Kate’s 2¢: “the Women” by Kristin Hannah

“the Women” by Kristin Hannah

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   Julia helan did an excellent job of reading this story with cameo readings by the author. there were so many denials, mis-truths, and lies about the Vietnam War. Some only refer to that era as a conflict and deny women were there. It is time history faces the facts.

   I’ve also read about “The Battling Belles of Bataan”, as told in We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese by Elizabeth M. Norman (1999) Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. ISBN 0-671-78718

   They were the members of the United States Army Nurse Corps and the United States Navy Nurse Corps who were stationed in the Philippines at the outset of the Pacific War and served during the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42). When Bataan and Corregidor fell, 11 Navy nurses, 66 army nurses, and 1 nurse-anesthetist were captured and imprisoned in and around Manila.

If this type of book would be made required reading for young people, maybe more would realize that real wars are lose/lose situations.

   I encourage you to read both of these books.

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.kristinhannah.com

Kristin Hannah was born in California. After graduating with a degree in communication from the University of Washington, Hannah worked at an advertising agency in Seattle. She graduated from the University of Puget Sound law school and practiced law in Seattle before becoming a full-time writer. Hannah wrote her first novel with her mother, who was dying of breast cancer at the time; the book was never published.[2]

Hannah’s best-selling work, The Nightingale, has sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide and has been published in 45 languages.[3][4]

Hannah lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington,[5] with her husband and their son.

Copilot GPTs

While she started out writing romance, Hannah has evolved to be master of the tearjerker: Best friends and betrayal, a family torn apart by war, a fragile child, mother-daughter bonds. Other writers have asked her if she gets caught up in the emotions and experiences of her characters. Hannah laughs. “For me, writing is a job,” she says.

Author Kristin Hannah finds inspiration in heartbreak

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The women DB118896

Hannah, Kristin Reading time: 15 hours, 0 minutes.

Kristin Hannah; Julia Whelan

Historical Fiction

Psychological Fiction

War Stories

“Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets and becomes one of the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download The women DB118896

Kate’s 2¢: “Peace in the mountain haven” by Misty M. Beller  

“Peace in the mountain haven” by Misty M. Beller  

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Imho…

d

   Well, being a Christian Historical Romance Author, you know the guy will end up with the gal, but they certainly have some interesting adventures on their journey.

   I enjoyed this story read by Leonor A. Woodworth.

I’m glad you stopped by! I’d love to share a little about what makes me tick. 

I write romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. 

My husband and children are the loves of my life, keeping me both grounded and crazy, sane and out of my mind.

I was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so my Southern roots run deep. Growing up, my family was close, and we continue to keep that priority today. My husband and 5 kiddos now add another dimension to my life, keeping me both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in my heart to combine my love for Christian fiction and the simpler farm life, writing historical novels that display His abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of my characters.

Writing is my passion, and my family—both immediate and extended—is the foundation that holds me secure in my dream.

And you, Dear Reader, bring so much joy to my life! I pray for you regularly, especially those wonderful words in Colossians: 

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for YOU,

and to ask that YOU may be filled with the knowledge of His will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 

that YOU may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him,

being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power,

for all patience and longsuffering with joy. 

Colossians 1:9-11

Love and blessings to you!

Misty

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Peace in the mountain haven DB119490

Beller, Misty M. Reading time: 5 hours, 53 minutes.

Read by Leonor A. Woodworth.

Human Relations

“Watkuese is desperate to return across the Rocky Mountains before winter sets in. Time is running out for her to get her adopted daughter back to the familiar surroundings of the Shoshone village before the grief of her parents’ death causes irreparable damage. Hugh Charpentier has spent his life watching over his siblings, which meant also ensuring his brother’s widow and babe are settled well into their new life. Now he’s asked to help shepherd a woman and child he barely knows across the mountains. As hard as it is to keep up with a six-year-old in the treacherous Rockies, it’s not nearly as dangerous as risking his heart to a woman and child who may not ever be his.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Downloaded: April 11, 2024

Download Peace in the mountain haven

Kate’s 2¢:  “The dirty tricks department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the masterminds of World War II secret warfare” by John Lisle

“The dirty tricks department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the masterminds of World War II secret warfare” by John Lisle

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   I’ve always thought of war as a lose-lose situation. This book brings to the forefront the lengths people will go to get the upper hand. A sad commentary on our culture and society. Who is to say it is the best man who will win?

