Ruminating on the exigencies of modern life in town and country, Alice Thomas Ellis weaves her way among the ever-present dramas of life, striking out at politically correct English, robins and reformers, revealing all to be not what they seem, empathizing with the canine condition and brooding over cat-ownership, undertaking an intrepid tour of the Holy Land, and desperately seeking a little common sense in the world.
 
With its colourful gallery of characters – family, friends, animals and others, and with Beryl Bainbridge upstairs and evangelists at the door – 'Cat Among the Pigeons' is a highly entertaining, often outspoken but always insightful collection from one of Britain’s best-loved journalists, taken from her weekly column in the 'Catholic Herald'.