"I was expecting a throne made from the skulls of your enemies."

"It can be arranged."

I'm not saying the entire magical population of North Yorkshire want us dead. Just the majority. Which is why we fled Leeds to hide out in the dubious safety of the seaside town of Whitby, where no one should've been looking for us.

But lying low isn't really in our skillset, and when one of our few remaining friends is taken by the sea, we can't just walk away. We've got to get her back. Especially as her partner is a reaper with a scythe that can slice through reality, and the whole situation might be a teeny, tiny bit our fault.

We're not going after Emma alone, though. We've got a one-eyed pirate captain, a bloodthirsty parrot, and a deeply dodgy mermaid, and not even the storm of the century is going to get in our way.

The Black Dogs, the kraken cult, and the Sea Witch, on the other hand, might be a bit of a problem.

Leeds is looking better by the moment …

This is the sixth book in the Gobbelino London, PI urban fantasy series, centred around the adventures of a mercenary feline PI and his human sidekick. It contains snarky cats and other gods, many bad jokes and terrible puns, plus a large serving of mythological and real creatures behaving badly. It will appeal to anyone who likes their fantasy funny, modern, and filled with friendship rather than romance - and also to those who suspect their cat may be living a great and secret life when they're not looking.

A Menace of Mermaids contains some violence, particularly involving mermaids with a grudge and threatening kraken, but none of it is graphic. It contains no sex and only mild language. It does, however, contain blasphemy.