Cat's Paw

FINALIST, INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS Miranda Glivven’s husband 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 her beloved husband’s disappearance growing more and more mysterious.... Taylor's. . .engaging tale combines mystery and fantasy elements. In a well-built fantasy world with a distinctly Victorian flavor, a woman's husband mysteriously disappears. . .she sets out in search of him. . .having more than her share of adventures along the way. —Roland Green, Booklist 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. –Library Journal. 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. –School Library Journal A lighthouse keeper’s wife decides to look for her missing husband. Her search takes her to a distant city where she’s seen as a country bumpkin, but her sincere (and somewhat naive) determination carries her though dead ends and suspiciously unhelpful bureaucrats. Her only comfort from home is a stray cat that insists on accompanying her. But the title really refers to a different cat’s Miranda is being used as a pawn in a dangerous game of intrigue, murder, and rumors of magic, which she regards as strictly superstition—at least at first. –Carolyn Cushman, Locus