The Killer I Carry Home

Almost every night, I end up in the dark, stalking through the fields, to carry a killer home.

Normally, our youngest cat, Charlie, is the sweetest, softest, most loving feline in the world.

He's like a hug dressed up in fur. Often he sleeps on the bed, tucked up under Amanda's chin, and through the day he pesters whoever's around to be picked up for cuddles and kisses.

Our son, Thomas, says it's pathetic. Once upon a time, I'd have agreed with him.

He's actually a rescue cat, born in the wild, which might explain why — when he's not demanding cuddles — he's out in the fields hunting.

At this time of year, when the evenings are balmy, he rarely comes in when called. So either Amanda or I have to go looking for him. And when we find him, he insists on being carried home all the way, head-bumping and purring.

The same cat is an appalling, evil monster if he's caught prey. Whether it's a mouse or a small rabbit, he growls, won't let anyone near him, and becomes utterly unrecognisable.

Jekyll and Hyde in feline form. Monstrous, despicable, evil… until he's ready for cuddles again.

And isn't that just like the best psychological thriller villains?

The antagonists who frighten us the most aren't the ones with guns or a short fuse. They're the ones who seem kind and caring and normal on the outside. It's the Charlies. The ones we'd carry home at night.

It's Joe in You by Caroline Kepnes — the charming, tender, romantic serial killer we all somehow love.

It's Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr Ripley, mild-mannered and desperate to be liked. It's Kevin in We Need to Talk About Kevin (still on my TBR list — but he fits the idea perfectly).

And, of course, it's a certain someone in my latest thriller, The Good Bad Wife. I'll say no more than that — no spoilers here.

We love them even though they have a really mean side. Just like Charlie.

The Thriller Couple

Charlie is lucky he has two of us to fawn over him. But I'm under no illusions that Amanda is his number one — and I'm the spare. I'll do if Amanda's not around. It means she gets all the cuddles at night. But we do share the carries home in the evening.

If Charlie's put you in the mood for a villain who smiles while they do it, that's exactly the kind of character at the heart of The Good Bad Wife. It's my latest psychological thriller, and you can grab it on Amazon now.