The Cat's Meow [Mass Market Paperback]

Emily Carmichael (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2004

Sparks (and fur!) fly both in and out of the courtroom in this sparkling new novel, second in Emily Carmichael's "Hearts of Gold" trilogy...

When workaholic attorney McKenna Wright returns home from the hospital following a car accident, she has the sinking feeling that her road to recovery is going to be a long one. Her memory has more holes than a piece of swiss cheese; she can barely recall her own name, let alone the details of the big case she's been trying in court. And then there's the fact that her beloved cat, Nefertiti, has suddenly learned how to talk. Or is it that McKenna has suddenly learned how to listen? Not that she wants to hear what Titi is trying to tell her, because it just might turn her world even further upside down. Such as the fact that the music star she's been defending isn't all that innocent. And worse, that the hunky prosecutor McKenna condemned on sight is guilty of nothing more than his criminal good looks.

But after losing her job and her house, and making no progress at finding her memory, McKenna needs all the help she can get to rebuild her life. She's determined to reclaim her fiercely independent former self, even if it means taking advice from her talking cat, listening to her bossy friends, or--worst of all--leaning just a little on the man she used to snub. Once her memory returns, she'll finally be able to put chatty felines and a certain entirely-too-handsome lawyer behind her so her life can return to normal. After all, normal is exactly what McKenna wants...isn't it?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nefertiti, known as Titi to her owner and friends, wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that a novel featuring a talking cat, amnesia and nefarious thugs can be a sophisticated read. Indeed, it seems that anthropomorphic pets really add that extra purr, or so Carmichael (Gone to the Dogs, etc.) proves in yet another charming romantic caper, this time featuring Mckenna Wright and, of course, her cat Titi. An overworked lawyer with a drive to succeed, Mckenna faces one of her biggest challenges when she uncovers a crucial piece of evidence on a high-profile case. Winning the case means making partner at her law firm, but concealing evidence from her nemesis, opposing counsel Tom Markham, means breaking the law. Her deliberations prove irrelevant, however, when a car accident leaves her with temporary amnesia and, more frighteningly, the ability to understand her cat. Through Mckenna's downward spiral from lawyer to burger flipper and pooper-scooper, the regal Titi attempts to teach her to relax and enjoy life. Mckenna soon learns that this means falling for Tom Markham, whom she no longer sees as a lazy excuse for a lawyer but as a kind man who's too sexy for words. Steamy between-the-sheets action, sensitive soul searching and a tail-twitching denouement all add to the feline fun.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Except for the few hours a week she roams the hospital corridors with her therapy cat, Titi, Mckenna Wright, a high-powered attorney, lives and breathes work, and consequently she has high blood pressure and sleepless nights. Mckenna is preparing the defense of a young country-western singer who is charged with selling cocaine when she comes across some damning evidence. She is debating with herself about how to use this information when she apparently suffers a stroke while driving and plunges off a cliff. When she wakes in the hospital, she has lost her memory, her house, and her job. And her cat now talks to her. With the help of her friends, Titi, and Tom Markham, a lawyer in the prosecutor's office, Mckenna slowly builds a new life as she regains her memory. And the more she remembers, the less certain she is about whether she wants her old life back. Everyone will enjoy this highly entertaining tale, but fans of Carmichael's Piggy stories will especially delight in Titi and her pithy cat wisdom. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553586343
• ISBN-13: 978-0553586343
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable, November 7, 2004

By 

P. Steff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cat's Meow (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is great if you want to relax and smile a bit!
If you are an animal lover you will get a kick out of how accurately Emily describes our pets personalities.
I thought that the story itself was different.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading Jane's story next year, "A New Leash on Life".

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, February 2, 2005

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cat's Meow (Mass Market Paperback)

McKenna "Mac" Wright is the best defense attorney at the "BKB" law firm. She is defending a famous, high profile, client and the client's agent. Her rival prosecutor is hunky Tom Markham from the county attorney's office. As Mac gets her defense ready, she comes across some information that could ruin her client. By law, Mac must share the information with Tom. However, before she can do so her BMW just happens to go off a cliff. Pure luck alone keeps Mac from dying. But she did not come out unscathed. Mac now has amnesia. She remembers nothing about the law, nothing about her family or friends (though friends are rare since she stepped on toes in her profession), or even where she lives! Her two friends, Nell and Jane, fill in her name, address, and the small things. But even they cannot convince Mac she is sane, because her cat, Nefertiti "Titi", seems to speak English to her now. Everyone else just hears normal cat sounds. Mac and Titi understand each other perfectly though. And now that Mac understands, Titi has a lot to say about Mac's workaholic ways, how to relax, and which guy to date.

Tom may be Mac's rival in court, but he has always been interested in dating her. She turned him down once and he would not try again, except that Mac needs help. As her memory slllooowwly comes along, Tom helps her try to switch on the "legal jargon" portion of her brain. The two now have a second chance with each other.

Problem is that someone out there does not want Mac's memory to return. It is up to the feisty feline, Titi, to take matters into her own paws.

*** I found this novel to be pretty entertaining. The brain does some interesting things when it is harmed, so the author makes the relationship between Mac and Titi sound believable. There is not much suspense in this tale. The main portion of the story is split between Tom and Mac's second chance at love and on Mac finding out who she really is. The story slowed down for a bit about mid way, but not for long. The author just wanted to show you Mac's family, to let you see WHY the heroine was the way she was before the car wreck. It also gives the romance a bit more time to bloom.

The author rarely touched on Mac's sister, the nurse. However, I found myself wanting to know more about her. Hopefully, the sister will get her own story told someday (unless it is out and I do not know about it). I snagged this novel at an airport, so I have not kept up with this author's books. (I hope that will change.) Yet this book seems to be part of a trilogy. I am guessing Jane and Nell get their stories published. The front cover advertises that the author also wrote "Gone To The Dogs". So this is probably the second book in the trilogy.

All-in-all, I found this to be a fun, witty, and entertaining book. A good read for a snowy afternoon or saving for the beach months. ***

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fine feline caper, October 27, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cat's Meow (Mass Market Paperback)

In Sedona, Arizona, Bradnor, Kelly and Bolin defense attorney McKenna Wright works late into the night on a case involving client Todd Harmon. The state accuses Todd of selling drugs to an undercover cop; the only other witness Maria Oranto returned to Mexico having been bought off to leave town. When McKenna learns that Maria was bribed she knows she must tell the prosecution, in this case Tom Markham, who used to work at her firm.

Before she can, McKenna is in a car accident she suffers amnesia. Her doctor thinks the crash was caused by her high blood pressure leading to a transient schematic attack similar to a stroke. As she recovers and wonders why she never made a play for Tom, someone wants her dead. Only Tom and Titi the cat keep McKenna safe from a culprit raising the ante making her wonder what she knows inside her amnesiac brain especially in light of Titi directly talking in "English" with her, something that has only occurred since the accident.

Titi will remind readers of Midnight Louie as she gets involved with keeping McKenna safe. Meanwhile the tale starts as a legal thriller, but switches into more of suspense tale with McKenna as the target. Tom is a likable protagonist, but the amnesia changes the heroine; before the injury she was a Type A lawyer with nothing torpedoing her path from achieving victory for her client in the courtroom as long as the actions were legal. Though the culprit's motive seems off kilter and the opportunities to easily achieved, fans will appreciate THE CAT'S MEOW and want Titi to star in future tails.

Harriet Klausner