When someone from her past comes to town to cause trouble, Kari Stuart and her sassy kitten Queenie will have to work hard to protect the Serenity Sanctuary in this new Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery.

Kari Stuart is finally starting to relax into her role as the new owner of the Serenity Sanctuary and is looking forward to the various fun autumn activities in the beautiful Catskills town of Lakeview, like the annual Oktoberfest celebration. It’s time for friends and quality bonding with handsome vet Angus McCoy. Until the unexpected arrival of her unpleasant ex-husband, Charlie Smith.

He comes bearing a shocking revelation—the paperwork on their divorce never went through, and they are still married. Worse yet, he thinks this entitles him to half of her lottery winnings—although he'll happily take partial ownership of the sanctuary instead. Kari isn’t sure if he’s telling the truth, or if it’s just another one of Charlie’s lies.

But things go from bad to worse when an unexpected death makes Kari the main suspect in a murder investigation. Will she and Queenie be able to find the real killer and keep the home they’ve built at the sanctuary safe, or is their string of luck finally tapped out?

After a divorce and a few years drifting, Kari Stuart won the lottery and has found a home and friends after buying and renovating an animal shelter in her childhood hometown. New friends and a satisfying life are threatened when her ex-husband Charles shows up claiming they are not actually divorced and half her lottery winnings are his. Plus he has plans to sell the shelter and turn it into a glamping resort.  While resisting his plans Kari tries to find the proof they are really divorced but then Charles turns up dead and Kari is the prime suspect.

This is a pleasant cozy mystery with an appealing cast of characters, both human and animal.  While I was fairly certain early on who the murderer was and how they were involved in Charles’ scam this is a quick read for a relaxing afternoon. I will look for future entries in this series. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon