Richard Sala’s books are eerie, mysterious, offbeat, and full of quirky humor. Cat Burglar Black is one of his only graphic novels that may be deemed appropriate for all ages. It is also one of his most attractive looking books. His highly original drawings appear throughout in rich watercolor dyes that have never looked better.

The story, divided into five chapters, is probably the closest thing in form to a Lemony Snicket novel in graphic form. Terrible things have happened to the main character K. and she is thrown into an unfortunate situation. Not only have her parents died, but at a young age she was placed into an orphanage where she was trained to be an expert thief. Cat Burglar Black begins when a reformed K. gains entrance into an exclusive girls’ boarding school. When she arrives, though, things are not as she might have imagined. There are only three other students, classes are not offered and the headmaster and her cohorts are intent on using K. to uncover the secret to a lost treasure.

K. has special talents as an acrobat and a thief. But as her classmates begin disappearing one by one, will K. begin to unravel the mystery of what happened to her father? Will she be able to outwit the wicked faculty at Bellsong Academy? Will she be able to get out alive?

If you’re looking for a quick, exciting read that features an unusually brave girl in the lead, you won’t be disappointed by Cat Burglar Black.
-David K.-