Cat's Paw

by L.A. Taylor

The husband of Miranda Glivven left home months ago on a secret assignment for the Governor and has not returned. Even his letters have stopped. With no news and no idea what has happened to him, Miranda goes on a search for her missing husband, accompanied only by a stray cat. On reaching her husband s last known location, she finds the local authorities uninterested in helping to find him. Worse, some of the local citizens suspect Miranda of using magic, a treasonous offense, because of the unusual cat that has followed her on her quest. Although Miranda has always believed that magic is superstitious nonsense, she finds the circumstances of the disappearance growing more and more mysterious....

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Cats, Thriller, Science Fiction Fantasy, Animals

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

Laurie Aylama Taylor Sparer Canadian author and world traveler.

Reviews

[Kyrie ⌒☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've changed my mind. Mirandia is officially the most oblivious character I've ever seen. I knew from the very first sentence what the "twist" in this book was. Though I suppose one can hardly call it a twist, when everybody but the main character knows what happened. Now I'm not sure if it was ever meant to be a twist...

Despite wanting to scream in frustration every time she lamented her husband's disappearance, I really enjoyed this book. The book was very well written. There are no big action scenes. There are no epic battles. It's just the story of a woman trying to find out what happened to her husband. Yet I could not set the book down.

I loved the world the book is set in. It could easily have taken place in the real world, a few centuries ago. The way the world is set up made me think very much of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell...just not on as grand of a scale.

The characters were written well. I never had to stop to figure out why a certain character acted a certain way - everybody was developed enough, and had clear enough personalities, despite not being mentioned for more than a paragraph or two. Even the side characters had clear motivations. It was nice to read a book where everything was put in place for a reason, and all plots get tied up.

The only problem I had with this book was the whole Miranda not figuring out what happened bit. For as smart as she was, she really should have caught on sooner...or if not caught on, she should have at least started questioning things. Every time something new got pointed out, I just wanted to scream when she didn't think twice about her observations. But, aside from that, this was a very enjoyable read.

Though I do question that...semi-bestiality? Near the end. After reading descriptions of the change...why? Just...just why?

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since a book came out of nowhere and made me put aside all work, social calls, etc in order to finish it. I found this unassuming gem buried in the catacombs of my aunt's Kindle Fire. I had loan of the KF for a week or so, and had already opened, glanced at, and summarily passed over several other titles. I expected the opening pages of this one would be a disappointment as well, and I would pass over it as I had the others.

I am so glad I was wrong.

Cat's Paw is an unpretentious little fantasy -- the magic doesn't lunge out at you with swords or wands, but gradually creeps out of the shadows to linger at the edge of vision until a truly complex tapestry evidences itself: a careful interweaving of personalities, rich world details, loyalties and motivations, and the gradual touches of magic that seem so blink-and-you-miss-it that you often don't recognize the magical evidence when it *does* appear. Yet when the "big" magical confrontation comes, it all folds together without jarring or any "deus ex machina" moments.

I was also truly impressed with Taylor's writing style. In a sense, she reminds me of C S Lewis in her ability to create a complex world with sparingly given descriptions. Her sentence structures are clean, neat, and unencumbered; and her pacing is well executed. It's a real testament to her writing ability that I was turning pages eagerly, even when Miranda's biggest conflict of the moment was going through old newspapers at the library for any hint of Alexi's demise. It seems such a small thing to mention in a review, but it was engagingly written by Taylor.

This book would, I think, appeal most to those who have a real love for mysteries - because that is what it is, first and foremost: a mystery. The magic, while there, is on a subtle crescendo throughout the tale; so those who are a bit put off by "high fantasy" may enjoy the book regardless. Miranda is a practical woman, staunch in her disbelief of magic, and so she makes a very believable, down-to-earth POV character to follow into this new world.

Then there's the matter of the cat itself. I've seen where a couple people complained that the "obvious identity" of the cat in the early pages made the book infantile or poorly written. I heartily disagree. Taylor's masterful use of situational irony is, for me, one of the book's greatest strengths. Upon guessing the cat's identity (and easily so) in the first few chapters sets up an interesting dynamic against Miranda's staunch disbelief of magic. The way that disbelief plays into the climactic scene makes that situational irony vastly more important for the reader's understanding of things, if not downright critical to the full fabric of the tale.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good solid mystery with magical elements, simply yet complexly written. A gorgeous piece. Glad I found it!

