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Shell Game: A Black Cat Novel
Carlos the Wonder Cat lives free, traveling from house to house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Known by everyone, his idyllic existence is jeopardized when a snarky letter from animal control threatens to punish kitty owners who fail to keep their pets indoors. The $5,000 fine / loss of kitty to THE MAN is draconian and mean, but before Team Carlos can take steps, he is kidnapped by a feline fetishist sex cult obsessed with the films of eccentric Pilsen Gudderammerung. Stakes are high. Even if Carlos escapes their clutches, can he ever go home?
268 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2017
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
A.B. Funkhauser
6 books296 followersA.B. Funkhauser is a funeral director, classic car nut and wildlife enthusiast living in Ontario, Canada. Like most funeral directors, she is governed by a strong sense of altruism fueled by the belief that life chooses us and we not it.
“Were it not for the calling, I would have just as likely remained an office assistant shuffling files around, and would have been happy doing so.”
Life had another plan. After a long day at the funeral home in the waning months of winter 2010, she looked down the long hall joining the director’s office to the back door leading three steps up and out. At that moment a thought occurred: What if a slightly life-challenged mortician tripped over her man shoes and landed squarely on her posterior, only to learn that someone she once knew and cared about had died, and that she was next on the staff roster to care for his remains?
Like funeral directing, the writing called, and four years and several drafts later, Heuer Lost and Found was born.
What’s a Heuer? Beyond a word rhyming with “lawyer,” Heuer the lawyer is a man conflicted. Complex, layered, and very dead, he counts on the ministrations of the funeral director to set him free.
A labor of love and a quintessential muse, Heuer has gone on to inspire four other full length works and over a dozen short stories.*
“To my husband John and my children Adam and Melina, I owe thanks for the encouragement, the support, and the belief that what I was doing was as important as anything I’ve tackled before at work or in art.”
Funkhauser is currently working on a new manuscript begun in November during NaNoWriMo 2014.
*The novels: Scooter Nation, The Heuer Effect, Poor Undertaker, Dirty Dale. The Shorts: The Essential Heuer, Jack Bunny and the Rocket Man, Turd Meets Rock, Cassarine, Terra Nova, Ursa Major, Hey! Birdy, Birdy, The Hagfish Conundrum, Mutual of Omaha, Cheetahs in Flight, Lady Predator, and more...
“Were it not for the calling, I would have just as likely remained an office assistant shuffling files around, and would have been happy doing so.”
Life had another plan. After a long day at the funeral home in the waning months of winter 2010, she looked down the long hall joining the director’s office to the back door leading three steps up and out. At that moment a thought occurred: What if a slightly life-challenged mortician tripped over her man shoes and landed squarely on her posterior, only to learn that someone she once knew and cared about had died, and that she was next on the staff roster to care for his remains?
Like funeral directing, the writing called, and four years and several drafts later, Heuer Lost and Found was born.
What’s a Heuer? Beyond a word rhyming with “lawyer,” Heuer the lawyer is a man conflicted. Complex, layered, and very dead, he counts on the ministrations of the funeral director to set him free.
A labor of love and a quintessential muse, Heuer has gone on to inspire four other full length works and over a dozen short stories.*
“To my husband John and my children Adam and Melina, I owe thanks for the encouragement, the support, and the belief that what I was doing was as important as anything I’ve tackled before at work or in art.”
Funkhauser is currently working on a new manuscript begun in November during NaNoWriMo 2014.
*The novels: Scooter Nation, The Heuer Effect, Poor Undertaker, Dirty Dale. The Shorts: The Essential Heuer, Jack Bunny and the Rocket Man, Turd Meets Rock, Cassarine, Terra Nova, Ursa Major, Hey! Birdy, Birdy, The Hagfish Conundrum, Mutual of Omaha, Cheetahs in Flight, Lady Predator, and more...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 8, 2019
Preeminence
Shell Game is an intelligent and entertaining novel that is packed with witty humour while delivering a thought-provoking insight into communities and neighbours. Carlos the Wonder Cat is the muse in the story and his journey takes us from his early feral days and life in an animal shelter, to playing cat and mouse with animal control officers (sorry for the pun), crossing paths with an animal fetish group, to wandering into the lives of the Saffron Drive community in Pictontown.
