Children’s / Teenage fiction: Crime and mystery fiction

Book SynopsisA 2021 Edgar® Award Winner, Best JuvenileA BookPage Best Book of 2020: Middle GradeA Mighty Girl's 2020 Books of the YearIntroducing Myrtle Hardcastle, your favorite new amateur detective: a wickedly smart twelve-year-old with a keen interest in criminology and a nose for murder in Victorian England. Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes he —not even her father, the town prosecutor. With sparkling wit and a tight, twisty plot, Premeditated Myrtle, the first in a series from an award-winning author, introduces a brilliant young investigator ready to take on hard cases and maddening Victorian rules for Young Ladies of Quality in order to earn her place among the most daring and acclaimed amateur detectives of her time or any other.Trade ReviewA 2021 Edgar® Award Winner, Best JuvenileA BookPage Best Book of 2020: Middle Grade A Mighty Girl's 2020 Books of the Year "A joyful thing to behold. Set in Victorian England, this mystery gleefully overturns sexist norms and celebrates independent women of intellect, with Myrtle Hardcastle leading the charge." —Booklist, starred review "Premeditated Myrtle is a book young readers will love and adults may well sneak out of backpacks and off of nightstands for their own enjoyment… Here’s hoping for more adventures with this delightful, heroic protagonist." —BookPage, starred review "Bunce crafts a truly captivating murder mystery, throwing in a delicious mix of twists, red herrings, and relatives excluded from the family fortune. Myrtle is an entertaining protagonist, not afraid to get her hands dirty, sneak into mansions after dark to find a clue, or call out sexism of men toward her scientific interests or the racism toward her governess. The book will make readers yearn for more of Myrtle’s (mis)adventures." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "A saucy, likable heroine shines in a mystery marked by clever, unexpected twists." —Kirkus Reviews "[A] clever and lively Victorian English village murder mystery . . . Bunce does an excellent job of making Myrtle the lead actor but gives her a strong set of (mostly female) supporters." —The Horn Book “Bunce’s detective series opener features a quirky, winning narrator and a lively secondary cast . . . A generous, well-wrought relationship between governess and charge complements tightly plotted twists . . . Myrtle is as clever as she is determined, and her expertise—seen in evidence collection and courtroom antics—is certain to delight genre stalwarts and mystery novices alike.” —Publishers Weekly “In the tradition of heroines like Flavia de Luce and Harriet the Spy, Myrtle is a fine example of the Victorian scientific female—smart, inquisitive and fearless. Written with a terrific mixture of humor and suspense, Premeditated Myrtle is a perfect read for any budding detective.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of the Her Royal Spyness series

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Book SynopsisFrank the loveable but salty cat and his corgi sidekick Sunny are back! This time Frank falls head over heels in love with a deeply mysterious “masked cat” who he spies rooting through the garbage cans. Frank, Sunny, and new pal (an irascible parrot who is visiting) try hilariously to help Frank through his moony crush. On a Racoon. (But Frank doesn’t know that.) P R A I S E “Highly relatable”—Horn Book “A series opener that will delight cat AND dog fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Cute and hilarious” — Booklist

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Book SynopsisMika is not your average twelve-year-old—and she’s about to prove it. It’s 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets…or is he? Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this “Dark Angel” he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on. Drawn in by Mika’s unique ability to notice small details—a skill Mika has always used to survive—the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet…with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika’s chance to be someone who matters.Trade Review“This gripping, fast-paced mystery comes together well, with Mika’s deductions based firmly in logic and connections based in her own clear observations…A thrilling and thoughtful period murder mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Mika is a brave, resourceful heroine, and her warm relationships with Valdemar and her peers at the orphanage counterbalance the bleak backdrop.” —Publishers Weekly “Originally published in Sweden, the novel ends with justice done and, for Mika, a newfound sense of purpose. While not every mystery introduced is solved, this is only the first volume in the Moonwind Mysteries series.” —Booklist “Thoroughly 'kid friendly' in tone, style, and presentation, The Night Raven is a Moonwind Mystery written by Swedish author Johan Rundberg and ably translated into English for young American readers ages 10-14 by Annie Prime. This 'whodunnit' mystery is fully entertaining and highly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review “This English translation of Rundberg’s lively historical mystery…is something to celebrate…Joyous, funny, suspenseful, and serious—an unusual and winning combination for middle-grade readers. Let’s hope its three sequels appear in [A. A.] Prime’s English translation, too.” —The Horn Book (starred review) “Middle-school-age historical mystery fans will appreciate the fast-moving story and intriguing setting, as well as the splashes of humor throughout.” —Historical Novels Review

