Touch Not the Cat by Tracy Fobes is the unusual story of a woman who is cursed to become the Grimalkin, a fierce cat who roams the Scottish Highlands.

In a century long ago Catherine MacClelland's ancestor betrayed his word to the leader of the neighbouring clan McQuade.
 

The bitterness between the clans lives on through the years and a witch's curse from the McQuades plagues the lives of many of MacClelland women through the years.  The curse is that the women will "practice slaughter" as the grimalkin and also that they will all die in childbirth.  The only way to break the curse is for love to grow between the two clans and for the centuries old feud to be laid to rest.

Catherine does not know a way to break the curse and lives a reclusive life at Riverdell, her home in the highlands with her father.  But her father is old and sick and as a last attempt to break the curse he decides to blackmail the illegitimate son of Robert McQuade into marrying his reluctant daughter.

Nicholas, Duke of Efington does not take kindly to blackmail and is determined that he will not marry Catherine and give her access to his fortune.  It seems to escape his notice that Catherine is equally determined to break off the engagement.  Nicholas believes that the only way he can keep his parentage a secret is to marry Catherine and thus ensure that she and her father would never disgrace themselves by revealing who his father is.  He does not know that Catherine's father has died and that the threat of blackmail is gone.

Catherine is dismayed to find herself married to anyone, least of all Nicholas, and it comes as a relief to find that she is pretty much left to herself in Scotland while her husband remains in London.  It bothers her little that she has no access to his money and is soon using her own initiative to maintain her home and lands.

But things cannot continue in this way for long and soon Nicholas is drawn back to the mysterious Catherine and is shocked to see the state of repair of her home.  What begins as a short visit soon extends to a much longer stay as he and Catherine spar for dominance in the village and Riverdell.  Richard also pours a substantial amount of his funds into restoring the house.  All of which Catherine secretly repays.

As the story progresses it seems that Nicholas and Catherine may be able to break the curse if they would only trust each other.  For while Catherine struggles to keep the secret of the grimalkin, Nicholas struggles against his own feelings for his reluctant wife.

Living in the same building for some considerable time makes it impossible for Nicholas to doubt that Catherine is the grimalkin.  If she is not, Nicholas would have to begin questioning his own sanity and all the evidence points to his new wife having a secret far more scandalous than his own.

The fact that the cat appears from her window, the irrational fear of the horses when she approaches and all the other pieces fit together so neatly that Nicholas is sure that he is right - the only piece of the puzzle missing is the way to break the curse.  For while Nicholas is figuring out the puzzle, Catherine is just as determined to keep her husband at arms length and so keep the curse from taking her life.

With a strong sub-plot this story is both unusual and fascinating.  Different to the werewolf stories but in some ways similar too.

This is Ms Fobes debut novel and the preview of the next novel at the back promises that this is the first of many.  A powerful story, well thought out, and truly riveting.

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Also by Tracy Fobes:  Heart of the Dove, Forbidden Garden and Daughter of Destiny

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