I received a review copy of this book from BooksgoSocial via NetGalley for which my thanks.

A Cat’s Judgement (2024) is a lovely feel-good story where a rather special black cat changes many lives in a local courthouse and the nearby bed and breakfast, bringing warmth, friendship, and love. This is the second appearance of Mr Perkins, following Mr Perkins Takes Charge (2023), a book I’d noticed but missed reading, and he has since appeared in a third book as well which I’ll be sure to look up!

Nick Blyton, recently appointed District Judge is setting off to take charge at his new post but even though this is a dream job, he is sceptical and nervous both because of being in a new city and also because his family will not be with him at least for a few months, till a house has been secured and other details of the move fixed. He is to stay for that period in the Judges Lodgings B&B, a guest house near the Combined Court building. Almost as he gets to the B&B run by a Vicky Poltree (helped by her young daughter Tasha), he runs into a black cat—one who seems to be separated from his people, and who on account of his very loud purr, Vicky and Tasha name Mr Perkins! Mr Perkins gives Nick (as also Vicky and Tasha) much comfort and almost from the next day also begins to follow him to the courthouse.

Here there are both permanent judges who sit every day and also some who sit limited days each week—Roger Shadow who keeps to himself, Laura Stolinska who hates mice, Stanley D’Artagnan who sits in the spillover building and is unhappy about it, among others. Each of them has problems and situations they are facing at home: nothing perhaps terribly serious but important all the same in the form of misfit or unwell children/spouses, health issues, and tense or absent relationships. Alongside, the court premises are facing problems too—with infrastructure in shambles (or close) and the place overrun with rats. Things are much the same for Vicky and Tasha at the B&B and Dylan the local veterinary doctor has his own struggles.

But Mr Perkins is just what they need in their lives, even if they don’t know it. Slightly spoilerish, but Mr Perkins plays a Nancy McPhee/Nurse Matilda like role in their lives (no, these aren’t and don’t behave like unruly children) in the sense of nudging things in the right direction: a brochure someone needs dropped into their lap or appearing in front of them, whether for help or adopting a pet, someone being led to where they’re needed or simply by appearing in court, to do away with some of the pesky mice or more importantly, set back in line an irate or ill-behaved litigant, or even solve a dispute when needed.

Slowly but steadily, his presence and little actions (there is no ‘magic’ at play here, just ordinary cat behaviour with a touch of the special) start to bring change into all these lives: cases are decided with more sensitivity (rather than sternness), the solitary turn friendly, and problems at home start to see some solutions, making lives happier overall. Not only that, all this goodwill and positive vibes seem to work in improving the building too, ridding it of at least some of its problems (no magic here either, just workmen doing their jobs).

While this is a light-hearted, cheerful book all through (there are problems but no drama or melodrama), it also manages to highlight issues that the author wishes to—the reduced court locations and combined premises coming up; animal adoption (with its pros and cons)—both as companions and for emotional support, pet rescue and the benefits of British Sign Language, among them. In no way is this preachy or intended to compel—rather only bring about awareness.

There are some pen and ink drawings, also by the author who was herself a lawyer and district judge, and very much an animal lover.

Needless to say, I absolutely loved reading this and loved Mr Perkins; and will early look out for the other books; she also has one about a pig!

I didn't know what i thought I was getting when I saw this - i had some thoughts that we were getting things that a cat judge us for. This however was something totally different and it was more about how the appearance of a cat can change so many peoples life's. We follow characters linked to the local B&B and what they go on to do after the cat has came into their life. I need more from this author as I want to follow the characters more.

This is a fun story if you like cats or pets, but be prepared for a lot of detail. It starts out a bit slow, but then it sort of grabs the reader.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

How can one little black cat bring joy and meaning to so many lives?
This is a lighthearted read, with lots of reasons to love Mr. Perkins, who manages to single-pawedly sort out the lives of several members of a Combined Court, and their familes.
This is like The Littlest Hobo but in feline form! I'd love to read more of Mr. Perkin's adventures.
A1

A really cute story about a cat named Mr. Perkins, who has wise judgment. This is thatlight reading and I highly recommend it to cat lovers especially thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing this book to

A cat's judgement by Suzanna Stephenson.
I really did enjoy this lovely book. I loved Mr perkins the cat. I did like the characters as well but mr perkins the cat was my favourite. I loved the cover. I liked the writing style. I did love the illustrations. I did like the ending. I do recommend this lovely book. 5*.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Cat's Judgement' by Suzanne Stephenson.

