Shaken, Not Purred by Kelle Z. Riley

Bree – or her alter ego, Cat – is in over her head in this second novel of the Undercover Cat series. The author shares a good sense of humor, even while finding a killer and determining if a company is a front for drug manufacturing. Most characters are endearing even if a bit eccentric. Bree, a Ph.D. chemist, works at a scientific specialties temp agency, and has been chosen for an undercover position as an intern at labs owned by a group located at a local private university. It might be advantageous to read the first in the series to understand the agency that is a cover for “Special Projects”, where a limited few are special operatives who go to companies. Most of the people in the temp agency, however, are unaware that the spy division even exists. A couple of days into her assignment Bree, posing as Cat Holmes, joins her co-workers for a drink after work. The woman whose office she shares, Hannah from Human Resources of the company that purchased the technologies of the lab, is the loudest of the group. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to see that the obnoxious-sounding Hannah is not liked by any of her co-workers. She comes in miserable and hungover the next morning. Cat, with the help of her co-workers, brings coffee and other remedies. A couple hours later, when Cat returns to their shared office, Hannah is dead. Now the really hard part begins – can Cat/ Bree discover not only if illegal drug manufacturing is going on, but also find the killer without blowing her cover? I never thought about how challenging the life of a spy could be! One can’t talk about one’s job with family, friends, or spouse. The lines even begin to blur regarding their own identity. For example, where does “Cat” Catherine Holmes, a geeky college intern in her 20’s end, and Bree, the Dr., begin? Even one’s clothing choices for the day are determined by what role they are in, with a spare set in the back of the car, just in case. The characters are defined as necessary through dialog and actions. She has feelings for two guys, but doesn’t know which one to pursue. One is Detective James O’Neil, with whom she has worked on a recent case. He is unaware of her true role as a spy, thinking she is wrapped up in the work and murder at the lab. The other man is her “handler”, Matthew Tugood, who probably had an earlier career in espionage. He trains her, and she unofficially reports to him and daily reviews the case. I didn’t like him well at the start, and liked him even less after what seemed like trifling with her feelings while maintaining a “cover”. It seems the real constant in her life is her cat, Sherlock, who is loving when he has his food and cuddles. There are plot twists throughout. Bree shows kindness to her co-workers even as she races to find out about the suspected new drug behind the carefully-constructed facades of the lab. She also works to find who murdered Hannah, as there is no shortage of suspects for her death. The plot is so carefully constructed and well-executed that I probably guessed who killer is only a page or so before Bree does. Overall, the plot is interesting, but there is more chemistry involved than I am familiar with. I found it hard to focus on the mysteries while trying to understand the product details. I do, however, highly recommend this mystery to those who appreciate well-crafted cozy mysteries with both kinds of chemistry.