*****"Starting Cat's Paw is a lot like a kitten tapping a colorful ball of yarn-soon a claw is caught and there's no letting go until the whole thing is unwound..." -Ann Littlewood, author of the Zoo Mystery series
Two suspicious deaths at an elite island art retreat send Lynley running back to Portland, but murder follows in her wake.
Lynley Cannon is in trouble again, starting when the sixty-something cat shelter volunteer is invited to an exclusive art retreat by her college colleague, Simon Bird. The retreat, located at the Cloverleaf Animal Sanctuary on its very own island in the San Juans, is a dream come true for Lynley. The peaceful setting; the precious animals; time spent with Simon: What could possibly go wrong?
Things turn from tranquil to terrifying in the form of a shocking double homicide. Lynley, the prime suspect due only to circumstantial evidence, persuades her accusers of her innocence.
When there is a third killing closer to home, a link with Simon becomes clear. Is her dear friend the target of a heinous plot or the killer himself? Lynley fights through fear, assault, and her own anxiety disorder to survive. For Lynley, it all comes down to cats.