[Prajna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the world/premise of this book, but when all was said and done it just fell flat. Most of it was predictable. I kept waiting to be surprised, but I wasn't. Until the ending which was so weak that I was surprised that I was actually at the end of the book.

[Megan Cutler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing which interested me most about this book was the setting. I actually wish there'd been a few more details about it. It was the world which drew me in and kept me reading. In many ways it's like our world but different, and it was fun to watch those differences give character, life and color to the author's world.

Miranda is an interesting choice of main character. She's just an average person, trying desperately to find news of her missing husband. She isn't particularly clever and seems a bit oblivious at times (the 'twist' in this book is fairly obvious, to the point it sometimes feels like the author has slapped you in the face with it). Miranda is strong, however, and highly relate-able (I'd like to think I'd do the same in her position).

My only real complaint about this book is that it drags in the middle. The beginning and end are both interesting, but there's a large span in the middle of the book where nothing really happens. It's obvious Miranda wouldn't succeed instantaneously (it'd be a very short book in that case), but I felt she spun her heels without a smidgen of success way too long. Certainly there was important information related during this time, but I didn't find it particularly interesting since, at the time, it didn't seem to relate to the rest of the story. There's also a fair bit of chance involved in Miranda's success, which always troubles my suspension of disbelief. I thought the book could stand to be shorter, with the political details related more quickly. With a few adjustments to pacing, this book could easily be five stars.

[Therese · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magic or even the use of magic is considered to be high treason in this land, but Miranda Glivvin isn't at all concerned about magic. She is worried about her missing husband, Alexi, and decides to leave her village and her two sons to go to the last place she knows where he was working on a secret mission for the government, although she didn't know what it was. Shortly before leaving, an unusual cat befriends her and sticks close while she attempts to at least find out where her husband was, hoping against hope that she may find him alive.

This was an unusual concept, although you don't know what is going on, at least I didn't, and you have no idea where place is or when the story is set. It was well written to keep me turning the pages because I wanted to know what happened, but it turned out to be rather odd, a letdown.

[Delia Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow, sweet, plain little fantasy that I have reread many times. A lighthouse keeper, accompanied by a stray cat, goes to the city in search of her missing husband.

It doesn't have much of a plot, and it is clear almost from the beginning what is going on, but I like it anyway.

[Carrie Frey Small · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read!

The "Cat's Paw" was a fast, easy read. A very nice story although a bit predictable. Still, entertaining for a quiet afternoon curled up with a cup of tea.

[Bonnie Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the idea of the world in this book (magic might exist, but to attempt it is treason, and the main character doesn't believe in it at all), but not quite sure how to feel about the main character who was ordinary and relatable, but also more than a bit oblivious. I could tell within the first few chapters the big reveal at the end of what had happened to Miranda's husband. I also really liked the beginnings of the book and I liked the way her search ended, but felt like the middle of the story slogged a bit- I didn't expect her to succeed right away, but I also felt like we went over the same things over and over again while Miranda is doing her investigations, and it seemed like quite a bit of her dead leads could have been cut out. I also felt like the resolution of the book after Miranda returned home was a bit... meandering and slow, and took too long. It was a bit of a letdown after the excitement of the climax of the story which I genuinely appreciated- I especially liked the way that it was revealed that Miranda was the exact right person to have gone searching for her husband.

I'm also not sure if it's just the kindle version I read or if the book could have used a bit more copyediting- there's places where it's like whole pages are missing... one paragraph she's talking to an innkeeper, the next sentence she's got a maid chasing after her because evidently she's left the inn and is heading back to her own lodgings; one paragraph she's on the train, the next sentence she's back in her room at the inn, talking to her cat... with no transition to how she got there, nothing in the text to let me expect something new.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slow burn sort of novel that harkens me back to the days of simpler storytelling. I can't say any of the twists in the mystery part of the story really surprised me, as there's some very telling pieces throughout the piece. And even the big reveal at the end that magic is real was spoiled by just reading the back of the book cover. Despite this, I did really enjoy this book. The world building is incredible and I really felt for all the characters. It felt more like I was being told a story by an elderly neighbor over a cup of tea, than I was reading a fantasy novel published in the '90's.

