Jacob Hicks has been working on his own secretive project in his allotment shed for years. Then, the weird physics professor with a phobia for women finds himself a murder suspect. Reluctantly tolerating the assistance of Emily Dawson, his best pal's niece, Jacob is determined to discover the truth. Who would have a reason to kill the allotment society chairman?Meanwhile, Paddy the Rat's quiet life in the allotments is in chaos. Mad Maggie, the legendary rat catcher from ancient ratlore stories, has returned to Milbury Hill and Paddy's superstitious warding behaviours are failing. At the same time Paddy's being plagued by a juvenile bully rat who delights in antagonising Mad Maggie. Unless Paddy can deal with both the obnoxious teen and his childhood bogeyman, all the rats on the hill are in danger.Suspended from his job and with a police inspector determined to pin the crime on him, Jacob, his cat, and his mother could end up living with the rats on the streets of Milbury. With murder, blackmail and the return of childhood nemeses for both humans and rats, will there ever be another quiet moment in the allotments of Milbury Hill?
