just being Bernard's wife.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you like cozy crime and are looking for a light hearted mystery!

Conrad the talking cat is back with his retired detective owner Lulu in the second book of this cozy crime series.

I must admit that i found the idea of a talking cat a bit bizarre at times and Lulu does seem to piece most of the clues  together herself. However he is a quirky and lovable character and a great companion for Lulu.

A fun light read which would appeal to cat lovers!

Conrad the calico cat and Lulu are back investigating another case this second instalment, if you described the concept of these books to someone they would look at you like you’d lost the plot (my husband did 😂) but it works!
I love the relationship between Lulu and Conrad and how this barge living crime solving duo work together with the people they meet on their adventures.
This time Lulu is visiting some friends and gets involved in case with 3 murders. A very clever plot that doesn’t give itself away, great characters and a book that keeps you reading to find out what’s happening.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book I shall certainly be looking out for further books in the series.

I read the first book featuring retired Detective Lulu and her talking cat, Conrad, « The Cat Who Caught A Killer », so I was very pleased to be able to read a review copy of this delightful duo’s latest adventure.
In this story Lulu and Conrad are visiting some old friends in Oxford, Julia and Bernard who are hosting a 60th birthday party.
Unfortunately there is a robbery and murder at their house before Lulu and Conrad arrive and of course being a detective,Lulu can’t sit by and wait for the crime to be solved. With Conrad’s help she begins to investigate but then another murder occurs.
I really enjoyed this mystery and although generally I’m not a fan of talking animals, I really like Conrad and his contributions to the investigation.
Sometimes it’s difficult to believe Conrad is a cat but then the author reminds us by talking about his cat attributes such as his sharp hearing and retractable claws!
This is a gentle mystery despite there being two murders and having read two Conrad books I am eagerly awaiting a third.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy.

This is a nice cozy mystery featuring retired detective Lulu and her talking cat Conrad.

Lulu is staying with a friend in her lovely house and taking a break with Conrad from her houseboat when her friend’s husband is murdered. With the help of Conrad Lulu and her detective friend look to solve the crime.

A nice story with the twist of the talking cat. This is the second of this series and I look forward to seeing more of the same from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a delight to return to the world of Lulu, a retired police detective, and Conrad a rather special calico cat. Having driven their narrow boat to attend the 60th birthday party of an old friend they find her distraught after her husband has been injured and another man killed in an apparent art theft. It is inevitable that Lulu and Conrad will investigate and as the title suggests there are more murders to come. I thoroughly enjoyed this second in the series of Conrad the Cat Detective. The story felt more rounded than the first in the series and kept me guessing. The relationship between the two main characters is wonderful and I look forward to more from Conrad and Lulu. A cosy mystery with that slight twist which I recommend to all who enjoy this genre. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Conrad the talking Calico is back! Another great murder mystery.

These books are just easy to read, engaging books. This one was more on the serious side but still really enjoyable.

I just love Conrad! I hope there is a third book.

I loved this novel as Lucy and Conrad are two great characters: relatable, well rounded and likeable.
The cat lovers in me was just wondering what-about-a-cat-litter-box but I assume it was present.
This is a slow burning mystery that grew on me and kept me guessing and reading.
Julia and Bernard have been married for a long time, are on the eve of becoming billionaire but not is what is seem as a robbery and a murder change what should have been a festive moment.
There's secrets, there's a lot of wondering if you really knew who was near you and there's a strong relationship and collaboration amongst women.
A solid and well done whodunit that I loved. Can't wait to read the next one
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

As a cat lover who wouldn't want to read this book.
Can money buy you happiness and everything you could want? What is the point of having a big house full of possessions you don't use? A seemingly fairly intelligent people have come into more money than they can hope to spend but where did it come from? The eve of Bernard's sixtieth birthday sparks off a series of events that can only be described as suspicious, for a couple that had no secrets from each other Julia soon finds out that all is not as she thought. Thankfully Lulu and her calico cat come to the rescue, whoever doubted that cats are not intelligent and cannot talk needs to read this book.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

The characters and the scenes in the book are well-drawn. It is a rags to riches story with a hint of menace and mystery. Lulu accompanied by the talking calico cat Conrad, travel to Lulu’s friends house for a 60th birthday party extraordinaire where misdeeds a plenty are playing out. It is a fast moving book which gathers speed and ends in a well worked rush. Too rushed perhaps. Nevertheless I shall keep a look out for the next in the series.