   I don’t think our country can continue to be the police force of the world on its own. We are spread too thin and are unable to protect our own borders.  

Bing found these results

John Lisle is a historian of science and the American intelligence community1. He earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas and has taught courses on U.S. history, cyberspace, and information warfare at the University of Texas, Louisiana Tech University, and Austin Community College1. Lisle is the author of the book “The Dirty Tricks Department”, which tells the story of the scientists who developed secret weapons, documents, and disguises for the OSS during World War II2

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The dirty tricks department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the masterminds of World War II secret warfare DB114602

Lisle, John, (Historian) Reading time: 8 hours, 4 minutes.

Pete Cross

War and the Military

Government and Politics

History, Juvenile

Bestsellers

U.S. History

World History and Affairs

“In the summer of 1942, Stanley Lovell, a renowned industrial chemist, received a mysterious order to report to an unfamiliar building in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was led to a barren room where he waited to meet the man who had summoned him. After a disconcerting amount of time, William “Wild Bill” Donovan, the head of the OSS, walked in the door. “You know your Sherlock Holmes, of course,” Donovan said as an introduction. “Professor Moriarty is the man I want for my staff…I think you’re it.” Following this life-changing encounter, Lovell became the head of a secret group of scientists who developed dirty tricks for the OSS, the precursor to the CIA. Their inventions included bat bombs, suicide pills, fighting knives, silent pistols, and camouflaged explosives. Moreover, they forged documents for undercover agents, plotted the assassination of foreign leaders, and performed truth drug experiments on unsuspecting subjects. Based on extensive archival research and personal interviews, The Dirty Tricks Department tells the story of these scheming scientists, explores the moral dilemmas that they faced, and reveals their dark legacy of directly inspiring the most infamous program in CIA history: MKULTRA.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

Kate’s 2¢: “The making of another major motion picture masterpiece” BY Tom Hanks

“The making of another major motion picture masterpiece” BY Tom Hanks

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   This was one of the books included on the cartridge NLS sends. It contains books that I don’t down-load myself. This book is one I probably would have down-loaded due to its being Historical Fiction, Humor, Human Relations, and a Bestseller.

   Hanks is, of course, a master narrator and having multiple voices added to the over all listening appeal. I enjoyed this book.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Early life and family

Hanks was born in Concord, California,[10] on July 9, 1956,[11] to hospital worker Janet Marylyn (née Frager) and itinerant[12] cook Amos “Bud”[13][14] Hanks. His mother was from a Portuguese family; their surname was originally “Fraga”.[15] His father had English ancestry,[16] and through his line, Hanks is a distant cousin of President Abraham Lincoln[17][18][19][20][21] and children’s host Fred Rogers, both of whom he would portray in film roles.[22][23] His parents divorced in 1960.

Their three oldest children, Sandra (later Sandra Hanks Benoiton, a writer),[24] Larry (who became an entomology professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign),[25] and Tom, went with their father, while the youngest, Jim (who also became an actor and filmmaker), remained with their mother in Red Bluff, California.[26] In his childhood, Hanks’ family moved often; by age ten, he had lived in ten different houses.[27]

Although Hanks’ family religious history was Catholic and Mormon, as an adult he converted to Greek Orthodox Christianity after his marriage to Rita Wilson.[28]

One journalist characterized Hanks’ teenage self as being a “Bible-toting evangelical” for several years.[29] In school, he was unpopular with students and teachers alike, later telling Rolling Stone magazine, “I was a geek, a spaz. I was horribly, painfully, terribly shy. At the same time, I was the guy who’d yell out funny captions during filmstrips. But I didn’t get into trouble. I was always a real good kid and pretty responsible.”[30] Hanks acted in school plays, including South Pacific, while attending Skyline High School in Oakland, California.[31]

Having grown up in the Bay Area, Hanks says that some of his first movie memories was seeing movies in the Alameda Theatre in Alameda, California.[32] Hanks studied theater at Chabot College in Hayward, California,[33] and transferred to California State University, Sacramento after two years.[34][35] During a 2001 interview with sportscaster Bob Costas, Hanks was asked whether he would rather have an Oscar or a Heisman Trophy. He replied that he would rather win a Heisman by playing halfback for the California Golden Bears.[36] He told New York magazine in 1986, “Acting classes looked like the best place for a guy who liked to make a lot of noise and be rather flamboyant. I spent a lot of time going to plays. I wouldn’t take dates with me. I’d just drive to a theater, buy myself a ticket, sit in the seat and read the program, and then get into the play completely. I spent a lot of time like that, seeing Brecht, Tennessee Williams, Ibsen, and all that.”[37]

