Reviewed by Chris
Longmuir
This historical novel takes it’s name from the Cat and Mouse
Act which was introduced in Britain in 1913, as a way of dealing with
imprisoned suffragettes who were hunger striking. Prior to the enactment of
this, the hunger strikers were force fed, which caused considerable
embarrassment for the government.
Vicary’s novel is set in 1914, prior to the commencement of
the First World War, and starts with one of the main characters, Sarah Beckett,
slashing a painting of the Rokeby Venus by Diego Velasquez. Although Sarah
Beckett is a fictional character, this part of the storyline was based on the
real life slashing of the painting by the militant suffragette, Mary
Richardson, and it was an effective way to start the novel.
However, this novel is much more complex than a retelling of
the history of suffragettes in a work of fiction. There is also another
storyline, following Sarah’s sister, Deborah Cavendish, who is trapped in a
loveless marriage. This is set against a background of events in Ireland
and the struggles of the UVF against the British government.
I found this book exciting, suspenseful and intriguing. It
was also thought provoking, following various issues of the day; the
suffragette struggle, male domination, prostitution, child sexual abuse,
homosexuality, the torture of force feeding, and German spies inciting the UVF
to start a civil war in Ireland .
If I had a criticism, it would be that the novel had a slow
start, although there were some horrific scenes of force feeding. I got the
impression that this part was laying the foundations of the suffragette
struggle. However, once the story got going, it was a breathtaking read with
lots of twists and turns, and the history became the backdrop rather than the
main focus.
It was a brilliant and exciting read which I would
unreservedly recommend.
Available in Kindle
and paperback format
Find out more about Chris Longmuir http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/
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