The second in a series featuring Lu!u, retired police detective and her talking (0nly to her) calico cat sees the duo visiting Oxford and involved in solving a murder mystery. Fans of cosy crime and cats will enjoy this warm hearted novel. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Cat Who Solved Three Murders is the third book in L.T. Shearer’s series Conrad the Cat Detective, a male calico cat who lives with a former police detective Lulu Lewis on her narrow boat.

The thing with Conrad apart from being a male calico cat (most are female) he has the ability to talk which he only does with his owner Lulu as he does not want to be experimented on.

In this novel Conrad is visiting Julia, an old friend of Lulu, for her husband Bernard’s 60th birthday and sees the new home they have just bought with the money they are getting from the sale of shares in the company Lulu formed.

However, arriving at the house they find out that Bernard has been attacked and the insurance assessor who was with him at the time has been murdered. This leads to Lulu and Conrad helping a new detective to solve the crime.

Once again L.T Shearer has written a thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery with everything you would expect from this genre and the 2nd book in Conrad the Cat Detective series.

We have Conrad himself who really is the star of the book with both his attitude which seems so perfect for a cat, as well as the writer remembering to have him acting like the animal he is rather than having more tilted to being human rather than a cat.

What really works well is the connection between Lulu and Conrad, particularly in the way that they work together in solving the murders as while Conrad has the ability to see and hear things that humans can not he also comes at them from a different perspective to Lulu.

Add to this you have Lulu’s experience as a met detective, and knowledge that a cat will not have, you get a crime solving duo that is more equal than in most stories of this genre.

While cozy mysteries are affected by characters in the story the plot of the novel has to work as well for an enjoyable read, in this case the writer has written in The Cat Who Solved Three Murders a mystery which while not the most complicated one of all time it still will have readers engaged all the way through like myself.

All in all with the characters and the style of writing The Cat Who Solved Three Murders : Conrad the Cat Detective (#2) by L.T. Shearer is definitely worth reading.

Strange cozy mystery with Conrad the cat. Yes a talking cat. This is the second instalment in this series both just as good. Enjoyable read. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

Lulu and her talking cat Conrad go to visit an old friend and they arrive to find Julia distressed after an apparent attack on her husband in their home resulting in the death of a man visiting.

Lulu as an ex Met officer gets involved with the investigation and together with Conrad they try to help as things get more complicated and there are more attacks.

Well written second novel featuring Conrad the calico cat. Enjoyed the characters and plot line, enjoy.

The cat who solved three murders is the second installment from L T Shearer and the cute calico cat Conrad who happens to talk but only to retired police detective Lulu Lewis but when they arrive at their friends house for the weekend they are shocked to find a murder has been comitted and Lulu with the help of Conrad can not help but get involved.
These novels are perfect cozy thrillers that you can while away the hours next to a roaring fire and a cup of cocoa.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Having enjoyed The Cat Who Caught a Killer (2022) by L. T. Shearer last year, I was so pleased to see Lulu Lewis and Conrad the cat back for their second adventure, and put up my hand for it immediately. Lulu Lewis is a retired Met police detective who is living on a narrowboat, The Lark as after her husband’s death she can’t bear to live in the house they shared. One day, a very unique cat, Conrad walks onto her boat—a calico who is a male (they’re usually female)—and makes himself at home. If that wasn’t unusual enough, Conrad is very special in another way, he can talk—yep, actual human speech—but he does so only to Lulu. Plus, he loves his Evian as he makes clear from the start (but sharp and witty though he may be, he isn’t your typical sarcastic feline). Soon he becomes not only a comforting friend but also a partner in crime-solving as they encounter an unexplained death. I absolutely loved Conrad and the bond that develops between him and Lulu, which made the book so much more special than just a cosy mystery.

In this second adventure, Lulu and Conrad have driven down (narrowboats aren’t sailed) to Oxford where Lulu is to attend the sixtieth birthday celebrations of Bernard Greenville, husband of her old friend Julia. Julia was a once a colleague from SOCO, but later left and started up a pharmaceutical company (with others) and the couple are now extremely wealthy—living in a house much too big for the two of them, eating M & S food ordered in all the time, expensive art on the walls, and designer clothes overflowing with many never ever worn. But when Lulu arrives, she finds that just a few days earlier there was a robbery in the house, with an insurance assessor having been killed, Bernard badly injured and some artwork stolen. Lulu’s detective instincts kick into gear and she begins to casually ask questions, encouraged by the fact that the young inspector in-charge of the case Tracey Calder is happy to have her inputs (though Tracey realises as Julia’s friend, she probably shouldn’t be involving her). As you can tell from the title, this isn’t the only murder involved and soon enough there is a second body on their hands. The Greenvilles claim they have no enemies, and life has been carrying on comfortably for them, so who is it that could be after them and why? It’s up to Lulu and Conrad to find out.

