MRC RECOMMENDS: The Cat Who Chased Ghosts by Nic Minnella
“This is an absolutely charming book!” – The Mystery Review Crew
The Cat Who Chased Ghosts
By Nic Minnella
Genre: Paranormal, Children’s/Middle Grade, Mystery
In a sleepy little town, an ordinary-looking cat hides an extraordinary secret that will transform his owners’ lives forever.
When the Thompson family inherits a dilapidated old house, their overprotected son Timmy forms a strong bond with Whiskers—a chronically lazy tabby who’s not what he seems.
As Timmy explores the house’s mysteries, a chilling discovery puts his courage to the test. With the help of Whiskers and some newfound friends, he must face supernatural forces beyond his imagination and rescue a soul in peril.
The Cat Who Chased Ghosts is a tale of bravery, loyalty, and the magical power of friendship that will enchant readers of all ages, reminding us that sometimes the most extraordinary heroes come in the most unlikely packages.
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Review of The Cat Who Chased Ghosts by Nic Minnella
The Thompson family has inherited an absolute barn of a house from Great-Aunt Wilhelmina. They have their doubts about the house and all the repairs it will need, and they certainly don’t want to take on Whiskers, the somewhat bedraggled orange tabby who comes along with it. But twelve-year-old Timmy insists that the cat stays.
Timmy is the new kid at school, but it doesn’t take long for his classmates to realize he’s the kid who’s moved into Haunted Hall. And it doesn’t take long for Timmy and his new friends Jasper and Louisa to start digging into the mystery of a little girl whose ghost is supposedly roaming the grounds of his new home. Whiskers’ unexpected powers come in very handy as the children work to identify the ghostly girl and help her move on to the afterlife.
This is an absolutely charming book! Timmy is a marvelous character, the overprotected kid who wants desperately to wiggle out from under his parents’ hovering care. His friends are well-written middle-grade kids, and Louisa has the advantage of a grandmother who’s into the paranormal, so she’s got some inside information to help the children in their quest. And Whiskers. I just want to scoop him up and hug him (admittedly, I’m a sucker for big orange tabby cats).
The book is billed as a children’s book, but the main characters are middle-grade, and some of the events described might be a little too hair-raising for some elementary-aged readers. Reading as an adult, I thought it was just scary enough and suspenseful enough to keep the pages turning quickly.
Engaging characters, a spine-tingling adventure, and of course, cats! Can you really ask for more from a story? I think not. Five paws up, and I hope we see more of Timmy and Whiskers in future books.
About Nic Minnella
Nic Minnella has worked in journalism for twenty-plus years. She’s also a part-time translator and a full-time cat enthusiast. When she’s not occupied with any of the above activities, she’s often traveling or daydreaming about it.
“The Cat Who Chased Ghosts” is her first work of fiction, a heartwarming tale where a boy and his cat must confront ghosts and spirits to save their loved ones from the clutches of darkness.
