Pluto in The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is the father of modern crime-fiction so it’s fitting that we start with what is still possibly the most shocking cat story ever. The narrator supposedly loves cats but that doesn’t stop him murdering two of them and then his wife. Of course, it doesn’t end well for him… Typically, EAP has no problem breaking the unspoken law of crime-writing: never kill the cat.   Olivia in The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward This book is such a masterpiece of storytelling that it doesn’t even come as a surprise that one of the narrators is a cat. All humans are Teds to Olivia who says, supremely cat-like, ‘I think it’s OK to say that I am beautiful’. But, like all good narrators (and all cats), Olivia has a secret…   Charlie in Here to Stay by Mark Edwards Master of suspense and real-life animal lover, Mark Edwards, often has cats in his books. My favourite is Charlie in this psychological thriller about the in-laws from hell. It’s very comforting that, whatever horrors befall the narrator, Elliott, he never forgets about his loyal pet. Mark says,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE LOCKED ROOM 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Britain is in lockdown and Ruth is in danger from those closest to her. Can Nelson save her in time? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I knew the book would take place in Tombland, an ancient area around the cathedral in Norwich. Lockdown only added to the spookiness of the setting. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Definitely! Although I like parties more than she does. 5–What are three words that describe your sleuth? Intelligent, private, determined. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learnt a lot about the plague. My book is set during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, but Norwich went through two outbreaks of the plague, in the 14th and 16th centuries. There were some similarities. ‘Watchers’ were appointed. They went round with long sticks to check that people were socially distanced. More grimly, lockdown meant being sealed in your house to die. I also found out about the Grey Lady of Tombland, a very tragic ghost… 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait…