Reviewed by Jeanne
Winter in Montreal can be very cold and snowy indeed, and
Agnes Aubert is desperate to find a new place for her cat shelter. The old shelter sustained a great deal of
damage when some out-of-control magicians (are there any other kind?) staged a
duel in the streets. It’s said that one
of them might even have been the Witch King himself, the notorious Havelock
Renard, already wanted for nearly causing the end of the world a few years
back.
It really doesn’t matter who was involved. The results speak
for themselves. The cat shelter had
already been struggling; people tend to see cats as vermin, not pets, and while
her sister helps as she can, Agnes has to carry most of the load. Agnes is also still grieving for her late
husband, Robin, who helped found the shelter. Now they’re almost out of money
and have to find a place to stay before winter sets in in earnest.
But Agnes is on a mission to find them all a safe place to
stay. She finally finds someon who is willing to rent a space to her at a surprisingly—perhaps
suspiciously-- reasonable rate. It isn’t long before Agnes begins to wonder if
illegal magic is going on, but as long as she can care for the cats and help
them be adopted into loving homes she will turn a blind eye.
Which Agnes is able to do until the shop comes under attack
from a witch who believes Havelock Renard himself is on the premises. That’s
bad enough but what’s worse is that she may be right.
Despite the admonition not to judge a book by its cover, I totally
chose this book because of the delightful artwork that adorns the front. I was
not disappointed. It accurately portrays
the feel of the book, the 1920s time period, and the charming contents. Agnes is a no-nonsense, highly organized
woman whose courage and determination have seen her through many trials. Her sister Elise is much more glib and
silver-tongued, but intent on seeing Agnes safe and settled. Havelock is abrupt and darkly handsome, or
Agnes thinks he would be if he weren’t such a scoundrel.
He is also allergic to cats.
I thoroughly enjoyed the vividly realized setting of the
book. I could almost smell the baked
goods from the oven, feel the cold wind and snow down my neck, and enjoy the
sights in the shops along the street.
Then there were the cats: the haughty and sometimes malicious
Your Majesty, a regal long-haired tuxedo who only tolerates Agnes; the somewhat
addlepated Banshee who silently yowls; and dear old Thoreau, an elderly cat who
endeared himself to Agnes and to me.
This is a light but fun tale of magic mixed with adventure,
danger, spells, and most of all, felines. Please forgive me but I have to say
it: this book was like catnip to me.
