A great book with lots of twists and turns. Well written characters and a brilliant story line. Highly recommended.

3.5-4 stars

**Contains Slight Thematic Spoilers**

I had heard soooooo much good about this book so I had major hopes. Especially as I'd been in a reading slump beforehand.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the characters. They immediately had this sense of entitlement and being above everyone else, which jarred with me slightly. I won't say too much about the main characters because I think it's best you go in with a clear mind. But we have three couples: Coralie and Adam, Emma and Matt with their kids Henry and Daisy, and Twig and Blake with their kids Elwood and Skylar. I did get a little confused sometimes about who was married to whom, who was related etc. so I did have to make notes. If I'm being honest, I didn't really care about any of them. Not because they're badly written or anything, but just their character, I didn't feel for any of them particularly, other than the children. The adults were very hard to like.

It does make you think; is it happening now, or has it already happened and we're looking back at it? There appears to be an investigation going on at the same time but you're unsure what that's about. But this gives the reader the chance to work it out at the same time as the characters, which was interesting.

Yes it is about a big cat in an urban environment, but it's bigger than that. You begin to question if there ever was a cat in the first place. It's more of an analogy of the toxic relationships between the neighbours.

It was a little slower than I'd have liked. It was good and I really liked it, but from the synopsis I was expecting all guns blazing quite early on but it's more subtle than that. And nothing really happens until probably the last third, which isn't inherently bad, but I can see people being divided on that matter. But it definitely picked up around 70% or so, where everything started happening which I enjoyed, but whilst I understand you need to build the tension and the story, I wish things had started to happen just a little sooner.

This was definitely the book to get me out of the reading slump. It was interesting and entertaining, thrilling and sometimes a little scary. Well developed characters - if not always likeable - and an intriguing storyline. It is a promising debut and I look forward to what Kit produces next.

A domestic thriller set in an expensive suburban community. The premise is unusual, one hot summer a wild cat is allegedly prowling the neighbourhood. I loved the title and the characters including feline(s) well written.

Cat Fight is an original well-written book about the repercussions of a woman's obsession with a panther. When Coralie's husband spots a panther in their garden during a barbecue, it sets off a train of events involving the whole neighbourhood.

Well written and very original, this would make a great TV series. Coralie is an interesting if highly disturbed character.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The subject of this novel is definitely a unique one, of course there are books centred around neighbourhood dramas but I've yet to read one that has wild cats roaming around the nearby woods. Suburban life is certainly not all sweetness and light for 3 couples.
Coralie is a zoologist so is fascinated when husband Adam says he's seen a wild cat on his car, his life unravels as hers becomes more interesting. Blake and Twig are struggling under the trauma of daughter Skylar having cancer and Emma and Matt have the stress of the local planning department as they wish to improve their dilapidated home.
I really wasn't sure what to make of this book to begin with, it certainly takes a while for the story to start but I found it one of those books that you had to keep reading to see where it takes you next. The action is ramped up in the last quarter.
I didn't find the adult characters particularly likeable but Ellwood was adorable.

In every community there is someone who likes to take charge. Be it fundraising, environmental issues, volunteering or social soirées. In the well heeled Briar Heart Estate in Sevenoaks, Kent, that paragon of virtue is Coralie King. Very attractive and charming, Coralie, along with handsome second husband Adam, has it all. Beautiful house and garden, she likes nothing better than being the centre of attention. It is at one such ‘supper party’ that a shocked Adam is convinced he sees a big cat on the bonnet of his car, and his reaction starts a rollercoaster of events that prove traumatic for the local residents, and tensions quickly escalate. Soon Coralie is not only the centre of local interest, but her infamy is far spread, and she fears that her secrets and lies will soon be discovered. But then again, she is not the only one with a dodgy past, and this could work well in her favour. But is it the big cat everyone should be aware of or is there a more dangerous threat closer to home?

An interesting, different and fun take on the neighbourhood thriller, with the big cat sightings revealing the cracks in the veneer of the so called friendships of the privileged residents.

It was a welcome change from the usual for me, though I took a while to get into the story. The ending is very good, fast paced and exciting!

Thank you NetGalley and Transworld Publishers.

4-5 stars

‘O, this way madness lies….’
Let me take you to the somewhat exclusive Briar Heart Estate in Sevenoaks, Kent. It’s a bank holiday and we’re at the rather lovely home of wealthy Queen Bee and zoologist, Coralie King and her handsome husband Adam. Present all sort of friends (pretence friends?) Emma and Matt Brooks and Twig and Blake Dorsett. The warm evening is first disrupted by a pesky, persistent wasp which causes the first fracture or two but the major one comes when Adam is absolutely certain he sees a large cat (a panther perhaps, plenty of urban legend there) on the bonnet of a car. He’s understandably met with scepticism and some derision. As the hot summer progresses it can only be described as a cat frenzy that ensues. But whose claws? My advice, keep your eyes wide open and definitely watch you back… Miaow. Let’s not get too catty. Oh blow it, get a scratchy as you want as it will make for entertaining reading, especially as the neighbourhood WhatsApp groups go WILD. But, who’s the predator? In the clawing heat of summer things get nicely to boiling point.

This is why I love to read debut novels and this is a darned good one. It’s a terrific neighbourhood noir, suspenseful, tense, twisty with numerous undercurrents, interconnections, subterfuge and deception. It’s deliciously juicy. The couple and friendship dynamics are offkilter yet some have the understanding of years but are they on the same page? There’s plenty of sniping, tricky, catastrophizing, intriguing internal dialogues and a claustrophobic sensation of a watchful small community. There’s damage, damages and betrayals in suburbia. Really? Gosh. Panic starts to set and oh boy, does it get ugly. The WhatsApp group demonstrate the divisions, suspicions and more.