The town and country are fictional, with a range of nationalities, particularly Indian, Irish and Hungarian, that suggests this community could represent any region in the world. Next door neighbours, Poonam Khanzada Rajput and Bronagh Caley, are the two main protagonists of the story. Their relationship, never on a sure footing, is developed with wonderful complexity and enthralling to watch. The clever characterisations of Poonam and Bronagh allow us to experience a range of issues from pleasant co-existence to mischievous jealousies, and interests that demonstrate opposing active political beliefs. I loved the line “She woke, washed, fed and then minded her neighbours business.” which typifies someone we all recognise in every neighbourhood.
There are many incidents throughout the novel that are fascinating to observe and are seasoned with witty humour. Bronagh has been served notice from the City Planning Department in relation to the renovation of her garage that has apparently violated several City ordinances. She knows she has been ratted out and she’s pretty sure she knows by whom. Poonam Rajput is recently widowed, and her mother, Mummy Ji, is now living with her, offering that unwelcome sage advice. Poonam is also infatuated with another neighbour, Zoltan Kárpáty and she is determined to get to know him better. When Bronagh eventually confronts Poonam we see the hidden resentments surface when she asks bluntly:
The writing is extremely imaginative and the observations are wonderfully illustrated across the various characters. This book is about the interactions of neighbours, their prejudices, resentments, egos, their concealed motives and the shells they build up around themselves.
I would rate this book 4.5 stars and highly recommend reading it. I'd also like to thank A.B. Funkhauser for providing me with a version of his book in return for an honest review.
Shell Game is an intelligent and entertaining novel that is packed with witty humour while delivering a thought-provoking insight into communities and neighbours. Carlos the Wonder Cat is the muse in the story and his journey takes us from his early feral days and life in an animal shelter, to playing cat and mouse with animal control officers (sorry for the pun), crossing paths with an animal fetish group, to wandering into the lives of the Saffron Drive community in Pictontown.
The town and country are fictional, with a range of nationalities, particularly Indian, Irish and Hungarian, that suggests this community could represent any region in the world. Next door neighbours, Poonam Khanzada Rajput and Bronagh Caley, are the two main protagonists of the story. Their relationship, never on a sure footing, is developed with wonderful complexity and enthralling to watch. The clever characterisations of Poonam and Bronagh allow us to experience a range of issues from pleasant co-existence to mischievous jealousies, and interests that demonstrate opposing active political beliefs. I loved the line “She woke, washed, fed and then minded her neighbours business.” which typifies someone we all recognise in every neighbourhood.
There are many incidents throughout the novel that are fascinating to observe and are seasoned with witty humour. Bronagh has been served notice from the City Planning Department in relation to the renovation of her garage that has apparently violated several City ordinances. She knows she has been ratted out and she’s pretty sure she knows by whom. Poonam Rajput is recently widowed, and her mother, Mummy Ji, is now living with her, offering that unwelcome sage advice. Poonam is also infatuated with another neighbour, Zoltan Kárpáty and she is determined to get to know him better. When Bronagh eventually confronts Poonam we see the hidden resentments surface when she asks bluntly:
“Why did you call City Works on us, Poonam? Why? We never did anything to you.”There is a twist of humour in many of the neighbour interactions and how their relationships develop are keenly drawn.
Poonam smiled, taking two steps back and away. “That’s just the thing, you see. You have never done anything for me.”
The writing is extremely imaginative and the observations are wonderfully illustrated across the various characters. This book is about the interactions of neighbours, their prejudices, resentments, egos, their concealed motives and the shells they build up around themselves.
I would rate this book 4.5 stars and highly recommend reading it. I'd also like to thank A.B. Funkhauser for providing me with a version of his book in return for an honest review.
September 28, 2017
Shell Game explores community and the nature of civilisation using satire and noir humour. It has an eccentric, irreverent, sharp tongue-in-cheek delivery.
The situations are quirky and over the top, and yet, I’m left feeling like I know these people—we all do. Funkhauser just lifts the rock to reveal the squirming bugs underneath.
Carlos the Wonder Cat, the muse at the centre of this story, weaves in and out of the various threads and is, in essence, the catalyst for self-examination and change. He’s aloof from the humans on the street, is really owned by no one, and yet he is claimed by them all. There is a large cast of characters—politicians, animal control officers, and secret fetish organizations, but the central protagonists (or antagonists the both of them) are two side-by-side neighbours, Bronagh Caley and recently widowed Poonam Khanzada. Each woman has her secrets and both are resentful of one another. At first, they are unfailingly polite and urbane, but eventually the machinations threaten the stability of the neighbourhood.
