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Graveyard Billy
Graveyard Billy is a cat with an extra special gift: he can see and communicate with the dead. When the unthinkable happens and Brighton's "Graveyard Killer" murders Graveyard Billy's owner, Piper, the small black cat is left alone in the world.
Living feral in Woodvale Cemetery with nowhere to go, Graveyard Billy isn't alone for long. The spirit of a recently deceased girl—Kelly Minter—attaches herself to Graveyard Billy and makes a deal with him: If he helps her get back home to see her family one last time, she'll help him find the spirit of Piper—and maybe even discover the creature responsible for her death.
The odd couple embark on their mission, relying on one another to get by: Graveyard Billy, the living cat, planted firmly in reality; Kelly Minter, the human ghost, stuck in that in-between place of life and death, both searching the South Coast of England for the answers they seek in life with the help of the inhabitants of the secret world of the dead.
But the "Graveyard Killer" is still at large, and while he lurks no one, living or dead, is safe…
ALL proceeds from Graveyard Billy will go to cat rescue charities on the South Coast of the U.K Between Brighton and Worthing.
Living feral in Woodvale Cemetery with nowhere to go, Graveyard Billy isn't alone for long. The spirit of a recently deceased girl—Kelly Minter—attaches herself to Graveyard Billy and makes a deal with him: If he helps her get back home to see her family one last time, she'll help him find the spirit of Piper—and maybe even discover the creature responsible for her death.
The odd couple embark on their mission, relying on one another to get by: Graveyard Billy, the living cat, planted firmly in reality; Kelly Minter, the human ghost, stuck in that in-between place of life and death, both searching the South Coast of England for the answers they seek in life with the help of the inhabitants of the secret world of the dead.
But the "Graveyard Killer" is still at large, and while he lurks no one, living or dead, is safe…
ALL proceeds from Graveyard Billy will go to cat rescue charities on the South Coast of the U.K Between Brighton and Worthing.
325 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
David Irons
31 books121 followersDavid Irons was the kid who went to his room to watch and read horror when his relatives came round. It paid off. When he left his room, he became an award-winning filmmaker and writer living on the south coast of England. His films, colourful and stylish in design, have won awards at the Cambridge Film festival, Las Vegas VIFF festival, and LA Independent Festival for cinematography, editing, writing, and directing. '7 Winters Alone' - a sci-fi, horror short - was a winner in David Lynch's 2014 Short Film Competition.
In 2019 David had his first novel, Night Waves, published, followed by Night Creepers, Polybius, and The Bloody Tracks of Bigfoot in 2020 - 2021 from Severed Press. Since then, David has become a Splatterpunk award-nominated writer for his '80s summer camp slasher, 'Don't Go To Wheelchair Camp.'
The moral of this story is to be weird and stay in your room. It pays off in the end.
In 2019 David had his first novel, Night Waves, published, followed by Night Creepers, Polybius, and The Bloody Tracks of Bigfoot in 2020 - 2021 from Severed Press. Since then, David has become a Splatterpunk award-nominated writer for his '80s summer camp slasher, 'Don't Go To Wheelchair Camp.'
The moral of this story is to be weird and stay in your room. It pays off in the end.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 26, 2024
Honestly, 5 stars isn't enough for this masterpiece! I absolutely fell in love with this book, and it's freaking amazing characters, especially graveyard Billy, whom I just had all of the feelings for. This is joint 1st place for favourite book with an animal protagonist. I laughed, I cried, and I felt all of the anxiety from this book, I was like the grinch. My heart grew 3 times while reading this book. It took me like 4 attempts to finish the book as the emotions became too much for me!!! The author clearly loves and knows his cats and that very much comes through, such fantastic writing and character building, I could go on and on about how much I loved this book but that would be boring to read.
August 16, 2020
If I may recommend you a book, please let it be this one.
Graveyard Billy is one of my new FAVORITE books! Not only did Irons write a heroic feline protagonist, he also wrote some seriously spooky scenes. And the story was so moving - I cried reading the last few chapters!
