9 May 2005

Dog-Gone Cat Case

A Heart-Wrenching Adventure

For Animal Aficionados

Lamma Island, Hong Kong – A new novel, Dog-Gone Cat Case by Jay Scott Kanes, provides a special treat to pet-owners and animal lovers.

Based on high jinks in and near Yung Shue Wan village on Lamma Island, the book offers a sometimes tender, sometimes comedic adventure and who-done-it mystery. Cats, dogs, humans and snakes play lead roles. This fun tale, printed and published in Hong Kong, should appeal to young readers and adults alike.

“Inspiration arose from how passionately Lamma residents love their sea-splashed surroundings,” said Kanes, who moved to Lamma in 2000. An abundance of pets enriches the Lamma lifestyle. Dog-Gone Cat Case focuses on a real place, but imaginary people. However, a character known as Card-Shark Man could be a distant cousin to the real-life Lamma celebrity Nick the Bookman.” “My neighbors and friends startle me by visualizing themselves on every fictional village corner,” Kanes said. While aiming to entertain, the book grapples with serious themes. “Too many animals endure homelessness and neglect,” Kanes said. “Dog-Gone Cat Case stresses responsible pet-care, timely spay-neuter procedures and respect for non-human lives.”

The book carries a dedication to “people, pets and their caring relationships”. Animal-aid volunteers, including those with the Lamma Animal Welfare Centre and with Lamma Animal Protection, receive special praise. Their Websites, at www.lammaanimals.org and at www.lap.org.hk, definitely deserve a visit.

ABOUT THE PLOT

Animal murders disrupt life in Yung Shue Wan, a peaceful village on an outlying island in Hong Kong. A scornful woman dumps kittens into a rubbish bin along a remote footpath. From this rancid beginning, young cats Dot, Not and Pause launch a series of pulse-pounding escapades punctuated with commentary about the people they encounter along the way.

Dangerous snakes slide through the undergrowth. A shadowy scoundrel sprinkles poison, taking a deadly toll, notably among the village dogs. With help from their animal and human friends, the furry protagonists must avoid dubious bait and dodge fearsome fangs toward a purr-fect destiny.

KEY DETAILS

Dog-Gone Cat Case, 222 pages, Cairns Media, 2005, ISBN: 988-98350-1-0, priced at HK$78

Available at Dymocks bookstores in the Harbour Centre, Star Ferry Concourse, Hopewell Centre, United Centre, IFC Mall, Windsor House and Prince’s Building

Bookazine stores in Canton House, Prince’s Building, Far East Finance Centre, Shui On Centre and Tsim Sha Tsui Centre

Cosmos Books, 30 Johnston Road, Wanchai

Cosmos Books, 96 Nathan Road (entrance on Granville Road), Tsim Sha Tsui

Flow, 1/F, 40 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central

The Bookshop and the Music Gallery, both in Discovery Bay Plaza

Sold on Lamma Island at: Selling Point, Bookworm Café, Nadja’s Consignment Shop, AE Collection, Artlab Retail Shop, Emily’s Ice-Cream Parlor, Nick the Bookman, Annie H shop, Lamma Animal Welfare Centre Shop, Yan Yan Store and the Lamma Veterinary Clinic

Available online at YesAsia.com and Paddyfield.com

STRONG INITIAL REVIEWS

“The definitive Lamma animal novel….”

LAMMA.COM.HK, March 22, 2005

“…highly recommended….”

LAMMA.COM.HK, April 4, 2005

“…a purr-fect little tale for a sunny Sunday…”

Nick the Bookman, April 16, 2005

“…too hot to stay on the shelves”

YesAsia.com, May, 2005

Editor’s Pick on YesAsia.com, May, 2005

Designated “Book of the Month” at Emily’s Ice-Cream Parlor on Lamma Island

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jay Scott Kanes lives on Hong Kong’s tranquil Lamma Island with a wife, four cats and one dog. Originally from a dairy farm in Prince Edward Island, Canada, he has always collected domestic animals and long ago grew accustomed to regular ferry rides.

His journalism career began with The Sault Star newspaper in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and progressed to The Leader-Post in Regina, Saskatchewan.

After migrating to Asia in 1992, he edited Arts of Asia magazine. Later he did likewise at business publications, including Hong Kong Enterprise and Hong Kong Electronics.

In 2004, Kanes published the Hong Kong protest novel High Degree of Atrocity.

*******

More information: email jayscottkanes@cairnsmedia.com; Tel (852) 2361-1143, Mobile 9715-5896.