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Track of the Cat  By  cover art

Track of the Cat

By: Nevada Barr
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
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Publisher's summary

From the vivid opening vista, high in craggy mountains, to the final haunting glimpse of a moonlit canyon, Nevada Barr's first mystery, Track of the Cat, instantly caught the attention of readers and reviewers. Its popularity gained it both an Agatha and an Anthony Award.

The young naturalist, Anna Pigeon, has moved to the Southwest wilderness to be a park ranger. There, her days are filled with the physical demands of working in the Guadalupe Mountains and the satisfaction of living in this splendid land. Her peace is shattered one morning, though, when she discovers the body of another ranger deep in Dog Canyon. How did the usually cautious woman die? Although at first the evidence indicates an attack by a mountain lion, Anna soon suspects that there are craftier predators afoot in the wild grasses.

Fast-paced suspense and sharply defined characters will immediately sweep you up in the force of this compelling mystery. By the end, you'll be nodding in satisfaction at the final twist and anticipating the next book in the Anna Pigeon series. Narrator Barbara Rosenblat's performance highlights Anna's savvy courage and determination to catch her prey.

Listen to more Anna Pigeon mysteries.
©1993 Nevada Barr (P)1997 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Thrilling...Ms. Barr has a naturalist's eye for detail and an environmentalist's fury at the destruction of the wilderness." (The New York Times Book Review)
"The texture, scents and sounds of the West Texas wilderness permeate this forceful debut....A park ranger herself, Barr develops a complex, credible and capable heroine who believes in truth and justice while remaining conscious of the ambiguities of human existence." (Publishers Weekly)
"Spectacular descriptions, psychological insight, and a refreshingly independent heroine." (Library Journal)

What listeners say about Track of the Cat

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Guadalupe Mountain Mystery

This award winning first book in a mystery series is set in a real/actual place in West Texas. The main character, strong and likable Anna, is a park ranger in the Guadalupe Mountain National Park. The park is known for its fossil reef, hiking and backpacking. The vivid description of hiking and backpacking and the sense of place are all strong in the story. The book captures the wilderness, the dangers and the beauty of the setting.

The narration starts out slow--but give it time--it gets better. Rosenblat sounds a bit worn out at first but I think the voice was intentional and captures the character of Anna well.

I enjoyed the story and thought that the mystery was well thought out and held my interest. It kept me thinking right up until the end. The engaging writing and strong character development make this book worth the time spent listening. A good start to a new to me series that I plan to continue.

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50 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Trek through the Guadalupes

This was my first Nevada Barr book and I've read four since. She has a great idea for a mystery series--a ranger solves crimes in national parks and you get quirky, fascinating background on the park as well as a generally satisfying mystery. Sometimes her plots or endings are a bit shaky, but the colorful writing is well worth a listen. If you liked the writing in early Sue Grafton mysteries, but got tired of the sameness of Grafton's plots and characters, Nevada Barr is a great find.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Inspired Narration for a First-Rate Mystery

Barbara Rosenblatt's narration is brilliant. She really brings Anna Pigeon alive. Nevada Barr is a terrific writer, as most mystery fans know. However, Rosenblatt's inspired narration might just make listening to Barr even better than reading her.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Nevada Barr's writing is meant to be read aloud.

This is her first adventure with Anna Pigeon. I had listened to some of the more recent books in this series but this is one of her best. Nevada Barr's descriptions of scenes, feelings, and thoughts use language that is like poetry. It should be read aloud. No reader could be better with Barr's characters than Barbara Rosenblat. Her different voices make this so entertaining. I'll listen to any book Ms. Rosenblat reads. I'll be a bit sad when I have listened to all of the Anna Pigeon mysteries.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story, Love this character...

Anna Pigeon is a real woman with her insecuritites and flaws and intelligence. I really like this character and with one book have become a fan of the series. I will definately read more.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Pretty good

I bought and listened to this book because I was caught up on all of my favorite authors. I wasn't disappointed. I was surprised by the ending, which is good in a mystery. There were a few slow parts in the book in which I skipped forward and never missed a beat. The characters were likable and believable. The story was also likable and believable. I will probably buy the next book in the series. The one thing that kept me from buying into this series earlier is that all of the books are not in the audible library.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

My First Nevada Barr Does NOT Disappoint

What made the experience of listening to Track of the Cat the most enjoyable?

I'm a new fan of Anna Pigeon and her sister Molly. The story kept me engaged...it's a page turner. The characters are rich and author Nevada Barr is skillful in unfolding them before your eyes. Beautiful description of the west Texas Guadalupe Mountains. Barr knows whereof she writes.

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

The story itself is fresh and exciting. Certainly no retreads here.

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

Barbara Rosenblat brings a lot to the reading of Track of the Cat. She reads well, has a strong, expressive voice. And while it's not quite the performance level of say Lorelei King reading a Stephanie Plum mystery (Janet Evanovich), Rosenblat does the story and the characters justice...and then some.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

more than expected

I wasn't expecting much from this book, just something I got on sale. Never heard of the author before. So I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the book and the narration. Nothing memorable, but worth listening to.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Couldn't get past the narrator

What did you like best about Track of the Cat? What did you like least?

It seemed like a story that could develop, but as far as I got before bailing out it hadn't happened yet.

How could the performance have been better?

First, the whispery little-girl voice didn't fit the character of a strong outdoor woman who has chosen to be a park ranger in a rugged area like Guadalupe National Park. It was such a bad fit for the character and the setting and the story, it was a constant irritation.

But most of all, the narrator's constant mispronunciation of the word "Guadalupe" finally drove me to stop listening. She persisted in saying "GuadaLOOP". She was so consistent that I started to wonder if it was a regional pronunciation, like the way "Houston" is pronounced "HOWston" in New York City and "HYOUston" in Texas, so I called the park. No, it's pronounced the way the word is always pronounced, "Guada-LOO-PAY".

Was Track of the Cat worth the listening time?

No.

Any additional comments?

Audible should be more careful in choosing narrators, and narrators should prepare for the job by, at the very least, knowing how to pronounce the words in the book. It shows respect for the author and the material as well as for the listener.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring!!

This book felt like I spent a weekend with a boring girlfriend who dumped all her lame complaining on me. The main character was painful and the "mystery" was uninteresting. I'm sorry to be so critical because I know I couldn't write a book but it just didn't do it for me.

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4 people found this helpful