TIGER CATE

In Jackson’s novel, a struggling artist, upon learning her estranged sister is missing, returns to her childhood home and uncovers long-buried secrets.

In 2019, 35-year-old Cate Finley has a toughness that’s led her friend Levi Saaga to nickname her “Tiger Cate.” She needs a wild cat’s strength because her life presents significant challenges. She lives in a 1978 camper truck, which she calls “Max,” on the streets of Los Angeles. She paints murals on the sides of buildings; it’s sometimes dangerous work that results in skimpy paychecks. Cate still grieves her parents who died in a plane crash, and she left the Arizona horse ranch of her childhood on bad terms with her 50-year-old sister, Margaret. Cate’s son was taken away by his wealthy father, a physically abusive man. The one bright spot is her friend Levi, an apparently unhoused IT technician working to bring his mom to L.A. from Samoa. When Cate receives mysterious texts about her sister’s disappearance, she journeys back home to Arizona, where the ranch her sister ran is now controlled by Estelle Parker, a stranger claiming to be a cousin. The newcomer has a mysterious hold over the ranch’s employees and reveals a plan to sell the land to developers. Jackson keeps excitement levels high right from the start; in the opening pages, Cate dangles from scaffolding 100 feet above the ground before the story flashes back. The steady drip of revelations about Margaret, Cate’s parents, Estelle, Levi, and others makes for enough material to power an entire soap opera season. However, Jackson effectively keeps the story from being melodramatic with fast pacing and well-developed characters. The author strategically spaces out surprises throughout the book and balances them with quieter scenes of interiority, such as Cate painting. The characters are mostly flawed but likable, and even the worst villains are given context for their actions.

A jolting but thoughtful drama.