The First of Nine: The Case of the Clementhorpe Killer (A York Cat Crime Mystery)

In the outbuilding of a terraced house in Clementhorpe, York, the body of pigeon-fancier Peter Morris lies waiting to be discovered. In the grey light of dawn a large grey fluffy cat enters the yard - just because the gate has been left open. The cat is called Theodore.

Theodore looks at the dead body with the same interest he would a dead moth. Murder, he thinks, and goes to alert his owner Emily. Within the hour Theodore is accused by the newly-widowed Wendy of eating one of Peter's pigeons. He resolves to clear his name and unmask the Clementhorpe Killer.

Suspects include Wendy; Craig Foster - a red-haired loner; Ahmet and Zeynep - the Turkish couple up the street; artist Michael and his boyfriend Philip; divorcee Diane, and then there's Emily's new boyfriend Jonathan.

The First of Nine is Theodore's first foray into crime investigation. It is a cat's take on the murder mystery novel. It is the first of his nine lives.

James Barrie (Jim) was born in Beverley in East Yorkshire and went to school in Pocklington. He studied civil engineering at Leeds University before spending five years overseas, teaching English and working as a technical editor. Since moving to York, England, in 1999, Jim has worked as an English language teacher, bridge inspector, stay-at-home dad, civil engineer and geotechnical engineer. He has also done courses in creative writing at York College, York University and the Arvon Foundation. He is married, and has two children and two cats. 'The First of Nine' is the first in a nine book series (The York Cat Crime Mysteries). The sequel 'Rear Garden' was published in 2018 and the third 'The Call of the Cat Basket' in 2019.