Title:	A Side Dish of Death
	Author:	T. C. LoTempio
	Published:	February 25, 2025, Beyond the Page Publishing
	No. of Pages:	257
	Cover Price:	$14.99 Paperback, $5.99 Kindle

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Cat fans of the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries will welcome the fifth installment of the series, A Side Dish of Death, by award-winning cozy writer, T C LoTempio. Shell McMillan is helping with a fundraiser in Fox Hollow that includes a cat adoption for adopt-a-cat month. The fundraiser is a murder mystery dinner and skit, and a well-known television chef is the big feature. Shell’s ex, a producer, flies in to try to get Chef Reynaldo Venery to sign with him for a cooking series, as well as other producers. There are terrible storms, and flooded roads, so the attendees can’t leave. When the chef is found murdered, there are several suspects, and while investigating, Shell puts herself in danger. It’s a good thing she has Purrday and Princess Fuzzypants to save the day.

LoTempio does an excellent job of telling the story, with twists and turns and building suspense throughout. Most readers have read the previous novels in the series, but for those who haven’t, Shell, the protagonist, is well-developed and the supporting characters are also well developed. The main supporting characters, Gary, Shell’s mother, and some community friends are likeable, but there are some new characters at the event who are a bit suspicious, and turn out to be high on the suspect list.

All told, this is a nice addition to the series. It can be read as a standalone novel, but readers will want to read the previous books because the novel is light, and definitely a fast read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.