This is a sweet, rambly story about an English Author and his wife. While the cats were the glue that held the story together, the story was mostly about Deric and his daily life. This was a sweet story. ( )

Cosy anecdotes of life in Huddersfield with Longden, his sight-impaired wife, and their eclectic array of felines. Caveat lector: they have four cats when the book begins and only two by the end. Some may consider this a spoiler; I consider it a courtesy warning. I cried. So there. ( )

This was a re-read for me, but there's nothing so nice as a couple of days of sweet reading with a Deric Longden book. My mum bought me my first Longden many years ago and I would thank her very heartily for the pleasure. Deric is a local man - he grew up in the same town as me, albeit rather before my time - and his books are peppered with Derbyshire places and the occasional phrase my grandparents throw out every once in a while.

But this book could be read and enjoyed by anyone. Provided you're a cat lover, that is. Deric lives with his registered-blind wife, the writer Aileen Armitage, and a veritable army of cats. Officially the line up for this book goes like this: Thermal (young white tom, has a pet sultana called Ralph), Tigger (saintly tortoiseshell who lives for her charity work amongst local strays), Arthur (old black cat who has seen it all) and Frink (small white turbocharged kitten). On top of that there are plenty of other felines - and even the occasional canine - dropping by from time to time to join the fun.

Deric Longden's gift is to make the most ordinary of days, the most uneventful of situations, into something worth telling, something amusing and insightful and brilliant: a foggy day, a walk to the shop, an afternoon in the study... Oh, and he talks to his cats. In fact, one of the most charming things about his books is the fact that he gives each cat a voice of their own. It sounds eccentric, it sounds ridiculous, but beneath his clever and capable pen it just WORKS.

I have read all of these books several times since I was given that first one ('The Cat who Came in from the Cold', where Thermal is introduced to the Longden family for the first time) - and I'll be keeping them to read again. I have a beloved kitty of my own (two, until recently) and I think Longden just perfectly captures what it is to live with a cat, all the humour and heartbreak and companionship and character quirks that make life with such a demanding little member of the family worthwhile. The bottom line? If you like cats, you'll love it! ( )

As usual a laugh a minute novel from an very talented writer. All cat lovers should read Deric Longdons take on his beloved cats. ( )

This book follows the continuing adventures of Thermal, previously introduced in The Cat who Came in From the Cold. Thermal now has several chums - Tigger, Frink, and Arthur. Like The Cat who ..., this book is funny, sweet, and sad. Highly recommended for cat lovrs. ( )