The Cat Dancers

Cam Richter, Book 1

By: P. T. Deutermann

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

When two lowlifes rob a gas station, murder the attendant, and then incinerate bystanders who are filling up their minivan, the Manceford County, North Carolina, police quickly arrest the killers at a nearby motel.

But a stubborn judge throws out the case, because the suspects were not read their rights, leaving Sheriff Bobby Lee Baggett and Lieutenant Cam Richter to face the anger of the victims' families.

Soon thereafter, a mysterious e-mail arrives in the department: a link to a video of one of the murderers being executed in a homemade electric chair, ending with a voice announcing, "That's one". The shocking video spreads throughout the Internet, drawing the attention of local, state, and federal authorities, and national media, and putting intense pressure on Bobby Lee and Cam to find the vigilante before he claims his second victim.

Assigned to head the search, Cam finds himself resented by some of his fellow officers and subtly threatened by others. His job is further complicated by the fact that the offending judge is also his ex-wife, and now - after years apart, and an uneasy reconciliation - his sometime lover. Cam's questions lead him to a remote mountain area in western North Carolina and a group of daredevils who call themselves "the cat dancers" - so named because they have tracked the last wild mountain lions in the region to their dens, where they have photographed the animals face-to-face, or died trying. Cam must hunt this group and the cats they seek, or become their next target.

Listen to the sequel, Spider Mountain.

©2005 P. T. Deutermann (P)2005 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Well-drawn characters, intelligent, realistic dialogue and top-notch writing....Petrified readers will be checking under the bed and in the closets for any panthers that may have crept inside while they were glued to the pages." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Reader Dick Hill brings the best in voice and vocal variety to this effort. His voice is as rough as a raging river, as soft as falling snow - a perfect match for this engaging story." ( AudioFile)

Riveting from start, to almost the end.

The books was superbly written and the narrative intricately woven. Dick Hill is always a treat to listen. I love the story, and what proves to be a great series but am livid by the lack of an ending. Mr. Deutermann, after taking 14 hours and 42 minutes of narration there has to be more than 60 seconds to bring it to a reasonable conclusion. You can still leave plenty of area for a sequel. I am trusting the next in the series has better symmetry. Nevertheless, the protagonist is a thoughtful and purposeful character that is very likable. I look forward to Book 2.

dick hill is the best.

I love dick hill. any story narrated by dick hill is good in my opinion. pt writes a good story with many turns and twists. worth the read

Not a fan

This was my first P.T. Deuterman. I am not sure there will be a second.

My idea of a good mystery is that a seemingly unrelated collection of incidents and characters somehow converge at the end of the novel to solve a mystery, with the reader involved as a sort of ghost-like sleuth.

Here, we have practically unrelated story lines (the reviewer who says that the story bounces is putting it mildly) getting resolved one by one. Yes, of course, they are all sort of 'connected,' but the connection seems like an afterthought. The first set of murders is resolved, THEN another disappearance gets resolved, THEN another murder...Meanwhile we have this preposterous sideline story where people chase mountain lions (the lions could have been substituted by speed cars without blinking an eye -- they are that much of a sideline....In fact, I suspect that they were indeed something more realistic at one point, like speed cars, that were later exchanged in an attempt to make a rather-ahum story better......In my opinion, the attempt failed.)

In the end, there are incredible coincidences (what are the chances of THAT cast of characters being involved in the same random act of violence? And seriously, that other guy was the guy's brother????)....and (in my mind, a MAJOR flaw): a HUGE clue gives away the identity of the last "Bad Guy" (several "bad guys" are revealed and disposed off along the way) without our "hero" ever noticing (but it is SO obvious that you are simply waiting for it to happen...for pages, and pages...and pages.).

I have heard so much about the author -- and so many of the reviews gave this novel so much praise -- that I was expecting something better. Perhaps P.T. is just not for me.

Great story

I’ve listened several of PT’s books. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.
Anything narrated by the great Dick Hill is an added plus.

Deutermann has his claws in a new fan

I listened to The Cat Dancers while driving through the Smokey Mountains going to and from Knoxville, TN from Charlotte, NC. This was the first P.T. Deutermann novel I've read and I enjoyed it tremendously. I've already purchased Spider Mountain -- the next book in the Cam Richter series.

Dick Hill's narration is absolutely masterful -- glad to see continuity throughout the series.

My first P.T. Deutermann

This was my first P.T. Deutermann and it took some getting use to his style. It's difficult to explain but it's almost as if the story bounces quickly from problem to problem, much like a ping pong ball. Romantic interludes are dropped in from time to time but are fairly meaningless. That said, I very much enjoyed the book and would recommend it. I like to start with the first in a series and read straight through so I immediately went to Spider Mountain, which was strange but also enjoyable. Then Moonpool, which I would NOT recommend and suggest you skip it entirely. The story is confusing and, in my opinion, badly written. It's only redeeming quality is the dogs. And I've just finished Nightwalkers, I liked it as well and will buy the next in the series when I find it. All that said, I always like Dick Hill and although his "female voices" are sometimes a bit like nails on a blackboard, he is one of the best!

Thanks for the Dance!

This author is new to me but what a find! I am a big Dick Hill fan and just looking for something of which he was narrator led me here. Great new characters for me to get to know and an exciting plot that is very well thought out. Cam, Frick and Frack,what a trio!!! Good action that grabs your attention and holds on from page one to a fast tumbling end. Dick Hill does a great read but when he has great material to work with he 'shines' Totally enjoyable.

GOOD BOOK - IF YOU DON'T MIND THE ENDING

What did you love best about The Cat Dancers?

The plot (story). The author kept me guessing until the end and kept me "hooked" until the end,

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. I was unable to figure out "whodunit" until the end (not that I ever figured out the plots before this book)!

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator was excellent; he used different voices for each of the characters. If I had just read the book, I don't think that I would have enjoyed it as much!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, there was nothing that particularly moved me in the book, and I am quite the "animal lover."

Any additional comments?

There is no ending or conclusion; the author just stopped writing at a convenient spot. I like definite endings to my books, and this one did not have a definite ending. I really enjoyed the plot and the book, but I did not like the ending.

Suspense!

So many books are advertised as being suspenseful, or thrillers, but do not deliver on that promise. This book does. My husband and I listen together, and we sat up late several nights glued to our Kindle waiting to see what would happen. Dick Hill's performance is outstanding. If you enjoy action books, this one is highly recommended

enjoyed this

this was a good story. the idea of a challenge the made the group together was good.
the idea of taking pictures of the wild cats a little far fetched. but the whole story was good. will read more about the hero