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A Second Hand Cat
A Second Hand Cat by Steve Lohengrin
In a gray world, can anything be just black and white?
Officer Charles Wall was hailed as a hero, but a traumatic brain injury left him dealing with constantly shifting and extreme emotions. After a violent fit of rage, his police friends helped him avoid prison, but he had to give up his pension and endure nearly two years in a psychiatric facility, crushed by guilt and barely able to speak.
After his release, he moves into a City Housing apartment, using the name Roland Wall to avoid attention. No longer financially comfortable, he works part time at the Library for food money, and the sort of people he once thought were beneath him look down upon him. Isolated and frustrated, he constantly struggles to control his anger, because he can't afford to fail.
Then one of his very few friends is brutally murdered, and he inherits Claude, her ‘nice, quiet old man’ of a cat. But Claude turns out to be a homicidal mess who needs expensive medicine every day, and just wants to be left alone. They have much in common.
When another woman is murdered, it’s discovered that Wall had a connection to her as well. The City Police dismiss him as a suspect, but since he doesn’t remember where he was when it happened, he can’t rule himself out.
Because both victims were lesbians, ambitious FBI Special Agent Netty involves himself in the case, hoping the lurid headlines will give his career a boost. After evidence that could have been used against Wall disappears, Agent Netty, who knows about Wall's past, locks his sights on him.
Meanwhile, Wall finds out that one of his neighbors is spying on him, the others fear him, the local newspaper is vilifying him, a mysterious woman is stalking him, even his own psychiatrist is angry with him, and it’s always raining. It's all starting to make him feel the way he did when he committed murder before.
And the cat is not helping.
Or is he?
In a gray world, can anything be just black and white?
Officer Charles Wall was hailed as a hero, but a traumatic brain injury left him dealing with constantly shifting and extreme emotions. After a violent fit of rage, his police friends helped him avoid prison, but he had to give up his pension and endure nearly two years in a psychiatric facility, crushed by guilt and barely able to speak.
After his release, he moves into a City Housing apartment, using the name Roland Wall to avoid attention. No longer financially comfortable, he works part time at the Library for food money, and the sort of people he once thought were beneath him look down upon him. Isolated and frustrated, he constantly struggles to control his anger, because he can't afford to fail.
Then one of his very few friends is brutally murdered, and he inherits Claude, her ‘nice, quiet old man’ of a cat. But Claude turns out to be a homicidal mess who needs expensive medicine every day, and just wants to be left alone. They have much in common.
When another woman is murdered, it’s discovered that Wall had a connection to her as well. The City Police dismiss him as a suspect, but since he doesn’t remember where he was when it happened, he can’t rule himself out.
Because both victims were lesbians, ambitious FBI Special Agent Netty involves himself in the case, hoping the lurid headlines will give his career a boost. After evidence that could have been used against Wall disappears, Agent Netty, who knows about Wall's past, locks his sights on him.
Meanwhile, Wall finds out that one of his neighbors is spying on him, the others fear him, the local newspaper is vilifying him, a mysterious woman is stalking him, even his own psychiatrist is angry with him, and it’s always raining. It's all starting to make him feel the way he did when he committed murder before.
And the cat is not helping.
Or is he?
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 29, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 22, 2024
I'm not one for cop dramas and who-done-its. It didn't take long for me to realize that this book is not that. Or, more specifically, it's not just that. It's also a human drama which poses moral questions about emotions, survival, and loyalty. These are the kinds of questions that don't have clear answers. If you want every little bit wrapped up in the end with a neat bow, this may not be the book for you. If you want a real, gritty story that challenges you and keeps you guessing on lots of levels, this may be your jam.
The main character and his bequeathed cat were flawed, complicated, and scarred. I found myself questioning if I was supposed to like Wall or not. Should I have felt sympathy for him? Did the author want me to feel that he was redeemed for his sins in the end? I made my peace with not being sure. I think that was the point. So many times, we can't make complete peace with our worst moments. This character embodied how to keep going while carrying that weight, and how occasionally, unexpectedly, we find others that help us to lighten that load.
The main character and his bequeathed cat were flawed, complicated, and scarred. I found myself questioning if I was supposed to like Wall or not. Should I have felt sympathy for him? Did the author want me to feel that he was redeemed for his sins in the end? I made my peace with not being sure. I think that was the point. So many times, we can't make complete peace with our worst moments. This character embodied how to keep going while carrying that weight, and how occasionally, unexpectedly, we find others that help us to lighten that load.
May 22, 2024
Easy read , great story
This book delves into many different realms that may make a reader uncomfortable but that being said , it also makes for a good read. The book moves along as quickly enough so you don't get bored. I enjoyed the twists and turns that the story took. And once you get to the finish line you get a satisfying ending. For a first attempt at writing , the author did a great job.
This book delves into many different realms that may make a reader uncomfortable but that being said , it also makes for a good read. The book moves along as quickly enough so you don't get bored. I enjoyed the twists and turns that the story took. And once you get to the finish line you get a satisfying ending. For a first attempt at writing , the author did a great job.
August 13, 2025
Wonderful book. This author has a gift for exposing all the beauty and ugliness of humanity on paper. Characters were fabulous. I felt like this was also a glimpse behind the scenes of police work. I hope there are more novels to come.
July 30, 2024
3.3 Local author, first book. Started slow, but really kept my interest as the book went on. Hope the characters return in a second book.
September 24, 2024
A fun, but poignant, edge of your seat whodunit- with characters who mirror reality with all our foibles, quirks, and humanity.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews