Cat Got Your Cash by Julie Chase

Lacy Marie Crocker’s whimsical pet couture has gained a following in New Orleans’s cozy Garden District, and word of mouth has traveled all the way to her favorite fashion designer, Annie Lane. Lacy’s thrilled when Annie schedules a private session at her home to discuss a companion line for her evening wear, but when Lacy arrives for the appointment, she enters the kitchen to two mewling Siamese cats–and one very dead Annie.

Lacy takes the kittens home to care for them until they can be properly claimed by Annie’s family or friends, but after a busy day of work, she returns home to find them missing. And when Lacy learns the cats are set to inherit Annie’s fortune, she begins to wonder if the killer was after the kittens all along. Now Lacy will stop at nothing to save the Siamese and find justice for Annie–if the killer doesn’t sink his claws into her first.

Luckily, Lacy has the help of handsome NOLA PD homicide detective Jack Oliver to help her catch the cat-napper before its too late in Cat Got Your Cash, the endearing second Kitty Couture mystery from Julie Chase.

CAT GOT YOUR CASH author, Julie Chase, sat down with The Big Thrill to discuss her latest novel:

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

I write in the hopes of making readers smile. I want them to find an escape in my stories. I’m all about giving other strung out, over-committed book lovers a little reprieve, and what better place to do it than New Orleans?

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

I like to think The Kitty Couture series adds a dash of zip and whimsy to the classic cozy ideals.

Was there anything new you discovered, or surprised you, as you wrote this book?

Yes. While testing my pet recipes from the back of the book, I learned that my hungry children can’t tell the difference between after school snacks and Furry Godmother’s Autumn Apple Pupcakes.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

Many of the outrageous things included in my heroine’s life are pulled straight from my personal experiences in New Orleans. For example: Other Lawyer Be Stupid is a real spell available for purchase at the witch’s hut near Armstrong Park. Place your order while supplies last. I keep mine on hand for emergencies.

What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

My fascination with cozy mysteries and amateur female sleuths began with Janet Evanovich and Gemma Halliday. Their vibrant and mischievous young heroines hooked me on the genre and left me trying to emulate the amazing fun I have whenever I open their books.

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Julie Chase is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her patient husband and three spunky children. She is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. Julie also writes as Julie Anne Lindsey.

To learn more about Julie, please visit her website.