To Catch a Cat

Written by Marian Babson

Narrated by Sarah Nichols

The last thing eleven-year-old Robin wants to hear is that his mother and her new husband are extending their honeymoon indefinitely. Not that staying with his Aunt Mags is so bad, but there’s her boyfriend to contend with, and the members of the school gang are insisting that he complete a dare before they let him join the group. They want Robin to kidnap Mrs. Nordling’s prize-winning cat when no one is home.

Getting into the Nordling’s house is easy, and Robin manages to find the cat and put him in his bag. As Robin is leaving, however, he stumbles upon a terrifying scene—Mr. Nordling leaving the master bedroom with blood all over his body. Robin is momentarily paralyzed and then flees down the stairs. He can’t be sure whether or not he has been seen, but realizes that in order to stay safe, he will have to hide the unusual-looking cat.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nordling is getting desperate. He knows that if he can find the unmistakable cat he will also find the witness to his brutal crime. He begins a frantic search for the young boy, but his infuriating neighbor won’t leave him alone. She is beginning to understand what happened that night, and he decides that he will have to deal with her too.

In her thirty-sixth published mystery, Marian Babson delights readers again with her usual charm and lighthearted humor. To Catch a Cat will capture the hearts of feline lovers and mystery fans alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
• Release date: Jan 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781094021812

Marian Babson

Marian Babson, born Ruth Stenstreem, is an American mystery writer. Her first published work was Cover-Up Story (1971), and she has written over forty-five mysteries. Babson served as secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association and was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library in 1996.  

Reviews for To Catch a Cat

[chazzifrazz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's hard being a new kid at school. Robin figures that if he can join a popular gang it will be accepted. The problem is what he has to do to prove he is worth it...kidnap old Mrs. Nordling's prize-winning cat Lief Ericson. Easier said than done.

On the night he sneaks into Nordlings' house he gets more than he bargained for. People yelling, strange sounds, a cat hurled out of a room and then a bloodied man's figure lurching into the hallway. Robin grabs the cat and makes a run for his life.

The killer knows someone other than the cat has seen the crime and he is on the hunt for the witness and the missing cat.

Robin has not only the killer to be wary of, there is also his Granna who suddenly shows up with ulterior motives, his aunt's live-in boyfriend Josh and Kerry the gang leader.

Multiple plot lines weave in and out with many twists and turns and close calls. Enjoyable for adult and juvenile readers alike