Miranda’s husband left home many, many months ago on assignment for the government. He usually isn’t gone very long on these things, but this time, it appears he will be gone longer than originally expected, so he begins to send her letters even though he isn’t supposed to do so. Then the letters suddenly stop, and she doesn’t hear anything else from him.
Her husband, Alexi, was the keeper of the beacon at a lighthouse. Since he has been gone the job has been the responsibility of her and her two sons. Miranda decides that she must go and search for her husband and leave her teenage sons in charge of their father’s work.
When she boards the train to go to her destination, a stray cat she has recently taken in jumps on board the train with her and makes himself her traveling companion. This beautiful and unusual cat has five digits on its paws.
During this unnamed time in history, magic has been outlawed. Anyone suspected of practicing magic is immediately turned over to the authorities. Miranda doesn’t believe magic exists, so when she is turned in on suspicion of magic at her first stop, she is astounded. She is suspect because of her cat. It has too many toes. Both she and the cat are examined, declared to be clean, and set free with papers declaring that they have already been examined.
When I started reading this book, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was the title. The title interested me because I love cats. I have to say that I was extremely pleased with my choice.
This is a romance. Miranda loves her husband greatly. She sets out to find him or to find out what happened to him and nothing, absolutely nothing deters her or causes her to want to return home before her mission is accomplished.
She isn’t sure if she can trust anyone, and no one seems to want to help her anyway. The only one she can freely talk to is the cat that surprisingly stays right with her and is exceedingly well behaved. Even though she has no special abilities when it comes to detective work, she quickly discovers more than the government that he was working for has.
There is fantasy. The story is set in a world where magic is officially outlawed by the government, and everyone is scared of its existence.
Intrigue abounds. Miranda's quest turns dangerous when people begin to disappear, and someone tries to kill her. What exactly did her husband do for the government?
I wish I could tell you the rest of the story, but that wouldn't be fair to you. The only other thing I will say is that Miranda makes discoveries that open up an entire new world to her.
The author, L. A. Taylor, has done a great job with the characters, the description of the time and customs, and the storyline. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of fantasy that is full of romance, intrigue, and mystery. You won’t be disappointed.
This book was so good that I really wanted to interview the author. I searched the internet trying to find out how to get in touch with her. Unfortunately, I am unable to interview her. This talented lady passed away in 1996.
I bought this book myself from Amazon. If you would like to add this book to your library, I have provided an Amazon link below.
