Title: The Curious Cat with Eight Lives: And One to Die On
Author: Timothy Neff Gocke
Publisher: Eight Lives Press
ISBN: 979-8330698196
eBook ISBN: 979-8330698219
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Suspense, Adventure, Thriller
Availability: Paperback or eBook
Language: English
Paperback: 164 pages
Item Weight: 6.4 ounces
Dimensions: 5 x 0.38 x 8 inches
Review:
David Bowie once stated that he was inflicted with a “malevolent curiosity” that led him to look at things a little askew and take a different perspective from most people. It is this malevolent curiosity that drives Tucker Glock into a situation that could spell the end of not only his family but himself in Timothy Neff Gocke’s The Curious Cat with Eight Lives: And One to Die On.
Our story begins with Tucker Glock, an Associate Professor of Business Management at HatCoy University, a dutiful husband to a doctor wife, and a father of four hard-working and driven sons. Despite bouts of his malevolent curiosity rearing its ugly head, Tucker had an idyllic life.
Until the wife of his best friend and family member, Ben Lutz, along with their neighbor, notices Ben’s suspicious activity, causing Tucker’s prevalent enemy to rear its head. Little did Tucker realize, his malevolent curiosity would put him and his family in the crosshairs of something truly malevolent…
The Curious Cat with Eight Lives: And One to Die On has a lot of great things working for it. The first and by far the most important is Tucker’s constant battle with Curious Overosity, the mental illness that is the driving force of the story.
The plot is unique, as this is the first time I have read a novel where excessive curiosity was the main issue for a protagonist and it was refreshing to see that the mental health issue was played completely straight instead of being seen as something humorous, up to the protagonist seeing a mental health specialist and causing legitimate issues in his marriage time and again. However, while the curiosity does get him into perilous situations, it also assists him in various ways throughout the novel, which I also appreciate.
I also enjoyed the characterization, particularly how family-oriented Tucker is, and that includes his beloved three dogs, as Tucker goes to great lengths to protect them all not only from outside threats but even from his intense curiosity.
Outside of the main driving force for Tucker, I particularly enjoyed the mystery surrounding Ben Lutz and the outcome of that story. While the first three chapters were primarily there to set the stage for the overall story, giving the novel a slow start. After the story officially begins in Chapter Four, the pace does pick up and remains steady until the very last page. The characters were good and believable and the story is very well-written and easy to follow, especially as it’s primarily written in first person.
With strong writing, a solid plot, and a great protagonist, The Curious Cat with Eight Lives: And One to Die On earns an emphatic recommendation from me. ★★★★★ – Elijah B. (Explore Authors Magazine)
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