As we are seeing the story through the eyes of a cat, it makes sense but I will warn that there are some scenes depicting cruelty to animals, but nothing gorey or for shock value, which this reader appreciates.
To recap: brilliant spooky scenes, cat protagonist, and major feels. Add this book to your shopping cart pronto.
All 5⭐️
Graveyard Billy is one of my new FAVORITE books! Not only did Irons write a heroic feline protagonist, he also wrote some seriously spooky scenes. And the story was so moving - I cried reading the last few chapters!
As we are seeing the story through the eyes of a cat, it makes sense but I will warn that there are some scenes depicting cruelty to animals, but nothing gorey or for shock value, which this reader appreciates.
To recap: brilliant spooky scenes, cat protagonist, and major feels. Add this book to your shopping cart pronto.
All 5⭐️
September 18, 2023
Firstly, if you buy a copy of this book it will go to help cats in need, particularly the beautiful Billy Bear, who the main character of this story is based on! 🖤🐈⬛ The added bonus is, it's a fantastic book with a fantastic cover too!
The first thing that stood out to me about this story was the brilliantly vivid descriptions which were almost poetic, the superb scene setting and the chilling, eerie atmosphere! I fell in love with Billy from the very beginning and got emotionally invested in his story right away. I was so nervous when he ventured into the graveyard for the first time, like a nervous parent.. 😂
This is definitely a book for cat lovers, clearly written by a cat lover. David has every minute cat detail and trait down perfectly. It's not just beautifully written but it's a beautiful story too. The humour that was weaved throughout was fab, the whole story made me laugh, smile, chuckle and cry.
Woodvale Cemetery is Billy's second home, it's right next to where he lives with his owner Piper. He chose Piper when their eyes met over a dining room table, they had an instant connection and Piper finally found the comfort and friendship she'd been craving!
Two years later though and something dark and disturbing has come to the graveyard, Billy doesn't like it, and when Piper is suddenly taken from him, his little world is shattered.
Just when he is about to give up on the graveyard and go elsewhere though, he meets Kelly, and they have an even greater connection. They vow to help each other get what they want, her, an explanation for her death and him, to find Piper.
They come to realise that Kelly and Piper have more in common than just Billy, and set out to get answers. Kelly and Billy become quite the dynamic duo and have one heck of an adventure together, with lots of strange goings on, deaths and near deaths, lost souls and spirits and some touching and emotional moments too! 🖤
I found myself egging on Billy and Kelly the whole time, empathising with them in a way I don't normally even with humans, and I found myself cheering out loud and crying out in shock.
A tale of grief, love, loyalty and supernatural entities. Full of adventure, mishaps, surprises and mischief! Hard to put down and a challenge to read when the words are blurred from your tears, happy and sad tears. When a book can make you physically react, that's absolutely a winner in my eyes!! 🖤🐈⬛🖤
The first thing that stood out to me about this story was the brilliantly vivid descriptions which were almost poetic, the superb scene setting and the chilling, eerie atmosphere! I fell in love with Billy from the very beginning and got emotionally invested in his story right away. I was so nervous when he ventured into the graveyard for the first time, like a nervous parent.. 😂
This is definitely a book for cat lovers, clearly written by a cat lover. David has every minute cat detail and trait down perfectly. It's not just beautifully written but it's a beautiful story too. The humour that was weaved throughout was fab, the whole story made me laugh, smile, chuckle and cry.
Woodvale Cemetery is Billy's second home, it's right next to where he lives with his owner Piper. He chose Piper when their eyes met over a dining room table, they had an instant connection and Piper finally found the comfort and friendship she'd been craving!
Two years later though and something dark and disturbing has come to the graveyard, Billy doesn't like it, and when Piper is suddenly taken from him, his little world is shattered.
Just when he is about to give up on the graveyard and go elsewhere though, he meets Kelly, and they have an even greater connection. They vow to help each other get what they want, her, an explanation for her death and him, to find Piper.