The characters are well portrayed, they are easy to visualise but not easy to like, after all, where would be the entertainment value in that? The exception is Twig’s son Ellwood who is an absolute delight.

It builds in intensity and how and it gets really fiery and wild in more ways than one with multiple shocks and danger in store.

Overall, this is a very well written neighbourhood noir which has me on tenterhooks with great descriptions of this summer of madness in leafy suburbia. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Random House for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

Oh my goodness!!!… I audibly gasped at the twists, I totally didn’t see it coming… I couldn’t wait to see how it was all wrapped up, but I also didn’t want it to end, it was that good!

I loved the concept of this book it was a bit different to what I normally read but I loved it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️ stars!

Smart and irreverent this combines the drama and suspense of Big Little Lies with a hilarious big cat sighting. Funny, bright and clever.

I loved every page of this novel. Such a unique concept and beautifully written. I will be recommending this to all of my book blogger friends.

Welcome to an exclusive neighbourhood where manicured lawns, elegant dinner parties and whispered rivalries reign supreme.

Coralie King, Emma Brooks and Twig Dorsett are neighbours, sometimes allies, sometimes adversaries, but always watching each other closely.

Their fragile camaraderie is tested when Coralie’s husband claims to have seen a panther perched on the bonnet of his car one May bank holiday.

A ridiculous notion?

Perhaps. But as the summer unfolds, the legend of the big cat spirals into obsession and the cracks in this seemingly perfect community begin to widen.

Former zoologist Coralie King is quick to turn the supposed sighting into an opportunity, using it to propel her ecological interests. Emma, the newest resident, is more interested in using the hysteria as a smokescreen to push through a controversial home renovation. And then there is Twig, the former punk musician who never expected to be back in Sevenoaks, let alone navigating the cutthroat politics of its wealthy elite.

As reports of pawprints, gnawed bones and eerie scratches mount, the tension reaches a fever pitch.

But is the real predator a panther prowling the shadows?

Or does the true danger lie much closer to home?

The suspense crackles on every page, with twists and turns that had me second-guessing everything. Just when you think you have got it all figured out, Conway masterfully flips the narrative, delivering jaw-dropping surprises that will leave you reeling.

The characters are simply brilliant. Coralie, with her razor-sharp ambition, Emma, the picture-perfect Disney princess with an agenda and Twig, the reluctant suburbanite with a past. Each woman is vividly drawn and utterly compelling. Their interactions are laced with biting wit, sharp observations and enough drama to rival a high-stakes thriller.

With its intoxicating blend of mystery, humour and psychological intrigue, Cat Fight by Kim Conway is a devilishly fun read that explores just how far people will go when they feel caged in. The title alone is a stroke of genius and the stunning cover design makes it a book you will want on your shelf.

If you love suspenseful character-driven stories with plenty of dark humour and unexpected twists, Cat Fight is the book to sink your claws into.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I really had a good time with this book, and thought the concept was unique and fun! It was interesting to see all the cracks in the neighbourhood facade begin to show and all the intrigue and deceit was fab

A fun read! What happens when the claws come out in middle class suburbia? I loved the interwoven scandals and secrets amongst the big cat hysteria 🐆 if you love a cast of scheming women as much as I do, this will be your cup of tea!

Welcome to suburbia, where during one claustrophobic summer, secrets spill over, threatening to ruin an entire community.

Cat Fight has such a unique premise. We meet three women living in a fancy neighbourhood in Kent, who each use a freak big cat sighting to get their way.

Cat Fight is billed as Big Little Lies meets Tiger King and that actually couldn’t be more accurate; you truly have no idea who to root for, what’s real and what isn’t.

At first the book took me a little while to get into, but it was very gripping in the final quarter as the saga came to a climax, the tension was boiling over and I was racing to get to the end to see how it all ended.

A literary thriller that is fun and unique.

I hugely enjoyed this. Fresh and humorous, with a brilliant take on the trials of the women of suburbia. Hope it's a huge success.

This novel about the preoccupations of a group of middle-class neighbours doesn’t just peel back their layers, it sharpens the claws of the big cat sighted in the street and sinks them into the protagonists’ shady secrets, ripping off their skin. Exposed are several unpleasant, immoral individuals, with one considerably crazier than the others.
Ideal for fans of literary character study and storytelling. The descriptions of the panther are exquisite.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
On publication, I will post this review on my blog and on GoodReads.

An unusual storyline, but captivating! This had me hooked, I loved the premise of the story! It’s a yes from me! Thank you for the opportunity to read this before release!

Excellent twisty storyline.
Strange what can happen in suburbia.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

"Cat Fight" was one of my more enjoyable reads of the recent times. Toying with the genre of "suburbian noir", this book explores quite a few complex motives, maybe a little too many, considering that some are either rushed or feel abandoned closer to the end.

What I found especially alluring was the aspect of memory and how traumatic events may shape how the individual's mind decides to remember things, quite explicit in the character of Coralie.

Interacting with different characters' points of view also helps to create a fuller picture of each family's, as well as an individual's internal landscape. And as it usually is with the well-of neighbourhoods, it's not always a pretty one. Spousal abuse, gaslighting, affairs and other pastimes of people with a little too much privilege are well portrayed in this book.

Clever, bizarre and unique.

This is a very different read and I really valued the interwoven madness and the more normal mystery/thriller business.

This is for everyone, anyone and definitely a must read.