The Cat Who Solved Three Murders (2023) was another enjoyable entry in this series (I am so glad to see this is turning into one), which while again not the strongest of mysteries makes for a wonderful read in large part because of Conrad—he might not ‘solve’ the murders on his own, but certainly does spot important clues, raises some relevant questions, sounds warnings when there are suspicious noises at night, and also provides comfort to those in need of it. And oh yes, he confronts the ‘villains’ too! The fantasy element in the book is confined to his ability to ‘talk’ to Lulu but he talks (in meows) to others as well, and so is seen as a ‘talking cat’. Another useful ability is his reading of people’s auras (which he can see in colour) which can help determine any undesirable or suspicious shades in their character. By and large he does well here, but I didn’t like that this facet of his character was not brought up in a couple of cases where he could easily have seen red flags. His conversations with Lulu are a great deal of fun, and one enjoys his interactions with everyone he meets.

The mystery in this instalment was much better than the one we were faced with in their debut adventure, but still it was one where the reader can see the answer just about half way into the book. Not work out every detail, for there are some threads to unravel but one does get the idea. Still it doesn’t take away from the fun reading on to see how Lulu and Conrad work it out and whether it indeed turns out as we have guessed. A decision that Lulu makes at the end though didn’t feel right, though it is left ambiguous in a sense.

Some of the themes explored in the story are luxury/decadence (versus a simpler life), loss and grief, ethical considerations (some red flags here), the changing face of the police—getting younger, having to operate strictly by manuals, and such—as well as perceptions of the authorities among the more ordinary (vulnerable, disadvantaged) populace.

If you go into this book for the mystery element alone, you might come out a touch underwhelmed, but as a book with a bit of fantasy in the form of a lovely talking calico cat, some nice settings (though we don’t really explore Oxford as we did Maida Vale in the first book), and a mostly likeable main character, I do find these light, pleasant and entertaining reads. Can’t wait for the next instalment.

3.75 stars rounded off

This is the second book in the series.. I enjoyed this book.. It was a nice cosy read.. Who knew that a cat could talk let alone help solve murders!! I love the little friendship that Lulu and Conrad have formed.. I will definitely be keep my eye out for more in this series if there is any..

Thankyou to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for sending me this book to review..

“Lulu had come to accept that Conrad could talk, but there were times when she still thought that perhaps she was dreaming and that one day she would wake up. Cats didn’t talk, obviously. That was a fact of life. Except that Conrad did.”

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Cat Who Solved Three Murders’ by L.T. Shearer.

I adored the first book in this series of cosy mysteries, ‘The Cat Who Caught a Killer’, that introduced Conrad, an unusual Calico Cat. Conrad can talk, though he does so only when he and his human, Lulu, are alone. When other humans are around he is still quite vocal, though only with meows.

Lulu Lewis had been a Superintendent in the Metropolitan Police. Following her retirement and the death of her husband, she now lives with Conrad on her narrowboat, The Lark.

In this second novel, Lulu has driven her narrowboat to Oxford to visit her old friends, Bernard and Julia Grenville and to attend Bernard’s lavish sixtieth birthday party. In recent years they have done very well for themselves.

As she and Conrad arrive at the Greenville’s opulent Georgian mansion, she sees police vehicles outside and learns there has been a break-in and a number of artworks stolen. Both Bernard and a visitor were attacked and the visitor had died of his injuries . Yet as the title indicates, this isn’t the only murder that Lulu and Conrad will be confronted with during their stay.

The investigation is led by Inspector Tracey Calder of the Thames Valley Police. Given that Lulu had been a senior police officer, Tracey welcomes her unofficial assistance on the case as it becomes increasingly complex. No further details to avoid spoilers.

This was another delight of a mystery that was well plotted and engaging. Lulu is a strong lead and don’t get me started on how wonderful Conrad is. A calico cat with the heart of a lion.

Given some of its darker themes, including coming to terms with ageing, death and bereavement, I would class ‘The Cat Who Solved Three Murders’ as a semi-cosy mystery. There’s certainly lighter moments, mainly provided by Conrad’s witty observations.

I do hope that L.T. Shearer will be continuing with this entertaining series. A must read for cat lovers and those who enjoy cat-themed mysteries.

Lulu and Conrad go to Oxford on the Lark to see Julia and Bernard for Bernard's 60th Birthday party.
When they get there they find that Bernard was attacked the day before and the man he was with was murdered. As in all these cases, things are not what they seem and it appears the past is coming to bite people on the bum.

An enjoyable tale.