During his years studying theater, Hanks met Vincent Dowling, head of the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio.[13] At Dowling’s suggestion, Hanks became an intern at the festival. His internship stretched into a three-year experience that covered most aspects of theater production, including lighting, set design, and stage management, prompting Hanks to drop out of college. During the same time, Hanks won the Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his 1978 performance as Proteus in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, one of the few times he played a villain.[38] In 2010, Time magazine named Hanks one of the “Top 10 College Dropouts”.[39]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The making of another major motion picture masterpiece DB114593

Hanks, Tom Reading time: 16 hours, 0 minutes.

Nasim Pedrad; Connor Ratliff; Natalie Morales; Peter Gerety; Ego Nwodim; Rita Wilson; Tom Hanks; Holland Taylor

Historical Fiction

Humor

Human Relations

Bestsellers

“Part One of this story takes place in 1947. A troubled soldier, returning from the war, meets his talented five-year-old nephew, leaves an indelible impression, and then disappears for twenty-three years. Cut to 1970: The nephew, now drawing underground comic books in Oakland, California, reconnects with his uncle and, remembering the comic book he saw when he was five, draws a new version with his uncle as a World War II fighting hero. Cut to the present day: A commercially successful director discovers the 1970 comic book and decides to turn it into a contemporary superhero movie. Cue the cast: We meet the film’s extremely difficult male star, his wonderful leading lady, the eccentric writer/director, the producer, the gofer production assistant, and everyone else on both sides of the camera.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

Kate’s 2¢: ”Seaworthy: a swordboat captain returns to the sea” by Linda Greenlaw  

”Seaworthy: a swordboat captain returns to the sea” by Linda Greenlaw  

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Into…

      This was one of the books included on the cartridge NLS sends. It contains books that I don’t down-load myself. I might have opted for this story as it contains the topics of a biography, Adventure, and Women.

   I enjoyed this story as it encourages older people to keep on trying to be their best, despite their age, especially if they have a passion for it.

   Marilyn Rae Beyer did a great job of narrating this story. I like the timbre of her voice.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linda Greenlaw (born December 22, 1960)[1][2] is a best-selling author of books with maritime themes and the only female swordfishing boat captain on the East Coast of the United States.[3] She was featured in the 1997 book The Perfect Storm and the film The Perfect Storm.

Greenlaw wrote three best-selling books about life as a commercial fisher: The Hungry Ocean in 1999, The Lobster Chronicles in 2002 and All Fishermen Are Liars in 2002.

Her books have climbed as high as No. 2 on The New York Times Best Seller list, with The Hungry Ocean remaining on the list for three months.[4][5]

Greenlaw lives on Isle au Haut, Maine, and was the first female sword-fishing boat captain on the American East Coast.[6]

Early life[edit]

Greenlaw was born in Connecticut, the daughter of Jim and Martha Greenlaw. Her father was an information systems manager for Bath Iron Works. She was raised in Topsham, Maine, and her family spent their summers in Isle au Haut, a village of 71 people off the coast of Maine. Greenlaw attended Colby College, where she majored in both English and government. To help pay her way through college, Linda worked as a cook and deckhand aboard the sword-fishing boat Walter Leeman during her summers. She continued working on the boat during free time and vacations and, after her graduation in 1983, continued working for the boat’s owner, Alden Leeman, who installed Greenlaw as a swordfish captain in 1986 when he acquired a second vessel.[7]

Greenlaw wrote in The Hungry Ocean: “Being a woman hasn’t been a big deal. I never anticipated problems stemming from being female, and never encountered any. I have been surprised, even embarrassed, by the number of people who are genuinely amazed that a woman might be capable of running a fishing boat.”[7]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Seaworthy: a swordboat captain returns to the sea DBC03778

Greenlaw, Linda Reading time: 7 hours, 57 minutes.

Marilyn Rae Beyer A production of Perkins Library, Perkins School for the Blind.