They come to realise that Kelly and Piper have more in common than just Billy, and set out to get answers. Kelly and Billy become quite the dynamic duo and have one heck of an adventure together, with lots of strange goings on, deaths and near deaths, lost souls and spirits and some touching and emotional moments too! 🖤
I found myself egging on Billy and Kelly the whole time, empathising with them in a way I don't normally even with humans, and I found myself cheering out loud and crying out in shock.
A tale of grief, love, loyalty and supernatural entities. Full of adventure, mishaps, surprises and mischief! Hard to put down and a challenge to read when the words are blurred from your tears, happy and sad tears. When a book can make you physically react, that's absolutely a winner in my eyes!! 🖤🐈⬛🖤
December 29, 2021
This was a really enchanting story about the special bond an animal can have with its owner that can transcend death. As a cat lover myself I really enjoyed the descriptive traits and quirks that Billy has and the idea he can see things that the human eye cant. A lovely, moving, funny and quite beautiful story, I highly recommend this novel. A good one for teenagers too!
May 28, 2022
Alright, Graveyard Billy you charming little son of a stick book. David Iron’s absolutely forced me to read this in one day. Everything about this book just makes you feel whole inside. Graveyard Billy is a purrfect character, leaving the pun. He’s everything you want in a cat that can see ghosts and everything you didn’t need in a cat. I’ve been trying to get my three cats to talk to ghosts since starting the book and all that happens is they get annoyed with me. Mr. Ruffles deserves all of the love in the world. WE BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS US! K thx.
July 3, 2020
What a great book from one of my favourite writers! Highly recommend.
May 19, 2020
My first read from David Irons, and I was gripped right from the start. Instant author ‘follow’..
A sign of a good writer is one who writes their characters with verisimilitude. Giving them true reactions and believability on each situation. An author who can apply this to cats as well as he can to humans is an absolute treasure to read 😀
Read this book - you won’t regret it!
A sign of a good writer is one who writes their characters with verisimilitude. Giving them true reactions and believability on each situation. An author who can apply this to cats as well as he can to humans is an absolute treasure to read 😀
Read this book - you won’t regret it!
January 7, 2021
Just finished this book! OMG...it was so good, I loved it!!! One of the best books I've read, I highly recommend it! Graveyard Billy is a cat who's owner was murdered by something supernatural. The ghost of a girl who died got teethered to him and together they go out to find the thing that killed his owner. I laughed, I cheered, I couldn't wait to read the next chapter & yes I cried a little. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to cat rescue charities in the U.K. So happy I saw this book posted on Instagram & purchased it!!!
February 23, 2021
A superb tale of a Brighton cat. Not just an ordinary cat though. We've all wondered what some of our pets get up to, now we know.
Superbly written and every page is entertaining. A must have on Any shelf.
Superbly written and every page is entertaining. A must have on Any shelf.
September 3, 2023
Cats & the supernatural
This was a fun romp around the graveyards of Brighton.
It was good fun & I was glad the cruel & mad cat-napping/ cat taxidermist. lady got her just desserts. There were a few typos in the book.
This was a fun romp around the graveyards of Brighton.
It was good fun & I was glad the cruel & mad cat-napping/ cat taxidermist. lady got her just desserts. There were a few typos in the book.
June 21, 2025
A scary yet tender-hearted story about a cat named Graveyard Billy who is determined to solve the murder of his owner Piper with the help of a ghost named Kelly who died by the same means at the hands of a sadistic serial killer. The bond that these two form is touching and unforgettable. I had tears at the end. A must-read for all cat lovers.
February 12, 2022
Review:
Hello, my lovely Darklings!
This story hits a lot of my buttons: feline protagonists (animal heroes), a murder mystery, ghosts, the usurping evil of stray catchers, this book has it all.
The style of writing is quick and so is the pacing. The characters are well-actualized, versatile, and entertaining. The story is engaging and...
Go to uncomfortablydark.com for full review!
Hello, my lovely Darklings!
This story hits a lot of my buttons: feline protagonists (animal heroes), a murder mystery, ghosts, the usurping evil of stray catchers, this book has it all.
The style of writing is quick and so is the pacing. The characters are well-actualized, versatile, and entertaining. The story is engaging and...
Go to uncomfortablydark.com for full review!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews