The Rats by James Herbert (208 pages)

Meet us online, or in person at The Lass O'Gowrie (36 Charles Street, Manchester, M1 7DB), for this hybrid meetup. At the Lass, we will either be in the snug or the upstairs room - ask the bar staff where the book club is this time.

For millions of years man and rats had been natural enemies. But now for the first time - suddenly, shockingly, horribly - the balance of power had shifted and the rats began to prey on the human population.