Birds and Animals have been disappearing from the quiet rural area. Earnshaw and his Friends, including some Humans, are drawn into a battle against a sinister criminal gang planning to create a secret base for terrorism, espionage and murder.

Earnshaw is a Tabby Cat of unusual intelligence; born into cruelty and suffering in a derelict part of Salford, rescued by a Human family, including Twins, and transported to a village on the edge of the Lake District. The Tabby reluctantly accepts responsibility for the Humans and adopts them, but has to share his rural retreat with a Rabbit, Scruffy Parrot and black Cat, becoming leader of the self-styled RSPCA. Earnshaw creates a wide network of unusual Animal and Bird friends and a particularly understanding and trust with a Human, in the form of the Twins nature-wise Grandfather.

Their lives have already been threatened by their association with their Human family and have had previous experience of attacks by criminal gangs of Spies, Witches and vicious Poachers, becoming wise in the cruel and lethal ways of these Humans. They now face even bigger challenges.

Earnshaw and his friends, like all Animals and Birds, live in a parallel world; speak parallel languages, often at frequencies beyond Human hearing, understanding each other perfectly well. They also understand what Humans say but cannot talk to them, until the communication barrier is broken by their scruffy, bi-lingual Parrot, with a colourful vocabulary.

During the local Town's fortnight-long Charter Festival, the family and the RSPCA come under attack once more, from both old enemies and new, even more dangerous adversaries. Earnshaw and his friends have to overcome many cruel, vicious and potentially lethal attacks, to protect themselves and their adopted Humans; encountering many unnerving experiences and dark elements of the parallel Human World.

Earnshaw with his organisation of clever and resourceful friends survive all their strange and unusual adventures to overcome the darker side of Human nature, with their own enduring sense of humour, mutual mischief and moments of occasional slapstick, all seen through the eyes of the Tiger Tabby.

Colin Robinson

Books