Humphrey Bogart's got nothing on this rat! Inspector Octavius O'Malley is on the case.

It started with some missing cobblestones and a bump on the head of one of Rodent City's young police rats. But this time it's not the mice who are to blame ... and even botching the investigation and losing his job can't stop Rodent City's finest detective (self-confessed) from pursuing the case. A rat has to pay the rent, so Ocko hangs out his shingle as a private investigator. His first client wants him to find her missing son, whose workplace has special significance for our doughnut-lovin' hero. Could there be a link between the two mysteries?! When Ocko's informant - a down-and-out moggy named Mulligan - puts him on the unsavoury scent of a creepy cat cult, things get dicey indeed for Ocko, Spencer and Patrick. the villain of the piece might not look familiar at first glance, but a diamond-hard mind like Octavius O'Malley's knows that appearances can be deceiving and that sometimes only a rat can smell a rat ... Praise for Alan Sunderland's Octavius books: 'Five out of five for me! It couldn't get any better than this!' the Age 'All About Books' 'a fast-paced mystery laced with humour and delightful illustrations' Good Reading 'gripping, warm, thrilling and suspenseful' Reading time 'compulsive reading' Magpies 'truly a fantastic book; you'll love it' Reader's Feast Ages: 9-13