Welcome to Daybreak Island, our little slice of paradise on the East Coast!
This island is the most beautiful place on earth, in my mind. It’s full of the best people you could have in a community, got gorgeous beaches, and best of all, it’s peaceful (aside from the crazy summer crowds).
Granted, it’s gotten a little more exciting here since my granddaughter Maddie moved home. And that’s saying something – because, as the former police chief, I saw all the excitement. Which I guess in hindsight wasn’t much. We had our things, like stolen bikes and chickens running loose through the town square causing a ruckus during one very memorable July 4th event. We even had our share of real crime, like any town does. But I have to say we never saw as many dead bodies as we have lately, at least not in my time.
I’m Leo Mancini, also known as Grandpa Leo, and I’ve lived on Daybreak Island my entire life. My dad too, and his dad before him. As a matter of fact, the house we (me, my granddaughters Maddie and Val, their significant others, and multiple cats and dogs) live in was built by my great-grandfather. Each generation improved it some, but I’m sure none of the relatives before me ever imagined it would become home to a cat café. I had a hard time believing it myself. Never thought I’d spend my days scooping litter and playing with laser toys, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We live right on the east side of the island, a stone’s throw from the main ferry dock. The ocean is basically our backyard - and talk about quality of life! If you love the ocean, there is no better place on earth. There’s a great restaurant right down the street too, The Lobstah Shack, where my family spends a lot of time. It’s come a long way from being a simple shack. Now it’s basically fine dining, which is hilarious to me.
But, a lot of things on the island have changed in my 75 years.
The streets I walked with the police force, and with my beautiful bride - I still miss her every day - remain but they look very different. Especially downtown! We used to have one diner, an ice cream shop, a penny candy store, a fried clam stand and a hotel. Now there are expensive boutiques, spas, more fancy restaurants and bars, multiple hotels and coffee shops that are nothing like the ones in my day! Maddie loves it. She calls it a “vibe.”
It makes my heart happy to see her happy here. Honestly, I never thought she’d come back to stay. And I am so glad she did. She brings joy and sunshine, and of course cats, wherever she goes.
Unfortunately, the timing of her coming home seemed to coincide with more dead bodies than this town has ever seen. I think we worked two murders the whole time I was on the force - decades apart. Now, well, I’m not sure what’s wrong with people. And I worry about Maddie because she always seems to be right in the center of it all.
Truth is, though, she could out-investigate a lot of the cops on the force. And she’s been a major help in my private investigation business, which is becoming quite the family affair ever since my other granddaughter Sam decided to work with me too.
It’s lovely having my family not just close, but so closely connected. Having the cat café has brought so much joy and purpose into this old man’s life, and brought us all closer together.
And we have enough crime to keep the other part of my brain occupied too.
I promise, though, Daybreak Island is a fabulous place to visit. We’ll try to keep the murders to a minimum if you come out to see us. And don’t forget to make your reservations at JJ’s House of Purrs - it fills up fast!
See you this summer!
Cat Cafe Mystery #10
The tenth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast and featuring the cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ.
Trouble is brewing on Daybreak Island…
Summer is in full swing on Daybreak Island, and JJ’s House of Purrs—and the new mobile cat café—have Maddie James running nonstop with on-site cat parties.
When her mom’s old best friend, back on the island for the first time since her aunt Delia vanished decades ago, asks Maddie to plan a birthday party for her granddaughter, Maddie happily agrees.
But when Maddie and her mom arrive at Delia’s old house, it’s empty—except for a white-and-gray cat that leads Maddie to a hidden room, where they find her mom’s friend dead.
Soon Maddie learns the cat might be tied to a ghostly island legend. And as she digs deeper, she realizes she’s unraveling two disappearances, forty years apart—while someone is desperate to keep the truth buried.
Mystery Woman Sleuth | Mystery Cozy [ St. Martin's Press, On Sale: July 28, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781250435187 / eISBN: 9781250435194 ]
Liz Mugavero/Cate Conte is a bestselling mystery author, creativity coach, and devoted believer in all things magical. As Liz Mugavero, she writes the beloved Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. As Cate Conte, she writes the Cat Café Mysteries and Full Moon Mysteries. Her 20th novel, Purranormal Activity, will be out in July 2026.
When she's not plotting fictional murders, she helps writers find their voice and bring their books to life through her membership community, The Creativity Lab, and her podcast, Get Writing.
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