This may be the first book I have read by this incredible author but it most definitely will not be my last!!

OMG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE ,LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, FUNNY AND JUST LUSH BOOK!! A MUST READ FOR ANIMAL LOVERS!!

Well, when I seen this book I just HAD to read it!! I am a massive animal lover and actually run my own little rescue from home called 'Golden Oldies Cat rescue And Hospice' which you can find on social media. Any books with animals in it is always a huge bonus for me and as this one was all about a cat then it definitely gets mega bonus point!! Not only is the story absolutely fabulous but I also adored the brilliant illustrations throughout the book that were also done by Suzanne so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Suzanne!! Not only are you an absolutely incredible storyteller but also a fantastic illustrator!!! I also love the fact that when I added the rest of Suzanne's books to my Amazon wish list I spotted one of her other books that is called 'Mr Perkins Takes Charge: A tale of a very superior cat' which is about the same incredible cat we meet in this book, Mr Perkins, so as soon as I have finished writing this up I am off to grab my copy of that and get stuck in!! If it is half as good as this book it is guaranteed to be a page turner!! This delightful book is filled with humour, a cat called Mr Perkins, a parakeet called Norman, fantastic and larger than life characters, dealing with grief and so much more!!! It really is true how an animal can sense and help with loneliness, sadness, grief, heartache and so much more and Mr Perkins does just that in this absolutely delightful book that not only did I absolutely love but so did my 11 year old son Malaki!! I absolutely adored meeting Mr Perkins and the rest of the characters and am looking forward to meeting him and others again in his other book!! There really is something particularly special about black cats and as I have 6 in the rescue it helped me to picture Mr Perkins walking around along with Suzanne's brilliant descriptions. I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting as I just could not put it down! i was walking around with my kindle glued to my hands as I just had to keep going! The book is quite short at just 123 pages and ideal to read curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea and even better a cat on your lap or stretched out on a deckchair on the beach with a glass of wine. Wherever you are this book will definitely turn a frown upside down. I would recommend it to adults and children alike and definitely to every single animal lover!!! There is not just Mr Perkins in this book too as we also get to meet Norman the parakeet, as I previously mentioned along with dogs, hamsters and rabbits so there is something for everyone!!!

Congratulations Suzanne on an absolutely gorgeous, charming, adorable must read!!! I really cannot wait to get stuck in to your previous and future books, especially any with Mr Perkins in!!!

This book is one of the sweetest animal books that I have ever read !!! This book really is a truly unique page turner that I picked up this morning and had completely devoured it in a couple of hours!!! I may not have read any of your previous books Suzanne but I am so glad I have rectified that and cannot wait to read each and every other one!!

Overall an absolutely charming, heart warming sweet story perfect for any and all animal lovers!!

#ACatsJudgement #SuzanneStephenson #MiradorPublishing #DonnaMorfett #DLMTours

@SuzanneStephenson @MiradorPublishing @DLMTours


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What a fun read this was. When Judge Nick takes up a new job he has to stay in a B & B whilst his family home purchase goes through. A black cat with a very loud purr comes in with him & lives are about to change!

The various characters in the book are a mixed & interesting bunch & with the help of Mr Purrrkins their lives are all enriched by new friends- both animal & human. Some reviewers have pointed out that the writing style is a bit odd. However as the story is being told by a cat I thought that was all part of the charm. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this unusual book.

Have you ever wonder how a cat appears out of nowhere? That is the way, this cat does. He is taken to the vet to make sure heishealthy and if he has a chip (this tells who owns him) but the vet doesn’t find one. He tells them that he is perfectly healthy. The staff at the b & b ended up falling him Mr. Perkins. The lives of the people staying at the bed and breakfast near the courthouse will find their lives changed due to the cat — they don’t realize it yet.somehow the cat seems to have the magic touch from bring kittens that need help as their mother cat was dead and also somehow got a young woman interested in joking a class to learn the deaf language and engage in social events. It’s just a few examples of how the cat helped. The cat seems magical to me. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Why did the cat show up? How does he seem to know what to do? After touching base with Mr Perkins judgements are improved inside and out of the courtroom. Mr. Perkins disappears with a smile on his face.

The author has written a charming, delightful book about a special black cat. It is not a gaudy book but a thoughtful one. It reminds me of the Good Samaritan who helps a person when others just walked by. The story shows the positive effect of positive relationships between people. It shows the opening of wanting to have a cat or dog in their lives as they realized that pets can give so much love. It’s a lovely story.

belonging in the comfy cat genre, i cannot help but compare this to japanese cat books, and i honestly prefer those more.

