Sam the Cat: Detective (Sam the Cat Mysteries, No. 1) Paperback – August 1, 2000

He walked into my life like a... well, cat. And what a cat! Grey suit, grey shoes, mind like a mouse trap. Sam's the name, Sam the Cat. And Sam's on the case of the burglarized jade necklace. And a lot of other stolen stuff, too, the work of a cat burglar, which is a person who steals stuff and is almost as agile as a cat.This is such a fun book. Technically, I'm a little older than its target demographic, but I enjoyed every word. (I especially liked the words, "airless like the inside of a cow." That just gets me giggling whenever I think of it.) I've read a few adult hardboiled detective books, and this author gets the tone just right, only for a slightly younger crowd.If you're an adult (notice I didn't say "grown up") reading this for yourself, you'll whip through this book in just a few hours, if that. I suspect this would be a good book to read aloud to children, but I can't prove it since I don't have any. I would have enjoyed this as a ten year old, though. The author doesn't talk down to her audience, though occasionally she has Sam explain certain terms, like "cat burglar" to other cats just in case the younger readers get confused. It's subtly done, though.I really like this book and can't wait to read the other two

Just finished reading this out loud to my partner. We're both... well, let's just say we've got a few gray hairs. This would be delightful for a kid, and especially good for a grown-up to read out loud to a kid, since the story honors the great literary detective traditions, which the kids won't necessarily catch but will keep the grown-ups amused along the way. It doesn't exactly contain the line "She had legs that went from here to there & back again" but it comes pretty close! We enjoyed it very much.

What a clever, well-done mystery with a "cat" of characters that will make your heart purr... Sorry, I just loved it. Not as simple as the "recommended age" would imply - I'm 52 and I devoured this and all the series. Wonderful character description, interesting plot, absolutely satisfying for cat lovers, and plenty of applied problem-solving opportunities for the young readers. Stewart also embeds authentic friendships responsibility, and morals throughout. Please keep writing, Linda Stewart!

I used to have this as a child It was one of my favorite books growing up. I am glad to have it back in my collection.

I bought this book not realizing that it was a children's book. I read it anyhow, and enjoyed it thoroughly! It has captured the 'tough detective' genre very well and I think that most good readers would like it. Most adults, if they preview what their kids read, would be amused with the take off of the 'Humphrey Bogart type detective'.

Delightful book

I was very lucky to get both Sam the Cat Mystery books. I wish there were more. I loved this easy to read larger print I wish all books would use. The storys are great fun. I mailed them both off to my nephew. Great fun reading for all ages.

The book is a good read. Sam is a smart cat. For lovers of Cat mysteries it is a good book to read.