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)

Great story!

Very interesting plot and well read, as always, by Dick Hill.

The unexpected

What made the experience of listening to The Cat Dancers the most enjoyable?

The story was excellent and the performance was easily followed and well done.

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

The plot was well thought out and kept the reader constantly wondering who was doing what to who! I thought it was an unusual story and I really liked it.

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

Mr. Hill was easily followed and did an admirable job introducing the various characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me realize how far our electronic technology can delve into US citizens lives and that the silent majority do not accept our justice system.

I am quite knowledgable about animals but, I certainly learned more from this author on the behavior of mountain lions.

Any additional comments?

This book is worth the read. The only thing I didn't like, especially because I am listening to the book and cannot easily skip ahead, was the continual use of the F word at the first part of the book when the robbery went bad. There was so much cussing that I couldn't tell what was going on. I actually stopped the book and went to another book, not intending to go back to finish this one. A month later when I ran out of books I went back to this one and fast forwarded the conversations of the thieves as best as I could. After that the book became quite intriguing and I was glad that I read the book

Superb Thriller That Holds You To The End

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jay Kay, the indian computer genius steals the show with her involvement and self-confident air that is very entertaining. She has a very big role that evolves throughout the book.

Which character – as performed by Dick Hill – was your favorite?

Cam Richter was voiced perfectly. Cam is the protagonist detective caught in a web that he neither understands or can disentangle himself. Dick Hill is my favorite performer for adventure thrillers, mysteries and the like. He is really quite incredibly talented. I have never failed to totally enjoy one of his works regardless of the author.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It is superbly entertaining, loaded with action and drama. It zooms along at a fast pace. This book is loaded with computer processing details, small town police department politics, love stories, loyal German Shepherd dogs, great North Carolina woods winter adventures and a vigilante force or two. Oh and mountain lions too. Wow!

Great Series from a Great Writer

P T Deutermann is a fantastic writer ,his novels are interesting and unusual . The Cam Richter series is my favorite . Read all of them in order and you gain on the growth of the character. Please P.T. write more in the Richter series!

Approach carefully!

Do NOT start this book if you have other trivial things to do such as working or other obligations. In fact, don't even make this a vacation book, because if you do, this book will be your vacation!

The book ends with unanswered questions which is always a good way to write a series. I am obligated to pursue those questions with the next book in the series starting right now.

Trivia points: another character with a damaged arm; events taking place in the mountains bordering North Carolina and Tennessee.

Love

Any additional comments?

So glad to find this author after finishing the Jack Reacher/Lee Child books. Even better to find out that Dick Hill narrates!! Has to be a pretty good story to make me want to get up and out the door at 4:30 a.m. in sub zero temps to get some exercise. Only problem was I started to wonder if mountain lions might be lurking near :)

Well written and entertaining

I really like the Cam Ricter character. I like how the author thinks of different possibilities at various decision points along the way and then explains the thought process. It makes the story very believable.

The Cat Dancers is worth the price.

This is a murder mystery, not a Navy tale. It is an interesting story, with many, many twists & turns, as is usual with the author, P. T. Deutermann. Even though it’s not a Navy story, the author does mention NAFOD a few times (a Naval aviation acronym). Deutermann as usual is great with detail and dialogue, especially in his action scenes. Not sure if I understand this story’s ending. My bad.

One plot drawback: White Eye’s pet “Night Night” was IMHO unbelievable: species like this cannot be domesticated and trained like in the story.

As for the reader, in his recitation, he should pause before reciting the next chapter number. Instead, he reads the next chapter number as if it were attached to the last sentence of the previous chapter. Then he pauses. This tick pulled me out of the story, something no reader should want to do. Otherwise, the reader does fine.

Amazing reader

This narrator is so great, especially when speaking for the criminals. It felt like listening to actual dialog and not that someone was reading

Just seemed off putting

Didn't finish it. Got tired of all the language.
I won't buy another book of his