Justine Kilkerr’s debut novel, ADVICE FOR STRAYS, has been pre-empted by Jonathan Cape for publication in early 2009.
When her cruel and mentally unstable father goes missing, Marnie Irving finds herself drifting through her days and tormented by insomnia at night. But his disappearance is followed not long afterwards by that of her loyal cat, Knuckles. It is whilst posting her own notice about Knuckles that Marnie notices something very odd - dozens of other local cats have also suddenly gone astray.
Feeling alone and powerless, Marnie’s best friend Shuilie tries everything she can to cheer her up - until Marnie comes face to face again with a forgotten childhood friend, Jericho, and begins to doubt her own sanity. For Jericho is a lion - a very old, talkative and seriously grumpy lion - grumpy at having been unceremoniously (and unconsciously) summoned by Marnie to her side once again after so many years of nothing.
Still without news of her father’s whereabouts, Marnie and Jericho begin steadily to rekindle their friendship, relishing the secret and co-dependent world they can enjoy quietly together. But alarm bells sound when bad things start happening to those around Marnie, and when Shuilie ends up in hospital Marnie realises she must find a way to cope without Jericho, before any more damage is done. The problem is, he seems quite comfortable back in her life…
Kilkerr, 37, lives in Brighton, where she is currently working on her second novel.
09 Apr 2008