Track of the Cat

By: Nevada Barr

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

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)

Was surprised how much I liked this...

I'm not sure why I didn't think I'd like this, maybe because it's not one of the traditional mystery's but I was very glad to be wrong. Really enjoyed all the twists and turns. I so like Anna and her refusal to let things die.

The narrator did a fine job. Her voice fit Anna well.

I'm glad most of these are already available unabridged on audible.

A must read.

Best one yet! Fast paced. Didn’t want to put it down, even when I was falling asleep on my feet.

Chapters broken. Slow book

The chapter names do not match the actual chapters, made the book hard to navigate. The book was very slow and hard to pay attention to. I like the protagonist, maybe will like another book with Anna better.

Review Track of the Cat

I love Nevada Barr and have read several the normal way. I liked the story but not the ending. It seemed like there was something missing.
The 2nd thing was the time between
Chapters was long silence between compared to the other books I have listen to.thank you

Great story

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

Loved the story and the characters

What was one of the most memorable moments of Track of the Cat?

The story is eciting from the first to the last chapter

Which character – as performed by Barbara Rosenblat – was your favorite?

Anna

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

I just kept listning.

Any additional comments?

Great narration

Narrator drove me nuts

I lived in Arizona and we never pronounced Guadalupe as the narrator did. We said "gwah dah loo peh" so I cringed every time I heard it even though I read on Google that narrator's version is an acceptable pronunciation in Texas. The story had a good premise, but I felt the number of characters and suspects for the crime were confusing and hard to track.

Engaging, interesting

Since Audible first began - yes, my membership goes back that far - it was enough to just leave a star review - no text commentary needed. Now, they require you to write a paragraph if you want to leave a star review. This is silly. Leave that bit to folks who actually want to comment. For the rest of us - please Audible - let's go back to the way that worked well for decades.

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.

Thinly develops storyline

Probably the most enjoyable part of this book were her lovely descriptions of the desert landscape. But the character development, and personal story of the characters left them all thin and stock. She could have done so much more to develop them. She never even explains why Anna left New York and what tragedy made her run away to be a park ranger in Texas. Pretty disappointing story overall. Although I always enjoy Barbara's masterful narration.

Good idea, but not finished properly

Would you try another book from Nevada Barr and/or Barbara Rosenblat?

Possibly

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Disappointing. It fell flat after all that build up

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Not paused so many times

Could you see Track of the Cat being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No.

Any additional comments?

Was a story with good potential, but went into too much detail where not needed and not enough when needed, ie the end