The Maltese Kitten (Sam the Cat Mysteries, No. 3) (Paperback)

by Linda Stewart (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"..as hypnotizing and pleasurable as a happy purr." -- January Magazine, December 8, 2002

"A perfect book to read aloud to the whole family--provided you can read and laugh at the same time." -- New York Post, December 21, 2002

Winner of the Muse Award, Best Fiction (2003) A real treat! Colorful characters, engaging dialogue, and a solid plot... -- Catwriters, Nov, 2003

Product Description
Meet Sam the Cat. His fee is a half a pound of lox, plus expenses. His clients are other felines, but he catches human crooks. He's Manhattan's funniest (and furriest) private eye-- or, as one critic put it, "If Philip Marlowe came back as a cat, he'd have come back as Sam." In "The Maltese Kitten," Sam's third adventure, a mysteriously valuable black kitten disappears, a blue-eyed redhead asks Sam to track him down, and he soon finds he's playing in a game of cat and mouse in which nothing, and no one, is ever what it seems.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 133 pages
• Publisher: Cheshire House Books (November 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967507383
• ISBN-13: 978-0967507385
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #178,726 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 3 in The Sam the Cat Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best way to introduce your kids to detective novels..., November 15, 2004

By	R. Kyle (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you loved the classics like "Maltese Falcon" and would like your kids to enjoy them as well, Linda Spencer's Sam, the Cat Detective novels are the best way to get them to loving mysteries. Sam, a grey alley cat with a heart of gold, is a private detective. Okay, sometimes his logic is fuzzy--he is a cat, after all. And his 'bank account' has an odor---he takes payment in fish. But, Sam always gets his man whether it be human or feline--and sometimes his woman, too.

In this book, Sam is approached by Brighid (Miss Wonderful) to help her find her lost kitten. She's of course, a beautiful liar. Sam discovers the kitten is a valuable Maltese from a line of cats dating back to the 1500's and the plot just gets thicker from there.

Even for adults, this is an enjoyable read and a quick one at just 133 pages. I highly recommend Sam and hope to see another novel by Stewart soon!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kiddie Noir with pitch-perfect prose, March 2, 2003

By A Customer

Sam, a detective who happens to be a cat ("I was on a Missing Persian case," is how the caper begins) finds he's tangled up in a tale about an extravagant missing kitten. The characters (cats) are all wonderfully well-drawn and parody the cast of The Maltese Falcon: Brigid, the temptress; Wilmer, the stooge; Jean-Clawed (who takes the role of Peter Lorre's Joel Cairo) plus hilarious new additions-- a sly Hungarian "pawist" and a cat named Dr. Laura who believes she's a licensed shrink. And though, without question, the book is written for kids, it pays them the true compliment of never talking down to them, or letting them down either. My own two absolutely hung on the tale-- or should I say tail?

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cat Shamus Cracks Another Case!, December 18, 2002

By A Customer

We first read Sam The Cat, Detective, the first book in a series of which The Malese Kitten is the latest intallment. Linda Stewart's hero, a four-legged Sam Spade who lives in a bookstore and takes on the tough cases for fellow felines in trouble, is a really nifty creation appealing to the kids and to the parents and grandparents who like to read to them aloud. The books are funny, suspenseful, not scary and always witty and fast-moving.
When we saw the cool cover of The Maltese Kitten, we picked it up before we even realized it was another winner by Stewart. This time, Sam chases after a missing kitten around Greenwich Village alleys and some posh NY pads assisted by a love-struck cat named Spike and a hard-nosed house detective cat whose seen it all, knows the score, enjoys intrigue with his catnip and ultimately opts for the good guys. If you find yourself comparing this book to a certain bird, i.e. a Maltese Falcon, you're right, since both Sam The Cat and Stewart like to Hammet up. If you want to give your kittens a fun read and have a romp yourself, check out this latest Sam escapade.