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Whales and Tails book cover 1
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Whales and Tails
Series · 21
books · 2015-2021

Books in series

Romeow and Juliet book cover
#1

Romeow and Juliet

2015

Romeow and Juliet is the first in a cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate the coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge they own, named Coffee Cat Books. In the first installment to the series Cait and her dog Max find the body of a member of the island council dead in the back room of the old fish cannery. As Cait delves into the murder she finds herself with an unlikely sleuthing partner that might just lead to a relationship of a more personal kind. Meanwhile, Romeo, a stray cat that followed Cait home, is causing all sorts of problems for Cait as, in spite of dire warnings from the neighbor next door, he refuses to stay away from her very expensive show cat, Juliet. Could Romeo really be trying to tell Cait something about the neighbor that she initially refuses to see?
The Mad Catter book cover
#2

The Mad Catter

2015

A Whales and Tails cozy mystery series is set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate Coffee Cat Books, a coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge. Like all Kathi Daley Cozies, this series will include close friendships, a romance element, and recipes. This series differs from the others in that there is a ‘light’ paranormal element as Caitlin is helped in her investigation by Bella and Tansy, two very intuitive women who sell herbs and tell fortunes, and a series of extremely helpful cats who seem to show up and point her in the right direction at just the right time. In book 2 of the series, a beautiful white cat named Alice comes into Caitlin’s life. Although Cait is expecting Alice’s arrival, she is unprepared for the fact that the fury feline is about to lead her down a rabbit hole in which nothing is quite what it seems. Not only does Cait find out that a very unlikely person is behind her Aunt Maggie’s illness, but when a body is found in the church, the only real suspect is someone Cait’s heart tells her couldn’t possibly be a killer.
Grimm's Furry Tail book cover
#3

Grimm's Furry Tail

2015

A cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander, Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate the coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge they own, named Coffee Cat Books. In the third book in the series, Cait’s friend Cody buys the old newspaper and discovers a previously unpublished edition that details a murder that occurred decades ago. The fact that the story was written but never published piques the curiosity of the friends, who decide to delve into a cold case that reaches back fifty years. When the truth is discovered they struggle with the ramifications of what they have uncovered. They know that revealing it will rock the small island community to its core.
Much Ado About Felines book cover
#4

Much Ado About Felines

2015

When the body of a Coffee Cat Books customer is found buried in her own grave, Cait and the gang set out to investigate. Along the way they uncover the truth about the mysterious man who arrived on the ferry every week and is followed everywhere he goes by a black and white cat. Whales and Tails is a cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate the coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge they own, named Coffee Cat Books.
The Legend of Tabby Hollow book cover
#5

The Legend of Tabby Hollow

2015

When a body is found in the Hollow, Cait and Cody join forces to track down a killer only to; find that the body in the hollow is only the first of many victims. A Whales and Tails cozy mystery series is set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate the coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge they own, named Coffee Cat Books.
The Cat of Christmas Past book cover
#6

The Cat of Christmas Past

2015

It's Christmas on Madrona Island and Cait and friends have plans to embrace the magic of the season. The only dark spot on their celebration is the fact that a miserly old landlord is set on evicting an apartment building full of tenants just days before Christmas. Cait makes it her mission to save the old building and is aided by a cat named Ebenezer as they try to convince the old man to change his mind. Things look hopeless when she realizes that an unsolved mystery may be behind the man's gruff exterior. Cait vows to solve the mystery as a means of softening the man's heart and saving the apartments. An impossible task? Maybe. But Cait knows that miracles are real and anything can happen at Christmas. Note for mystery purists: This story involves a cold case mystery which is linked to a modern day problem but does not contain a present day murder.
A Tale of Two Tabbies book cover
#7

A Tale of Two Tabbies

2016

Whales and Tails is a cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate the coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge they own, named Coffee Cat Books. In the 7th book in the series, Cait finds a cat locked in the confessional at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, which leads to the discovery of a body locked in the trunk of a car. Cody is dealing with a life changing decision of his own, and Finn has multiple crimes to deal with, so Cait enlists Tara's help to track down a killer.
The Great Catsby book cover
#8

The Great Catsby

2016

Cait's friend Alex who we met in The Cat of Christmas Past returns to Madrona Island a vastly changed man. It seems that wealth has made an impact on his personality and not in a good way. During one of the legendary parties Alex has become famous for throwing one of the guests dies and it looks as if Alex may have blood on his hands. Cait and Cody set out to prove Alex's innocence with the help of Ebenezer, the cat we met in The Cat of Christmas Past.
Count Catula book cover
#9

Count Catula

2016

Cait and the gang set out to find a killer when novelist Amanda Lowman is found dead just an hour after speaking to the Mystery Lovers Book Club about her true crime novel, The Vampire Murders. As Cait delves into Amanda's death, she finds a spider web of lies and half truths that could very well be tied to a series of murders that took place fifteen years prior. The deeper Cait digs the more tangled the web and the closer she comes to being the vampire killer's next victim.
The Cat of Christmas Present book cover
#10

The Cat of Christmas Present

2016

With less than two weeks until Christmas, Cait stumbles across a man who had been washed up onto the beach. The man is very much alive, but after suffering a blow to the head, he cannot seem to remember who he is or how he came to be on the island. Cait and visiting cat Clarence set out to discover Prince Charming's identity only to find that their charismatic guest may not be so charming after all.
A Winter's Tail book cover
#11

