A new adventure from Lauren St John!

A talking parrot, a mysterious disappearance and clues on a laptop draw pet-sitter Kat into a dangerous investigation. We asked author LAUREN ST JOHN to tell us more about her new series, KAT WOLFE INVESTIGATES!

Kat is thrilled when her mum's new job takes them to live in a small town by the sea, where Kat takes on a part-time job as a pet-sitter. But when one of the pet's owners mysteriously vanishes, Kat turns her skills to detective work to find out who, or what, is behind his disappearance. Adventure and danger follow! We asked author LAUREN ST JOHN to tell us more about KAT WOLFE INVESTIGATES: Q: We love your Laura Marlin mysteries series - Why did you decide to create a new young detective character? A: I loved writing my Laura Marlin mystery series, but I was excited about the idea of creating new characters, in particular brave, independent girls who were smart and skilled and not afraid to go where even policemen feared to tread. I particularly loved the idea of a pet-sitter who would have access to areas other people would never see. Q: You make Kat the daughter of a vet, would you have loved that as a child? A: I was already in a dream scenario as a child, in that I lived on a farm and game reserve in Africa and had a pet giraffe, two warthogs, six cats, eight dogs and eight horses for company, but I did spend years dreaming of becoming a vet. It would have been lovely if I'd had a close relative who was a vet! An aunt, say. Q: There's a lot in the story about animals but especially how to care for them. Is this something you want children to learn about through these books? A: I haven't done that consciously, but I've had so many pets over the years and I believe so much in making them happy and looking after them as well as possible that if children learn from some of the techniques I know, I would love that. Q: What is the most difficult animal that you have looked after? A: When I was ten, I briefly had a pet python who almost strangled me. She was rather challenging. Q: In this story, Kat inadvertently gets involved with the army and MI5 - did you need to do much research into how they operate for this book? A: As I journalist, I interviewed a couple of spies, and spent a few months corresponding with one of them for an investigation I was doing. I learned quite a bit about spies through that. Q: What about the setting for this story, do you have a particular place in mind? A: I've always been fascinated by the Jurassic Coast. It has such a rich history and Dorset is such a stunning place. As soon I came up with the plot, I knew that there was only one place I wanted to set it. Q: How does writing a detective story differ from writing a straight adventure story? A: Writing an adventure novel is just pure adrenalin-filled fun. If a mystery is to work well it needs atmosphere, suspense and, most importantly, a slow reveal of who knew what and when, and who did what and how. Q: Will you be writing more adventures for Kat? A: I'm writing the second book in the series, Kat Wolfe Takes the Case at the moment. Itll be out in Spring 2019. Q: Where do you write and what would be your dream 'writer's shed'? A: I love writing In coffee shops but actually I mainly write in my study because I love being with my Bengal cat, Max. My dream writer's shed would overlook the sea or a field full of horses. Q: Can you tell us what inspired you to set up the environmental campaign Authors4Oceans? A: I came up with the idea for Authors4Oceans after I ordered a drink in a bookshop and it came with a plastic straw in it. It occurred to me that across the country, hundreds of bookshops dish out plastic of one type or another - straws, bags, cutlery, unrecyclable coffee cups and bottled water - every day. On my own, there wasn't much I could do about it, but I thought that maybe an alliance of my author friends - people like Katherine Rundell, Abi Elphinstone, Liz Kessler, Piers Torday and Tom Moorhouse - might have a voice. And if we had a voice with bookshops, we'd also have one with publishers, festivals and, hopefully, our young (and old) readers. Authors4Oceans came out of that. Q: What is the one biggest thing children can change in their own lives to help the oceans? A: Take our pledge at www.authors4oceans.org