Fun fact: in real life I don't like cats. At all. But in literature I usually love them. There hasn't been yet a single fictional book with cats that I haven't liked. And this, fortunately, was no exception.
Despite the slow start and the writing not being the most pleasing aspect of this book, I still managed to enjoy the story quite a lot.
Also, it helped the fact that this is a short book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

At first, I found the book rather slow, but as I kept reading I found comfort in the story. It was akin to being at the cabin Mr. Perkins had won my heart one page at a time.

Mr Perkins the black cat just keeps showing up where he's needed the most. Whatever the need, Mr Perkins knows how to put people together tho need each other. The style of this book is odd because it goes from person to person and situation to situation, but it works here, because it suits the general magic of this character. I love cats, and I would love to think there was a cat or even a spirit who wanted to help a community this much. This is more a fable than a realistic story, but it's sweet and light and fun.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Princess Fuzzypants here: When Nick arrives at the B&B where he will stay until he can close on a house, he is greeted by a black cat with yellow eyes. From that moment on, Mr. Perkins takes charge of Nick’s life including his work as a Judge. In fact, there is not one person whose path he crosses who does not benefit from his wisdom and his judgements. He turns the lives around of all the Judges in the Combined Court as well as the lives of those in the B&B and the local vet. Even when the humans, as humans are wont to do, are obtuse to his manipulations, he is persistent until they twig to the wisdom of his advice. And he does it all with meows and purrs. He is quite a remarkable kitty.

And like all of us cats, he has the uncanny ability to morph from one place to another so no one is certain when he will appear or disappear- which is what he does when his jobs have been completed and he has set the humans on their proper paths. I am sure they will all miss him as they acknowledge the influence he wielded. It is a charming story filled with love as people struggle to make sense of a chaotic world and one little cat leads them to better choices.

Five purrs and two paws up.

I haven't read the book yet, but I wanted to rate it what I think the book will be and when i'm finished i'll be able to see if my first impressions of the book were correct.

2.5⭐

The writing doesn't seem to flow nicely; it seems a little stale. I like the idea of the book and the cover is cute.

A Cat's Judgement is perfect if you're looking for a lovely, light read. Mr Perkins is a lovely cat that seems to have the best judgement as he wanders through the characters lives. The drawings are a lovely addition too, they really make this one a cosy read!

A really interesting look into various characters lives and the importance of animals.. they really are man's best friend. I particularly adored Cleo's story as it felt very real and I was almost cheering for her by the end!

The writing style is a bit odd for the content, it seems quite formal and more suited to non-fiction.

I always love to read any story with a cat but this one didn't do it for me. I finished about 30% but couldn't force myself to finish. I didn't connect with the story and like other reviews, the writing just fell flat. The premise of the story seemed good which is why I requested in but in the end I couldn't finish

I loved the first book about Mr Perkins, and was excited to get this one. But sadly it fell flat. I was expecting more because of the first book was lovely.

I'm always up for a cat story, but when starting with this one, I felt confused. I didn't know where we were going. And the style didn't appeal to me. Too bad.

I love a good cat story, and the hand drawn illustrations are a unique touch, but I just can’t keep slogging through this writing style. DNF @ 25%

Why I stopped reading:
😿 This has a very stilted, formal writing style suited better to a Burdens document you might be issued when buying a house than a novel.
😿Dialogue is inhuman and robotic, it doesn’t feel so much like conversation as it does a formal script.
😿The story is lost in far too much unneeded description. While it paints a detailed picture of the spaces our judge visited, it gets long-winded, fast. Especially when things like what the judge bought at the convenience store are itemized (written as A and B and C and D instead of using commas!) and we encounter so many laboriously detailed descriptions of the court building layouts, rosters, and operations.
😿 We don’t need full names and titles every single time a building or person is mentioned
😿 Poor spelling, grammar, and word choices: there’s a lack of punctuation making whole paragraphs read like a run-on sentences, random and inconsistent capitalization of words, unusual words choices (What are choccy biccys? Why are humans congregating in a restroom?)
😿Content Warnings for the first 25%: racism, exoticism

I’ve never had a book trigger my editing instinct as much as this one. Perhaps there’s a charming story here that’s let down by the writing and as Stephenson polishes and develops her prose, dialogue, and presentation, Mr Perkins could appeal to a wide range of readers.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to try the ARC via NetGalley.