Life isn't easy for Julius Kyle, a jaded crime hack with the Post. When he wakes up on a sand barge with his head full of grit he knows things have to change. He doesn't guess how fast they'll change until his best friend Mick jumps to his death off a 50-foot bridge outside the Post's window. Worst of all, Julius is a cat. That means keeping himself scrupulously clean, defending his territory and battling an addiction to milk. When the lovely Moira begs Julius for help, Julius is drawn brutally into a life he has only lived in his novels--the life of his hero sleuth Tiger Straight. The cats live in a city called Bast, a sprawling world of alleyways and claw-shaped towers. On these mean streets Julius has to contend with political intrigue, territorial disputes and dog-burglars.