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  • Touch Not the Cat

  • Written by: Mary Stewart
  • Narrated by: Zoe Mills
  • Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (4 ratings)

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Touch Not the Cat

Written by: Mary Stewart
Narrated by: Zoe Mills
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Publisher's Summary

An exceptional novel of dark family secrets - danger lurks behind every shadow in Mary Stewart's classic novel of romantic suspense.

Ashley Court: the tumbledown ancestral home of the Ashley family, all blessed with 'the gift' of being able to speak to each other without words. When Bryony Ashley's father dies under mysterious circumstances, his final words a cryptic warning to her, Bryony returns from abroad to uncover Ashley Court's secrets. What did her father's message mean? What lies at the centre of the overgrown maze in the gardens? And who is trying to prevent Bryony from discovering the truth?

Tell Bryony. The cat, it's in the cat on the pavement. The map. The letter. In the brook. Tell Bryony. My little Bryony to be careful. Danger.

©1976 Mary Stewart (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

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  • Sophia Rose
  • 2020-03-03

A Bit of Atmosphere in Nostalgic Rom Suspense


I read this originally nearly thirty years ago so when I saw that Mary Stewart's books were getting their American Audiobook release, I was ecstatic. Love Mary Stewart! Touch Not the Cat is one of her few romantic suspenses that got brushed with the paranormal which makes for an additional treat.

Bryony Ashley is working in a hotel when she gets a mental message from her secret friend and lover that her father is near death. She gets to Germany where Jon Ashley had been staying with his medical friend too late to see him alive, but he left her a cryptic message and she means to understand what he was trying to say.

Bryony goes home to England to Ashley Court, the ancient, somewhat dilapidated family seat. She and her father live in a cottage on the grounds while a wealthy American family are leasing a portion of the main house while the historic public rooms are open for tours along with the moat, the gardens, and the maze. All of it is falling down and there is barely funds coming in to hold onto it, but now with her father dead it will fall on her father's cousin Howard Ashley living in Spain. Howard has poor health so Emery the oldest of the twin cousins will likely end up with the court and its upkeep.

Bryony has a mysterious encounter at the old church when laying her father to rest, but that is followed by a warmer welcome from Rob Grainger the caretaker of the court, the Vicar, and the Hendersons. Meanwhile she discovers there has been theft, pressure from the twins to vote to end the entail and sell her strip of land, but worst is evidence that someone close to her might have been involved in her father's death.

Through it all, her secret psychic friend and lover is nearby and staying secret. She wonders which Ashley relation inherited the Ashley gift with her and is the other half of her soul since childhood. She fears it is the one she suspects of a dark deed.

Alongside Bryony's modern story are snippets at the end of each chapter sharing a past time line with the man known as Wicked Nick Ashley sharing the true story of the last events of his life.

I love how Mary Stewart built up the suspense and gave this story atmosphere. Bryony is a likeable and intelligent heroine who has the narration and slowly works out the truth of what is going on and what her father was trying to tell her. Her romance was sweet and the first time I read this, it was a delightful surprise. This time around, I saw the hints at the truth before the reveal and enjoyed that too.

It was fun slipping back into country house England and London of the mid-70's. It felt timeless in ways and yet was fun because it was written as a contemporary at the time.

The narrator, Zoe Mills, was a first time for me, but I thought she nailed Bryony's voice and did great at the rest of the cast which were predominately male. I thought she even got Herr Goddard's German accent and even the American family from California. Most of the time, she narrated with a minimum of acting, but it was great how she swept me up during the climax scene with a bit more. I'll be keeping an eye out for more of her work.

I didn't remember how this ended a little abruptly. Everything of significance happened or was explained, but there was also a bit of speculation, too. Funny how I was satisfied with that back then and now I'm more nosey and want all the details.

All in all, this was a great reunion with a brilliant romantic suspense author's works. I will definitely be availing myself of more and recommend her stuff to those who want some older romantic suspense to try.

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21 people found this helpful

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  • Hannah
  • 2020-10-01

I love it love it love it!

Holy cow I wasn’t expecting to love this book so much! It’s so well written and is such a interesting, unique storyline that literally had me guessing at every chapter. Don’t miss it!!!
And it’s beautiful read and acted as well!

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Odinia
  • 2020-01-11

One of the best,if not the best,Mary Stewart novel

This is one of the better Mary Stewart novels. The heroine is, as usual, a bit of a wet noodle, but it is very well done and has all sorts of interesting elements such as mysterious mazes, hidden Roman mosaics, and psychic communication, and romance. It really is very good and well worth your credit.

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7 people found this helpful

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  • Customer
  • 2019-12-11

A old favorite

The narrator perfectly paints the picture of the young woman telling the story of her home, legacy and family. Having read most of Mary Stewart’s work years ago, the Audible books add a dimension that fleshes out the characters and sense of time and place. This was a wonderful listening/reading experience and and I am so looking forward to revisiting My Cousin Michael, another old favorite from Mary Stewart.

I am using the immersion method promoted by Amazon to read and listen at the same time to the Stewart books and really have enjoyed the experience. I’ve done the same with the Charles Todd Inspector Rutledge series and Dick Francis horse racing mysteries. The right narrator makes favorites a fresh experience to enjoy.

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6 people found this helpful

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  • Linda Bourn
  • 2020-03-29

Great mystery by a very good author.

Mary Stewart at her best in this book. keeps you in suspense to the end!

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4 people found this helpful

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  • Susan Weaver
  • 2019-09-13

Enchanting!

Like all Mary Stewart’s books, wonderful characters, beautiful descriptions, and a lively plot. This one has an additional spell of fantasy and history throughout.

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  • RJS
  • 2021-11-01

Great story, some issues with volume irregularitie

Great story, some issues with volume irregularities. The change from one character to another sometimes included strong increases in volume that detracted somewhat from the overall reading. Otherwise, the narration was well done. I enjoyed the twists in the plot and the development of the various characters as the story evolved.

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  • Silverlure
  • 2021-03-28

Touch Not the Cat Suspense

Could not put it down. Once things started, It kept pace. Different from the authors other books, but still fantastic.

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  • Voracious Reader
  • 2019-11-13

Loved it!

I've read this book in the past, but this is a new audiobook for me. I already loved the story, and Zoe Mills' narration only added to it. I enjoyed the snippets of the other tragic love story the began each of the chapters. Following it and the rest of it was a delight.

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  • Elise
  • 2023-01-28

It’s not my favorite book

I normally really enjoy books by Mary Stewart, this one was confusing with all the Shakespeare quotes at the end of each chapter/ the flashbacks / the“other voices”. If I had read it, likely it wouldn’t have been an issue but listening to it made it hard to keep up with what was going on.

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