Nick Sharman, The Cats

Synopsis - Nick Sharman, The Cats:

After taking on some highly controversial microbiology experiments for the potential use in bio-warfare, John Inglis has created a deadly bacteria that when a cat is subjected to, will alter the creature's personality into that of a deadly killer. Unwittingly the young schoolboy, Mark Dempsey, who looks after these cats, releases the felines when the lab air-conditioning fails. Now the cats are on the rampage in the centre of London, killing innocent people whenever the temperature is hot... and it happens to be mid-summer. Even as the crazed cats terrorize the city, the bacteria has yet another nasty surprise waiting. Young Mark Demsey has formed a terrifying connection with the murderous creatures".

First released back in 1977, Nick Sharman's debut pulp horror novel "The Cats" was yet another book to try and cash in on the huge success of James Herbert's 1974 splatterpunk masterpiece "The Rats". Like in so many of these "animals vs mankind" horror novels, the storyline is simple, with the plot quickly explained in some ridiculous and unlikely fashion early on in the tale. Once this is done, the story picks up speed, delivering some poorly written splatterpunk horror. Like with the work of Guy N. Smith and John Halkin, the sheer trashy nature of the novel is the joy of reading such a book. With such clumsy and badly thought out ideas, you can't help but laugh at what is written.

The dramatic ending comes out of nowhere, as if the author just wanted to get the book over and done with. The characterization is flat and underdeveloped. But still, if like me you love to read these pulp/trash horror novels, then this is a must.

The book runs for a mere 160 pages, and was released through the New English Library.