Biography

Adventure

Women

The author of the bestselling The Hungry Ocean and the only female swordboat skipper in America, Linda Greenlaw chronicles her return to the treacherous waters of Newfoundland’s Grand Banks. Contains strong language.

Kate’s 2¢: “Rolling in the deep” by Mira Grant

“Rolling in the deep” by Mira Grant

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

      This was one of the books included on the cartridge NLS sends. It contains books that I don’t down-loadmyself. This book is one I probably wouldn’t have down-loaded due to its being in the science fiction genre.

   Having said that, I enjoyed this tory although it was rather gory. Maybe NLS sends these out to broaden our horizons. I’m glad they did.

   I enjoyed listening to Teri Schnaubelt narrate this story.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mira Grant is the pseudonym of Seanan McGuire — winner of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for best new writer.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Rolling in the deep DB112663

Grant, Mira Reading time: 3 hours, 8 minutes.

Teri Schnaubelt

Science Fiction

Supernatural and Horror Fiction

“When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses. They didn’t expect actual mermaids. They certainly didn’t expect those mermaids to have teeth. This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench . . . and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Kate’s 2¢: “Antimatter blues” by Edward Ashton

“Antimatter blues” by Edward Ashton

 NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   This was one of the books included on the cartridge NLS sends. It contains books that I don’t down-load myself. This book is one I probably wouldn’t have down-loaded due to its being in the science fiction genre.

   Having said that, I enjoyed this tory with its humor and drama. Maybe NLS sends these out to broaden our horizons. I’m glad they did.

   Having John Pirhalla and Katharine Chin sharing the narration of this story added a dramatic element to the story. Well done.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mickey7 is a 2022 science fiction novel by Edward Ashton. Its sequel, Antimatter Blues, was released in March 2023. A film adaptation directed by Bong Joon-ho is scheduled to be released in 2025.

   I didn’t find much about the author, just his books.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Antimatter blues DB114605

Ashton, Edward, (Science fiction writer) Reading time: 9 hours, 30 minutes.

John Pirhalla; Katharine Chin

Science Fiction

“Summer has come to Niflheim. The lichens are growing, the six-winged bat-things are chirping, and much to his own surprise, Mickey Barnes is still alive—that last part thanks almost entirely to the fact that Commander Marshall believes that the colony’s creeper neighbors are holding an antimatter bomb, and that Mickey is the only one who’s keeping them from using it. Mickey’s just another colonist now. Instead of cleaning out the reactor core, he spends his time these days cleaning out the rabbit hutches. It’s not a bad life. It’s not going to last. It may be sunny now, but winter is coming. The antimatter that fuels the colony is running low, and Marshall wants his bomb back. If Mickey agrees to retrieve it, he’ll be giving up the only thing that’s kept his head off of the chopping block. If he refuses, he might doom the entire colony. Meanwhile, the creepers have their own worries, and they’re not going to surrender the bomb without getting something in return. Once again, Mickey finds the fate of two species resting in his hands. If something goes wrong this time, though, he won’t be coming back.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Kate’s 2¢: “The body in question” by Jill Ciment

“The body in question” by Jill Ciment

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   I enjoyed this story, but I didn’t agree with the jury’s verdict. I suspect the pretty twin pressured the Autistic twin to do the deed. She needed mental health counseling, not incarceration.

   I like the ironic ending of the jurors’ elderly husband leaving his body to science, although a bit creepy that the widow’s lover would be doing the anatomy lesson with his medical students.

   Hillary Huber did a good job of reading this for us.

A few take-aways:

—-She explained the difference between the beautiful and the sublime: the stars are beautiful diamonds, twinkles, something you can wish upon. The space inbetween the stars is the sublime, cold, black, and infinite. Something that inspires awe and fear.

–The ancient Greeks believed the body was a wooden flute, the soul was the breath as it reverberated within the instrument and the spirit was the music released from the wood.   

Bing found these results

Jill Ciment was born in Montreal, Canada. She is the author of three novels, The Tattoo Artist, Teeth of the Dog, and The Law of Falling Bodies; a collection of short stories, Small Claims; and a memoir, Half a Life. Ciment is a professor of English at the University of Florida. She lives in Gainesville, Florida.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The body in question DB95856

Ciment, Jill. Reading time: 5 hours, 28 minutes.

Read by Hillary Huber.

