Track of the Cat

By: Nevada Barr

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 8 hrs and 15 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.

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)

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.

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

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.

40 of 44 people found this review helpful

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.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

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.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

great 1st novel

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes. well written. good style with the suspense. good descriptions of the area.

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

the well put together and quite fesible ending.

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

she provides good emphasis at the proper time. good intonation.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

I'm going to try them all.
I

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

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.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

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.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

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.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Nice Start to the Series

Am a big fan of mystery series. Anna Pigeon is great character to like...and maybe love as you get to know her. Of course, her background is not fully disclosed (need to save something for later). The story line was good but I felt that the characters could be more developed but this was the first of the series. The ending showed a side of Anna that was unexpected but you may enjoy (I did) or not.

Technical Note: I should note that despite the rave reviews of the narrator here, the constant gasping breaths, the weak character voices and this lip smacking/swallowing sound was very hard to block out as a distraction. I blame most of that on editing. Could have used some sound editing on the breathing and huge pauses between chapters.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Lovely setting; Intriguing Career; Great Narrator.

I wanted this to be a 5 star read because I was so interested in the concept. I love our National Parks and for many summers my husband was a seasonal ranger, so the idea of solving mysteries in the parks is compelling to me. Unfortunately the book didn't quite stand up to my preconceived idea of what it would be. Part of this is due to the protagonist herself. I didn't like Anna Pigeon very much. I found that she makes many stupid decisions which then place her life in danger. It felt contrived and too predictable. Nothing in the book is very surprising, and the supporting cast is portrayed as too dumb while Anna is portrayed as too smart. She knows what happened but nobody will listen to her so she sets out to prove herself right and in the course of doing so she subjects her body to numerous injuries and death-defying feats. It is all too perfect and too calculable. I want the characters to be real, and to feel like I would meet them and like them. I want characters to be imperfect, like me.

Ms Rosenblat's narration is good. Her voice blended well with the story, and it felt appropriate as Anna's voice.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful