The Scratch

Clare and Gerald live the perfect life in a remote cottage in the Forest of Dean on the borders in England and Wales. Cannop the cat has lived with them since they found him as a kitten deep in the Forest.

But perfection is fragile. Jack, the young nephew Clare has never met, comes from another world - active service in Afghanistan, an experience which has left him outwardly untouched.

Apart from a scratch on his arm that won't heal.

Jack and Cannop the cat don't like each other. But Clare and Jack like each other too much. The scratch begins to fester.

A story of love, retribution and the strangeness of cats, The Scratch is a 21,000-word novella written especially for Kindle Singles.

Andrew Taylor is a British crime and historical novelist whose books include the international bestseller, The American Boy, and the Roth Trilogy (filmed for TV as Fallen Angel). Among his many awards are the CWA Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Excellence in crime writing. His latest novels are The Scent of Death, winner of the Historical Dagger, and The Silent Boy. His two other Kindle Singles are Broken Voices and The Leper House.