Human Relations

Psychological Fiction

Legal Fiction

During the sensational Florida murder trial of a wealthy teenager accused of murdering her toddler brother, two sequestered jurors have an affair, but never discuss the case. When they finally realize they are on opposite sides, the woman’s “one last dalliance” has profound personal and moral consequences. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Downloaded: April 25, 2024

Download The body in question

Kate’s 2¢: “Molly: the true story of the amazing dog who rescues cats” by Colin Butcher

“Molly: the true story of the amazing dog who rescues cats” by Colin Butcher

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   I enjoyed this story. Butcher did a good job of reading his own story. So many ‘pets’ are a lot smarter than their owners think. Then, there are the dogs with a talent, like Molly, and my guide dogs.

   A few take-aways:

–In order for a good idea to work, you first need the know how, then you need to know who.

–An animals love, thrust and loyalty, aren’t given freely. They have to be earned.

WWW.COLINJBUTCHER.COM

Colin J. Butcher was born on 10th June 1960 in Fareham maternity hospital, Hampshire, growing up in Jahor Bahru, Malaysia and Sembawang, Singapore. Upon his return to England in the early 70s, he lived in Bishops Cleeve near Cheltenham in the Cotswolds before moving back to Fareham.

His father, Geoff, was an engineering officer with the Royal Navy and his mother, Margery, was a secretary for a local construction company. Colin was one of four children. His brother, David, was diagnosed with Leukaemia at the age of 13 and died just short of his 21st birthday. He has a younger sister, Lynn, and a brother, Rian.

Growing up on the edge of a tropical rain forest, a young Colin would spend hours beneath the vast emerald green canopy exploring with David. ”I was a total animal nut. Every day we would see something new; there were insects and reptiles everywhere. I was bitten, scratched and stung more times than I can possibly remember and it was usually my fault. I just had to learn how to approach animals in a way that didn’t make them feel threatened.” Colin’s knowledge and experience in handling animals would one day come in handy: in his role as a Pet Detective.

About Colin Butcher Author

Colin joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16 and was drafted to HMS Antelope; a ship later sunk during the Falklands conflict. In 1983 he trained as aircrew for the Royal Navy’s Anti-submarine Seeking Helicopters and on completing the necessary 18 months’ flying instruction received his wings and, being the top student on his course, was awarded the Colin Vickers Trophy. ”These were amazing years,” he later said. ”Flying with the military is an incredibly exhilarating experience and one I shall never forget.”

In 1988, following his Royal Navy service, Colin joined Surrey Police as a detective. After five years’ service in drugs enforcement, he was promoted to Detective Inspector of the ‘serious crimes’ division, investigating cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and homicide.

Colin left the Police in 2003 to set up his own London-based Private Detective Agency, Complete Investigations, and in 2005 formed a second company, United Kingdom Pet Detectives (U.K.P.D.). ”I always knew I would end up working with animals. It just took me a few years to discover the right profession.”

With over 30 years’ investigative experience under his belt, Colin is a leading authority on pet crime across the UK and has worked with police forces across England, Scotland and Wales. His research into cat behaviour — specifically why they migrate away from their homes — was the subject of the BBC’s Horizon documentary ‘The Secret Life of The Cat’. Speaking of the project, Colin explains: ”We needed to develop a better understanding of why so many cats abandoned their homes. So, we set up a cat tracking project in our local village of Shamley Green. I was absolutely thrilled when the BBC Horizon team approached me and asked to join [it].”

Leading on from his work with the BBC, in 2004 Colin embarked on a second — slightly more ambitious — project: investigating whether it was possible to train a dog to locate lost cats by their unique scent (pheromone) signature. ”We recorded hundreds of hours of video footage during the cat tracking project and when we reviewed it, we discovered just how important scent marking is to cats,” Colin recounts of the time. ”It was evident that cats build an incredibly detailed odour map of their territories and, through careful examination of other cats’ pheromone signatures, can identify age, gender, health and social status.”

One of Colin and his team’s most significant findings was the discovery that when a cat leaves its territory — whether due to foraging, exploration or being forced out by a more aggressive cat — it quickly becomes disorientated and in many cases is unable to find its way home. As Colin explains: ”If you imagine driving at night through a country you have never visited before and suddenly your sat-nav fails, then you can begin to understand just how disorientating it must be for a cat.”