While this certainly won't be everyone's 'cup of tea' so to speak, I really enjoyed the slow pace and being with Miranda every step of the way as she, as a normal everyday lighthouse keeper's wife, sets out to find her missing husband and bumps up into a political city plot.

I think my favorite thing of the whole story was the very end, where we see it takes the husband months to change back from a cat into a human body, having to regrow the human body from scratch, with the aid of magic. I think this shows a level of seriousness the author put into working out how magic could work in this world. I really appreciated that there was no "easy answer" once Miranda got to the end of her adventure. Magic provided the happy ending, but it didn't do it with a snap of anyone's fingers.

[Mystic Miraflores · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a cat lover, I was interested in reading this book, and in many ways, the cat did play a big role in it. It was an interesting adventure and in the end, a romance too. Miranda was a strong character, which I admired. The only issues were that there were incorrect punctuation problems and sometimes one paragraph would end abruptly and in the next paragraph, it was a totally different time and place. A few times I had to check if a page was missing from my Kindle version. I think another reviewer pointed out this big leap. If not for these two issues, I would have given the book 5 stars.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected

A 5 star rating for gracefully bringing me to the subtle world of magic ... olden ways introduced to every day greed results in the good guys getting their lives back

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and loved characters as well.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Miranda's husband, a lighthousekeeper, periodically goes out on secret jobs for the governor. His latest assignment was to have been only for a few weeks but he'd been gone for four months, Not only that, but his letters had stopped coming for the last two months. As Miranda had become more and more distraught, her good friend strongly suggested that she go try to find out what happened to him. Shortly before Miranda went off on her quest, a beautiful orange cat "adopted" her and finagled a ride along with her. In Miranda's fictional country, magic was considered treason and the cat, which had an extra digit on every paw, was seen as magical. This was ironic because Miranda strongly believed that any talk of magic was complete nonsense. Part of what I enjoyed so much about this book was the character Miranda, who was a stron person and completely devoted to her husband and two sons. She definitely did not suffer fools lightly and was no stranger to hard work. I would readily recommend this book.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book free to read on my kindle. It was surprisingly captivating. It held my interest well and I read it all today. Miranda's husband of 18 years, Alexi, a lighthouse keeper, has been gone for four months on a secret mission for the governor. He has not written to her in two months. Finally, she leaves her two teenage sons to man the lighthouse and sets off for the town where her husband's letters were sent from. An orange cat who has recently added himself to her family comes with her. Perplexingly, she is accused of practicing magic because the cat has extra toes. The Prefect for her town arrives and bails her out and encourages her to continue her search for her husband. Someone is following her, the police are not cooperating and she must find clues to his whereabouts on her own. Despite rumors of magic, which she believes does not exist and is a bunch of nonsense, and mysteries and lies, she continues her search to find her husband.
This is a great book and I really enjoyed it!

[Lemurkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book and it surprises me that it has received pretty low ratings so far here. I suppose the story was fairly simplistic, and occasionally almost frustrating as Miranda tried to solve the mystery of her missing husband, and certain elements were pretty obvious from the beginning (which made it all the more amusing when the protagonist completely failed to notice them). But... I love the idea of a middle-aged heroine, a house wife, more or less, who sets out on a mission - in this case to find her missing husband. At first she is treated as a bit of a country hick, like a jilted wife and more or less like someone who is more trouble than she's worth, but Miranda is nothing if not determined! The relationship between her and her husband was sweet - and I found it utterly engaging.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable surprise and a very entertaining read. The story unfolded revealing little clues as we began to perhaps guess what may have caused Alexi's disappearance. Some red herrings and suspicious characters made this a satisfying mystery as well as a fantasy. I enjoyed the fact that Miranda's character as a normal middle aged woman trying to solve a very strange mystery was very believable. In general I found the book was unput-downable! I started reading last night and unfortunately for the huge pile of washing that needs folding... didn't put it down this morning until I had finished. Well worth the modest Kindle purchase price.

[Sharon Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant, well crafted and entertaining fantasy with well developed characters and a nice magical twist to the 'search for the missing' plot.

The main character is a sensible, middle aged woman with older children and a missing husband she finds it necessary to search for. A stray cat provides the touch of magic which carries the storyline along very nicely and provides additional interest.

Not a particularly original plot, but handled well, with interesting characters and smooth writing style.

[Deborah Balsham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can not understand how this book became a best seller on Amazon.com. I found it to be very dull. As I mentioned in my updates, there was a lot of walking around town, back and forth, here and there... The characters were not particularly well-drawn or worthy of note. Over 80% into the book, something interesting finally happened, and it was menacing and exciting, so THAT was a surprise. The thing with the cat, it was exactly what I thought it would be.

The writing wasn't particularly poor. Stylistically, it was readable. I just found the story to be ... not much of a story!

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but not great either. Too many times the main character is oblivious to her surroundings it's not even funny. Most of the book is just her doing the same thing daily, if not for the writing itself I would have stopped, even with that it was a hard book to finish. I gave 3 stars simply because the story is well told (you do get a picture in your mind's eye, and the premise is good. Really comes across as an assignment not a desire

[Raymond Koonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat's Paw was one of those surprisingly happy finds one makes from time to time. Ms. Taylor put together a wonderful story that keeps you glued to the pages. This is an action/adventure book written from a feminine perspective, and is very well done. It is also more than action/adventure and really defies placing it in any particular genre. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good literature.

[Nawesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho el personaje principal, Miranda Glivven, y la forma en que se fue desarrollando la trama. Sí podía predecir un poco el final de la historia, pero no podía imaginar de qué manera se daría. Me gustó el detalle y la conexión que hizo la autora entre el mundo natural y el mundo fantástico a través del escepticismo de Miranda.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of magic and suspense. An incredible mystery that takes place in an even more incredible setting. I would read this book again. Whimsical, charming, suspenseful, mysterious, fun, intriguing: I could go on with similar adjectives for hours. HIGHLY recommended. A very enjoyable and satisfying read with an unusual and satisfying ending.

[Tanita Davis]

From such a prim-looking cover, what a fab labyrinth of emotions and such a tangled journey. I thought I'd just take a quick read to pass the time, and put the book down - nope, couldn't do it. Had to read it all the way through, and it surprised me - seriously surprised me. A fab story, but also a treatise on the nature of belief - or, disbelief... Don't read any jacket copy, just read it!

[Victoria Gaile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up inexpensively for my Kindle today. It was an enjoyable read, mostly for the feel of the world and culture. I guessed part of the mystery extremely early, which is unusual for me, but not the main part.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute story if meant for maybe 5th-8th grade readers. As an adult, I found it boring (kept falling asleep) just because Miranda was doing the same thing over and over and over, but I did enjoy the cat (figured out who she was maybe a chapter after she appeared) and the ending was heartwarming!

[Kjirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story! A wife goes off in search of her vanished husband, and on the way has amazing adventures. Truthfully, my favorite part of this book was the worldbuilding -- it was so fascinating to read how this world operated! An intriguing notion, overall, and I'm glad I read it.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mystery! When the light keeper disappears, his wife goes looking for him. She is followed by a stray cat who becomes important to this mystery. How? You will have to read it to see why.

[Shinyfox · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters were enjoyable and the plot was interesting. But I was able to pick out some very important and key plot twists before it even came close to revealing them. A cute book that was fun to while away the time and a book that was easy to follow.

[Pam Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was totally. not any genre I usually read but was a pleasant excursion into fantasy. Easy read, not great literature, I found myself speed reading to get through it so I could get on to something more interesting. A good beach book or afternoon in bed book.

[Cliff Townsend · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice book to read quite enjoyable loved the whole setting and time period style of it. The characters were well done and it was a simple enough read to follow nothing too distracting or bogged down by description or events.