To Catch a Cat
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A boy commits a catnapping—and becomes a witness to murder in the process—in this "suspenseful psychological thriller [with] a tight plot" (Publishers Weekly).
On a dare from the local boys, lonely eleven-year-old Robin sneaks into a neighbor's house to steal their pedigree cat. But he doesn't expect the terrifying scene that awaits him. After a loud dispute echoes from above—and the man of the house comes down the stairs covered in blood—Robin makes a run for it. But the killer knows someone was there, and when he talks to the police, he figures the mysterious intruder is the perfect person to pin the murder on.
Now Robin is in fear for his life, and desperately trying to keep the whole episode a secret—along with the cat who's become his new companion—in this twisting, poignant tale of suspense by an Agatha Award–winning author.
"The story dashes to a dramatic end with surprises along the way." —San Jose Mercury News
"Among Babson's many mysteries, this charmer may be the pick of the litter." —Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this suspenseful psychological thriller, British veteran Babson eerily portrays the workings of terrified and obsessed minds. Anxious to impress the boys at his new school, 11-year-old Robin agrees to sneak into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nordling and steal their pedigreed Norwegian Forest cat, Leif Eriksson. After grabbing the cat, Robin overhears a heated argument between the Nordlings. Then Nils, the husband, staggers out of the bedroom, his wife Ingrid's blood on his naked body. Robin flees and, uncomfortable with the relatives he's living with while his mother and her new husband honeymoon, keeps the fact he's witnessed a murder--and taken the cat--to himself. Nils knows he was seen, but not the witness's identity. Pretending to be a grieving widower whose wife has been killed by burglars, he seeks to find and silence the witness. All the while, Nils has to wonder whether the missing feline will prove his undoing. Meanwhile, Robin sees his chances of escaping without suspicion of theft, if not murder, vanishing rapidly. Babson weaves her separate threads into a tight plot, alternating between the sympathetic Robin and the horrid Nils. A swift and sure climax leads to a clever and satisfying resolution. Babson's established name, together with a December release date and eye-catching cat cover, should ensure good sales.
