This is the second in the adventures of Alec Charlesworth, a retired librarian. His first adventure was in 2014 and called 'Cat Out of Hell', in it Alec and his friend - Wiggy - along with Alec's dog Watson first come in contact and find themselves entangled with Evil Talking Cats (ETC's). This adventure is mentioned in the The Lunar Cats, and beware there is a spoiler as the ending is described.
The Prologue of The Lunar Cats is set in the 18th century just before the Endeavour and Captain Cook make their maiden voyage to Tahiti. The London Society are in a tavern concluding their meeting, it is only at the end of the prologue we are shown the group is made up of cats, with wigs and smoking, discussing the scientific development of the times as well as some rather unusual and only cat related developments.
Skip on a few hundred years and we come to Alec who is reading an email, which he decides to act on. Alec since his retirement helps authors to research their book, and in the email is being asked
a Mr Thigmo Taxis to research the evidence for Mr Johnson's famous cat Hodge who was abroad the Endeavour on its voyage to Tahiti.
We read that he could after extensive research find any evidence that Hodge exists. We are also shown the journals that the cat Hodge's wrote while on that voyage. Along with the secret that the Endeavour brought back a strange and dangerous object which the history books refuse to mention.
Alec while putting out the recycling then finds a sweet and innocent kitten, far to young to manage on it's own, so much to Watson's umbridge the kitten is given a home. Alec then phones Wiggy the next time he takes Watson for a walk and they discuss ways to test the kitten to see if it an ETC. But she's so cute, I mean look at her eyes and her so sweet paws, she in no way can be an ETC.
The action then flits between the 18th century and modern day, and near the end we see that some cats have more then none lives, or can either time travel or are just simply immortal.
The best scene in the book for me was the contract which the kitten signs between her and Beelzebub.
I found the writing easy to read and enjoyed having my imagination provoked by it. Although there was one scene which I found squeamish and has me looking at my cats claws in a different light. I wonder if dogs - oh the cats calling, yes Sir - now where was I, no the thoughts gone.
This is not a book for the serious reader, but if you want to have your senses befuddled then carry on.
i can't wait to read the first - Cat Out of Hell - and hope that there is another adventure with Alec battling ETC's in the near future.
