Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: February 7, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Pet behaviorist and psychic Pru Marlowe is back! Fear on Four Paws is the seventh book in Clea Simon’s Pet Noir series.
When Pru is asked to help with an illegally trapped bear, she finds a colleague passed out drunk, his pet ferret locked in his truck. When one of her former friends turns up dead, and an unusually high number of some of the town’s pets go missing, Pru becomes involved in a series of mysteries. Frank the ferret is not talking, and while Wallis, Pru’s tabby, does her best to point her human in the right direction, Pru struggles to understand what is going on in her small town.
Even though some readers may find that they have to suspend belief when it comes to Pru’s ability to communicate with animals, it is one of my favorite aspects of the series. Simon’s sensitive portrayal of Dru’s abilities, without entering into “woo woo” territory, will make you want to believe even if you may be a skeptic. Wallis is the only one in Pru’s life who knows about her gift, and she has insights into Pru’s nature that are occasionally unsettling even to Pru herself.
As is the case with all of Simon’s books, this is a well-written, fast-paced mystery, but it really shines in the portrayal of the animals. Recurring characters such as Bitsy, a white Bichon who insists that his real name is Growler, and Pru’s crabby tabby Wallis are joined by delightful new animals like Spot the cat who introduces himself to Pru as Bunbury Bundersnatch.
Simon provides enough back story so that this book can be read as a stand-alone, but why not treat yourself to the whole series? Clea Simon shines at character development, both human and animal, and for me, one of the joys of reading this particular series is seeing Pru’s character change and grow with each book.
Fear on Four Paws is available from Amazon.
*The Conscious Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves. I received this book from the author. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
PS I’m a cat lover and animal lover and have had my own beloved 17 year old Maine Coon, whom I rescued when she was 2, for the past 15 years. She is spade of course and is an indoor cat. I take her out but only with me, never alone. But I cant get our neighbor to spade his cat or keep her indoors, etc. I dont know if cat doo doo is harmful for vegetables, or perhaps acts like fertilizer? But my daughter does not like it in her vegetables.
What non-toxic, non harmful ,humane things can we use to stop Tomcats from pooping in our garden? Our next door neighbor has a female cat in heat. Many Tomcats come courting her and do doo-doo in our garden, while they are there. I dont know why our garden attracts them this way. Someone told us to put orange peels in the garden as a deterrent, but that has helped only very minimally. Are there other things we can try?
This article offers suggestions: https://consciouscat.net/2017/08/31/keep-roaming-cats-yard-2/
Poor Miss Kiki! Have you tried Feliway to maybe calm her down? Thankyou for reading.
I need to try that again. She stressed after we got Lulu and a friend gave me some to try. It did help quite a bit. She seemed to be calmer and more relaxed. I think she’s stressing more since my husband and I have been home more recently. I’m sure she can pick up on our stress. As soon as my husband starts making money again, I want to get some more and see if it will work again. Hopefully that will be soon.
The picture of the cat on the cover looks like Miss Kiki does from the back. But Miss Kiki has been overgrooming and pulling her fur out in patches. 🙁
I’m hearing from a lot of people that their cats are overgrooming. While it’s always important to rule out any underlying issues such as allergies, it’s also very likely that our cats are picking up on our stress, and the collective anxiety that’s all around us. Clea’s suggestion of Feliway is a good one. You can also try Stress Stopper or Rescue Remedy.