The ghost of a wronged cat stalks the decks of RMS Orcades as she voyages to Australia in the early fifties. What will happen when the lights go out and the movie starts? Are you brave enough to read The Revenge of Claws? A fine evocation of childhood and an era. I remember the Orcades from my youth. - Alan Cass I am nine years old myself, running after the author's own nine-year-old self from one end of RMS Orcades to the other as it sails from England to Australia. I share young Anthony Barton's terror of "Claws" (who I have to warn you is not at all what he seems) and his amazing adventures with a host of solid three-dimensional characters, several with some of the most remarkable private languages I've ever come across. And all the while, the various dimensions and arcs of Mr. Barton's plot click smoothly and satisfyingly into place like a set of alabaster backgammon pieces deployed by a master. This is a beautifully and thoughtfully written book, at times touching, at times extremely funny, at times very exciting, and always intriguing. You're in very good hands on this ship. Relax and enjoy the voyage. Highly recommended for readers from nine to ninety and beyond. - David Stansfield, Sulby Hall