Books published by Severus House

Rear Garden: The Cat Who Knew Too Much is the second novel to feature York's finest feline sleuth, Theodore.After Theodore moves to the York suburb of Acomb with his owners, Jonathan and Emily, Jonathan breaks his foot and is incapacited for several weeks. With nothing to do but watch Hitchcock films and stare out of the French doors at the houses behind, he soon suspects that there is a murderer at large. Theodore knows that there is a killer in the suburban midst. But how is he to prove it and make sure that the killer gets what's coming to her.With many references to classic Hitchcock fillms, Rear Garden is a comic romp through the leafy suburbs, leaving many a bloody footprint (and pawprint) on the well-trimmed lawns.

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.