Miranda Glivven, part of a family that has tended the Gwynnhead lighthouse for years, seeks her missing husband--who disappeared while working secretly for the government--with the help of a strange golden cat and a little magic.
Cat's Paw
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From School Library Journal
YA?While on a trip completing secret investigative work for the Governor, Miranda's husband disappears. She decides to find him herself, since the local police force does not seem to care; a stray polydactyl cat accompanies her on her journey. Set in an unnamed civilization with the technological advancements of about the year 1910, the story reveals that the practice of magic has been outlawed but is still practiced by a few. The fast pace, good characterization, and hint of the outcome keep readers rapidly turning the pages. A great choice for a quick read or an introduction to fantasy.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
When Miranda's husband, the lightkeeper of the beacon at Gwynnhead, fails to return from a secret mission for the government, she sets out on a seemingly hopeless quest to find him. Taylor sets this low-key fantasy in a world where magic is officially denied despite hints of its continued existence. The presence of a protagonist who possesses no special skills except for her common sense and uncommon determination provides a refreshing departure from standard fantasy heroes. A good choice for most libraries.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By T. Gail
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book is one of my personal favorites! It is he story of the wife of a lighthouse keeper who sets out to find her long-lost husband. With a cat by her side and only a small handful of clues to go by, Miranda Glivven sets out to discover the secret behind her husband's strange disapearance. This book has plenty of suspence and mystery to hold a reader's attention 'till the very last page. I highly suggest it! A+
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars
89 reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery, killers, intrigue and a hint of magic
Mar 8 2012
By allrandom32
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Perfect Paperback
I picked up this book not really knowing what to expect. What I found was a beautifully crafted world in which poor Miranda seems to be chasing her tail looking for her apparently dead husband and suspected of criminal activity. She then sets out to find her missing husband with not much except determination, common sense and a stray cat.
The author keeps a brisk pace, which is a quality that I appreciate in novelists and also contains thoughtful characters that have real dimension to them. You find yourself thinking ahead and speculating about characters and possibilities the whole way through and wondering whether the author was trying to lead you into drawing a false conclusion or whether she was actually just placing nice hints along the way to finally solving the mystery for those readers that are observant enough to see the clues.
I also enjoyed Miranda's relationship with the cat. The cat is certainly very mysterious and has a number of unusual qualities. But this is part of the mystery that the author weaves, you sense that this cat was placed deliberately there for Miranda, but don't know why or by whom.
If you enjoy mysteries and intrigue this book has many of them and on different levels.
I especially enjoyed the twist at the end of the story, you may find one of your legs kicking the other for not picking it up earlier in the piece. A highly enjoyable read.
The author keeps a brisk pace, which is a quality that I appreciate in novelists and also contains thoughtful characters that have real dimension to them. You find yourself thinking ahead and speculating about characters and possibilities the whole way through and wondering whether the author was trying to lead you into drawing a false conclusion or whether she was actually just placing nice hints along the way to finally solving the mystery for those readers that are observant enough to see the clues.
I also enjoyed Miranda's relationship with the cat. The cat is certainly very mysterious and has a number of unusual qualities. But this is part of the mystery that the author weaves, you sense that this cat was placed deliberately there for Miranda, but don't know why or by whom.
If you enjoy mysteries and intrigue this book has many of them and on different levels.
I especially enjoyed the twist at the end of the story, you may find one of your legs kicking the other for not picking it up earlier in the piece. A highly enjoyable read.
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read
Mar 16 2012
By Sandra Johnson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
There was so much about this book that I really enjoyed -- the richness of the language, the timeless setting, the interesting little details about such things as a lighthouse and a meteor to name a few. I also liked the heroine, a small town lady, who kept growing stronger as she searched for her missing husband. Also interesting was the strange cat that she took with her as she searched. I also liked the fact that the magic was more subtle than a usual fantasy. When I told my husband I was reading this book, he mentioned that he had read it a few years ago and it was one of his all time favorites.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Cat's Paw" is strongly recommended for school and community library fantasy/mystery collections.
Oct 6 2007
By Midwest Book Review
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Perfect Paperback
When Miranda Glivven's husband doesn't return from a secret assignment for the government, she goes out to look for him, starting at his last known location. Miranda's only companion on her quest for her missing husband is a cat. She finds that no one, not the authorities, nor the local citizenry, seem to want to help her. Some of them even think that Miranda is using magic (a treasonous offense) because of that cat. Set in a world where magic is officially denied, even while it is consistently rumored to exist, "Cat's Paw" is an entertaining and compellingly written novel that deftly combines mystery with fantasy. Author L. A. Taylor (she passed away from cancer in 1996) is revealed as a master storyteller of immense and imaginative talent. "Cat's Paw" is strongly recommended for school and community library fantasy/mystery collections. Also recommended reading are her earlier novels "Footnote to Murder" and "Blossom of Erda".
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Go to Amazon.com to see all 89 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
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