I have to confess that even though I do own a cat I am not – as I discovered in the early days of my cat ownership – a cat person. Not at all. Not in any way. And perhaps it was because of this that this book resonated with me so strongly.

Cat out of Hell starts off with freshly retired librarian, Alec, escaping to a cottage by the sea to mourn the recent and not yet suspicious passing of his wife. While there he come across the mad ramblings of a man called Wiggy who seems to believe that his (recently missing) sister’s cat, Roger, can talk.

The thing is, I think we all know deep down in our heart of hearts that cats are evil. That’s why videos of cats falling off things are so much fun. The inexorable laughter they elicit is practically evolution at work – the predator is no longer a threat therefore relief in the form of laughter. Not an hour ago my cat committed the vile and depraved sin of interrupting me while I was reading a book (this very one I’m describing to you).

Sure, cats purr at you and knead you before they settle down to sleep in your lap. Sure, they bump their soft little heads against yours as a sort of cat-hug. Sure, they bring you gifts (dead animals).

And yet… What if this sweet, innocent behaviour is just a throw-back from when cats were evil and had power?

This isn’t to say, by the way, the cats are entirely evil. They are inherently evil, yes, but I’m speaking of levels here. Roger for one is a remarkably patient and erudite individual who may not even have had anything to do with the death of Wiggy’s sister.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much joy I found Cat Out of Hell to read, suffice to say I haven’t laughed this much while reading a book in ages. Whether you love cats or loath cats – this book will prove you are right.

Dani Solomon