Shell Game is entertaining, thought-provoking and thoroughly amusing. It will make you rethink strays and what your neighbour is doing in their garage during the dead of night.
The situations are quirky and over the top, and yet, I’m left feeling like I know these people—we all do. Funkhauser just lifts the rock to reveal the squirming bugs underneath.
Carlos the Wonder Cat, the muse at the centre of this story, weaves in and out of the various threads and is, in essence, the catalyst for self-examination and change. He’s aloof from the humans on the street, is really owned by no one, and yet he is claimed by them all. There is a large cast of characters—politicians, animal control officers, and secret fetish organizations, but the central protagonists (or antagonists the both of them) are two side-by-side neighbours, Bronagh Caley and recently widowed Poonam Khanzada. Each woman has her secrets and both are resentful of one another. At first, they are unfailingly polite and urbane, but eventually the machinations threaten the stability of the neighbourhood.
Shell Game is entertaining, thought-provoking and thoroughly amusing. It will make you rethink strays and what your neighbour is doing in their garage during the dead of night.
June 11, 2018
Highly imaginative!
I really enjoyed this story, especially the premise of not truly knowing who your neighbors all. It's very imaginative, and the characters had a great depth to them. The story teetered between humor and suspense, more like mysterious. The names of the characters were exceptionally funny and lend a great deal to showing the story to the audience. Magnificent story about Carlos the Wonder Cat ... and so much more! Loved it! Absolutely loved it, and will probably read again.
I really enjoyed this story, especially the premise of not truly knowing who your neighbors all. It's very imaginative, and the characters had a great depth to them. The story teetered between humor and suspense, more like mysterious. The names of the characters were exceptionally funny and lend a great deal to showing the story to the audience. Magnificent story about Carlos the Wonder Cat ... and so much more! Loved it! Absolutely loved it, and will probably read again.
May 23, 2018
An Exceptional Novel from a Talented Author
Shell Game is an intriguing novel that delivers originality and humor mixed with caustic and wild thoughts. It was easy to follow the story and the characters. There are so many great lessons in here and I wish more people would read it. My favorite phrase from Shell Game “No. There’s not a lot that shocks anyone anymore.”
I have to admit it was an exciting reading experience.
It is definitely recommended!
Shell Game is an intriguing novel that delivers originality and humor mixed with caustic and wild thoughts. It was easy to follow the story and the characters. There are so many great lessons in here and I wish more people would read it. My favorite phrase from Shell Game “No. There’s not a lot that shocks anyone anymore.”
I have to admit it was an exciting reading experience.
It is definitely recommended!
May 16, 2018
What happens in Pictontown stays in Pictontown
Caged in a jungle of their own making, the residents of suburban Pictontown fight to break free of the political and social shells that label them. But are they really who they seem to be? Under the nefarious stage direction of an elusive black cat, the characters that make up this intelligently crafted story, delve into their unexplored humanity, their unsatisfied wants, and into their feral side. A maniac rollercoaster of events finally sheds lights on the raw reality of each one of the characters that hop on this ride: at the end of the day they are just humans. All they want is to matter, to be noticed, to be loved. With a final look back, Carlos- the black cat- saunters off in the dead of the night, off to another neighborhood, off to break more shells.
I highly recommend this novel. Funkhauser’s mastery of language and deep introspection into human nature makes this satirical novel a winner.
Caged in a jungle of their own making, the residents of suburban Pictontown fight to break free of the political and social shells that label them. But are they really who they seem to be? Under the nefarious stage direction of an elusive black cat, the characters that make up this intelligently crafted story, delve into their unexplored humanity, their unsatisfied wants, and into their feral side. A maniac rollercoaster of events finally sheds lights on the raw reality of each one of the characters that hop on this ride: at the end of the day they are just humans. All they want is to matter, to be noticed, to be loved. With a final look back, Carlos- the black cat- saunters off in the dead of the night, off to another neighborhood, off to break more shells.
I highly recommend this novel. Funkhauser’s mastery of language and deep introspection into human nature makes this satirical novel a winner.
October 10, 2017
I am in love with this book. In fact, give me anything Funkhauser writes, and I will guarantee you a tale of intrigue, dynamic and eccentric characters, and unstoppable wit. Shell Game does not disappoint. You will fall in love with Carlos the wonder-cat and marvel in the corrupt underbelly of suburbia he chooses to live in. A delight on every page.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews