Cat Step by Alison Irvine

Cat Step

by Alison Irvine

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Alison Irvine’s Cat Step starts with what would be a nightmare for any parent.  Liz, the novel’s protagonist, has recently left her mother’s house in London, and moved with her young daughter Emily to the small Scottish town of Lennoxtown (or “Campsie” to its inhabitants). Lennoxtown is where her partner Robbie grew up, and Liz is temporarily living in his late grandmother’s house, coordinating its sale on behalf of Robbie’s brother who lives in Australia.  One afternoon, Liz drives to the supermarket for some quick shopping and leaves Emily, who is feeling unwell, asleep in the car seat. Liz comes out of the store to spot a youth running away and a group of people standing around the parked car.  Liz discovers that the youth had smashed the passenger side window to steal her phone, but was scared off the scene.  The Police are called, and before she knows it, rather than being pitied as the victim of an attempted theft, Liz ends up being investigated by the Police and the social services.  They make no secret of the fact that that she might end up being prosecuted for abandonment of a minor.  

As Liz struggles to make ends meet, while handling Emily and convincing the social services that she is a good mother, she also tries to delve into her partner Robbie’s past. She’s particularly puzzled at the fact that Robbie seems to have had his reasons for not returning to Campsie.

The contemporary domestic thriller is the direct descendant of the Victorian “sensation novel”. Alison Irvine’s Cat Step uses the trappings of the genre to hold a reader’s interest, as she tantalizingly reveals the secrets she has up her sleeve. The plot builds up tension and makes for edge-of-the-seat reading.

But in Cat Step Irvine does not set out to simply entertain. On the contrary, her novel addresses themes such as responsibility and guilt, and leads us to ask whether society is, on occasion, too judgmental.  Cat Step also explores very real social problems, such as the difficulties facing single parents especially when they are raising children without having adequate support or a fixed income. 

I liked the fact that the darker aspects of the novel are balanced out by more positive passages as well as a touch of humour. Liz is an ex-professional dancer (“Cat Step” is a reference to the pas de chat) and she takes on a temporary job as a dance instructor to a group of old people in sheltered housing.  This sub-plot acts as a catalyst for the development of the central story, but it also introduces a cast of eccentric characters who alleviate the tense atmosphere with dialogue which feels authentic and witty. 
 
This is an exciting and gritty read, which challenges even while it entertains.

Paperback, 324 pages

Published November 5th 2020 by Dead Ink