Sadly, the use of a dog’s incredible sense of smell to search for a cat’s pheromone signature, was rejected by every single dog trainer Colin approached with his idea. Some trainers were rude and unhelpful, some simply failed to respond to his emails and phone calls, and — most dishearteningly — the majority dismissed it as fanciful and pointless. Undeterred, he pressed on with the project: ”I knew it could be done because I had worked with so many different search dogs while in the police – it was just a case of finding the right people with the right attitude.”

Colin’s breakthrough came just over a year later when he was introduced to the team at groundbreaking canine charity Medical Detection Dogs; specialists in training dogs to identify human disease by odour. Their CEO Dr Claire Guest agreed to help and in December 2016 the country’s first Cat Detection Dog — a rescue spaniel named Molly — graduated from the M.D.D. Academy to begin field trials with Colin.

Three months later, Molly and Colin located their first missing cat, recovering 32 more in 2017 and a further 46 the following year. ”It has been an incredible journey,” he describes. ”It was tough going at times, with numerous setbacks along the way, but I had some great people working with me and every time Molly finds another missing cat my heart leaps with joy.”

Molly is now a fully qualified Pet Detective and important member of the U.K.P.D. team. In addition to her cat finding skills she has helped to locate both missing and trapped dogs and stolen jewellery and often accompanies Colin on his Private Eye investigations.

Colin’s passion for writing began as a child in Singapore, where at the age of seven his school essay on fire ants received the award for best story and most improved handwriting. ”I strutted around my school as if I had won the Nobel Prize in Literature as opposed to a handwriting competition,” he recalls of the experience. ”It really was a pivotal moment for me; having my work recognised at such a young age had such a big impact. From then on, I recorded field notes on all the interesting adventures I had with my brother and read every book I could get my hands on.”

He continued writing during his time in the Royal Navy and Police service, and whilst a Detective Sergeant, and in 1998 he co-wrote the first police training manual for the investigation of criminal cases for Surrey CID officers. He proceeded to publish three further CID training manuals on the investigation of serious crime and homicide. He was also awarded the prestigious Chief Constable’s Commendation for his work.

In 2004, Colin received his first paid commission; a training a manual for the investigation of major incidents and serious injuries for BP. Several other paid commissions within the shipping and logistic industries followed, but even so, ”It wasn’t until 2010 that I actually thought of myself as a writer. By then I was running my own Blog, drafting all sorts of articles on the investigation of crimes against animals and often received emails from journalists asking for contributions to features and news items.”

Colin’s first book, ‘The Owner’s Handbook on Preventing Dog Theft’, was released in 2014, and two years later he started work on ‘Molly The Pet Detective Dog’. In 2017, extracts from Colin’s work in progress were published in The Guardian newspaper, and several months later he was offered a publishing contract by The Little Brown Book Group. Over the following six months Colin was offered a further 14 book deals, eventually agreeing terms with Michael Joseph: an imprint of Penguin Random House.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Molly: the true story of the amazing dog who rescues cats DB118789

Butcher, Colin. Reading time: 9 hours, 51 minutes.

Read by Colin Butcher.

Biography

Animals and Wildlife

“As a veteran of the Royal Navy and longtime police officer, Colin Butcher was no stranger to dangerous situations. But a career in uniform can wear anyone down, so, in 2003, Colin left the force to start his own private detective agency, specializing in helping reunite people with their missing pets. And yet, despite his hundreds of successes, there were still heartbreaking cases where Colin couldn’t find the missing on his own. He knew he needed a partner. When Colin first met Molly, his friends doubted that she would be up for the job. Where Colin was battle-tested, Molly was young and inexperienced. She was willful, wayward, and stubborn. But Colin could tell that Molly was unusually charismatic and intelligent. He decided to take a risk and bring on Molly for training. Yes, Molly is no ordinary deputy, but a black Cocker Spaniel, and this is no ordinary detective agency. Trained by the top canine behavioral experts at Medical Detection Dogs, Molly can find missing cats-who are uniquely skilled at eluding humans-by detecting a unique scent signature, and she has been wildly successful. The work is not always easy. Molly has faced hardships ranging from a near-fatal snakebite to the challenge of winning over Colin’s girlfriend, Sarah. But through it all, Colin and Molly share an enduring love and affection. More than a working relationship, Molly is part of the family. Together, they are the Sherlock and Watson of missing pets.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Downloaded: April 11, 2024

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