A Winter's Tail

2017

Three secrets, first revealed in Grimm's Furry Tail, A Tale of Two Tabbies, and The Cat of Christmas Present, collide in a single horrific moment that leaves one person dead and one fighting for their life. This fast paced cozy mystery will have you glued to the page as Cait and Cody join forces with a cat named Moirai in a race against time to track down a killer.
Taming of the Tabby book cover
#12

Taming of the Tabby

2017

A murder, a wedding, and a teenager in danger, all collide in this fast paced mystery set on magical Madrona Island. Cait is in a terrible accident resulting in a temporary loss of memory. She can remember the events leading up to the accident but cannot remember what occurred or how she came to be on a remote part of the island in the middle of the night. When she finds a dead body on the road which is there one minute and the gone the next she decides she must be losing her mind. Cait sets out to piece together the events surrounding the accident while Cody agrees to watch out for a teenager on the run.
Frankencat book cover
#13

Frankencat

2017

Cait and Tara are holding a book club meeting at Coffee Cat Books the week before Halloween. There are twelve participants reading Frankenstein as a storm rolls in. The storm intensifies and the lights go out thrusting the store into darkness. By the time the electricity is restored one of the book club members will be found dead.
The Cat of Christmas Future book cover
#14

The Cat of Christmas Future

2017

As with The Cat of Christmas Past and The Cat of Christmas Present, while this holiday cozy features a mystery, it does not feature a murder. It is Christmas on Madrona Island and the spirit of Christmas is out in full force. A cat who looks a lot like a cat from Cait's past comes to visit just as Cait and Cody are getting ready for a full lineup of holiday events. When Cait learns of the cat's true purpose for coming into her life she realizes she will need to set some of her usual routines aside in order to prevent a tragedy from occurring in the future. Meanwhile the entire Hart Family is gathering at Maggie's as a series of personal events causes each of member of the family to seek temporary refuge in the large house.
Farewell to Felines book cover
#15

Farewell to Felines

2018

Madrona Island: Where Mystery Meets Magic The Hollow is a magical place where the cats of Madrona Island have lived since before the island was developed. When Cait's witch friend Tansy alerts her to the fact that the cats are leaving the hollow for no apparent reason, Cait sets out to investigate. During the course of her investigation she finds a startling irregularity that is not only causing the cats to leave but is responsible for a human death as well.
A Whisker in Time book cover
#16

A Whisker in Time

2018

It is Halloween on Madrona Island and the entire gang is knee deep in the annual festivities. When a body is found in the storage room of the bar Danny and Aiden recently purchased, Danny is considered to be a prime suspect in the mans death. When it looks as if Danny had both motive and opportunity, things go from Halloween eerie to down right terrifying. This novel will contain a bonus short story along with hearty fall recipes.
The Catsgiving Feast book cover
#17

The Catsgiving Feast

2018

A murder, a wedding, and a holiday feast converge in this warm and memorable Thanksgiving Mystery.
A Whale of a Tail book cover
#18

A Whale of a Tail

2019

Visiting author Winnifred Westminster turns up dead after a speaking engagement at Coffee Cat Books where she tells those in attendance the story of the very real murder her book is based on. A murder she assures them that local law enforcement were never able to solve, but after years of research, she assured them she'd found the answer they couldn't. During the speaking engagement, Winnie tells the story of the murder but doesn't share the ending. She tells the group that they will have to buy the book if they want to see how it all turns out. When Winnie turns up dead, Cait and Tara suspect that someone must have wanted to prevent her from telling the end of the story and unveiling a secret that the killer obviously doesn't want revealed.Cait and the gang set out to solve not one but two murders amongst homecoming festivities and a Halloween celebration.
The Catnap Before Christmas book cover
#19

The Catnap Before Christmas

2019

Madrona Island - Where cats are king and mystery meets magic. It's two weeks before Christmas on magical Madrona Island, and as they have for the past few years, Cait and Cody are busy getting the kids from Saint Pat's ready for the Christmas Pageant and planning a huge Christmas Eve blowout at Mr. Parsons mansion. Things are busy but going well for the happy couple until a Grinch comes to town and begins vandalizing Christmas decorations. What seemed on the surface to be nothing more than a nuisance, becomes serious business when Santa is killed during the explosion that causes the Santa House in the park to burn to the ground. Cait, Cody, and the rest of the gang, set their sights on tracking down the killer with the help of Jingles, the new cat in town. As they delve into the mystery they find that when it comes to Christmas and the emotions the holiday can conjure, anything is possible. Meanwhile, Cait and Cody are babysitting Cody's nephew until his father returns from an overseas deployment, Maggie and Michael are in town, and Cait is forced to say goodbye to the cabin she has lived in for the past decade after the remodel on the new home she is to share with Cody is has come to completion.
A Mew Beginning book cover
#20

A Mew Beginning

2020

With all the changes in her life, Cait is left with a feeling of dread she can't quite define. On one hand she has reason to be feeling a level of stress. The effort to reopen the bookstore has been stalled, she is still trying to adjust to her move from her cabin into Mr. Parsons home, and Finn is having little luck investigating a series of disappearances that appear to be ongoing. Still, even with all of that, Cait feels certain that none of these situations is actually at the root of the tension building in the pit of her stomach. Her feelings of dread, she feels certain, are more of a warning, that something bad is about to happen, and no matter how hard she tries, she's not going to be able to prevent this terrible thing from happening.
CATastrophe in the Making book cover
#21

CATastrophe in the Making

2021

In the final story in the long running Whales and Tails series, a couple is wed, a baby is born, a prophecy is fulfilled, and Cait and Cody help Finn investigate the disappearance of three men during the storm of the century.

Author

Kathi Daley
Kathi Daley
Author · 207 books

Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries. Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).

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