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Book SynopsisWhen multiple women are found murdered in their London homes during The Blitz, seventeen-year-old Mary Churchill vows to uncover the identity of the Blackout Ripper, even if it puts her own life at risk. From the author of The Perfect Place to Die and Don't Go to Sleep comes another chilling historical mystery. Seventeen-year-old Mary Churchill feels helpless as London is ravaged by air raids and mandatory blackouts. As the youngest daughter of the Prime Minister, she longs to do something important, to help those in less fortunate circumstances. On a night out on the town, she connects with an older woman who is in-between jobs and promises to meet her again the next day. Except she never shows up. Mary has a sense that something is wrong, so she decides to go searchingand finds her brutally murdered. Horrified, Mary immediately goes to the police. But there's a war happening, and they don't have enough manpower to fully dedicate themselves to the murder case. So, Mary takes it upon herself to investigate. The deeper she falls into the case, the more shocking murders she finds. All women, all strangled and mutilated. This is her chance to do something to actually help, to find out who is responsible for the murders and make sure they never have a chance to harm anyone else. Against the backdrop of bombings and darkness, Mary searches the streets of London for any clues she might ascertain and finds herself in a game of cat-and-mouse with the Blackout Ripper. If only one of them can make it out alive, does Mary have what it takes to make sure its her?

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Book SynopsisTheo Duncan is an ordinary student who happens to be the Prime Minister's son. When Westminster is shaken by a body discovered in the Thames, he investigates. With security heightened, he must evade detection as he searches Parliament for clues. Can he find the murderer before the government tears itself apart and before they strike again?

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Book SynopsisSome people think that museums are boring places full of glass cases, dust and stuff no one cares about: wrong! In a hidden headquarters below the exhibits there's a gang ready to handle dangerous, spooky or just plain weird problems: the Museum Mystery Squad.Techie-genius Nabster, mile-a-minute Kennedy and sharp-eyed Laurie (along with Colin the hamster!) tackle the surprising conundrums happening at the museum. From pre-historic creatures that move and secret Egyptian codes to missing treasure and strange messages from the past, there's no brain-twisting, totally improbable puzzle the Squad can't solve.--------------The discovery of new Viking treasure brings the museum its biggest exhibit yet -- a giant longboat. With such a huge attraction on show there's plenty of room to hide a secret, or two. In the Case of the Vanishing Viking, the Squad investigate legendary longboats, rare runes and hidden hoards to try to solve their latest mystery.---------------Young readers will love the riddles, red herrings and big reveals jam-packed into this fun-filled series of mystery stories by Mike Nicholson. The enjoyable extras like wacky facts and activities, as well as zany illustrations by Mike Phillips, will keep amateur detectives entertained for hours.Trade ReviewPraise for the Museum Mystery Squad series:'Nicholson slips in fact boxes and a miniquiz as well as some red herrings to confuse matters. Phillips adds coded messages, screen shots, and diary pages to cartoon views of the squad in action... deduction and slick detective work save the day.'-- Kirkus Reviews'All of the books in this series are fast-moving, filled with interesting facts that should spur readers on to their own explorations, well-written, fun and wonderfully illustrated with black and white drawings by Mike Phillips.'-- Youth Services Book Review'... there is a clear desire to celebrate museums as spaces of imagination and learning. There is a very interesting interplay between text and image in the book, as the story is interposed by numerous illustrations, graphs and quizzes that visually make the book very visually stimulating.'-- Armadillo

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Book Synopsis'Julia Golding’s Jane Austen Investigates offers a gripping detective story with an abundance of Easter eggs for Austen fans... This is a delightful riff on the wit and irony of Austen’s works; of her wonderful juvenilia, especially.' David Taylor, Associate Professor, Faculty of English, University of Oxford Jane Austen turns detective in this spooky historical adventure by award-winning author Julia Golding! It’s 1789 and a young Jane Austen turns detective as she seeks to solve the mysterious happenings at Southmoor Abbey. When a carriage accident forces a change of plans, 13-year-old Jane is sent to be a companion to Lady Cromwell for a week as the household prepares to celebrate the eldest son’s coming-of-age party. While there, Jane vows to solve the mystery of the ghostly monk in the Abbey grounds – for she does not believe in such stories! But this is not the only strange occurrence for the adventurous young Jane to investigate. There are shivery night-time investigations, an Indian girl with secret talents, a library fire, two prize horses in danger, and friends to save from false accusations. With notebook in hand and her faithful dog Grandison by her side, will Jane overcome the continuous obstacles and find out the truth?

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Book SynopsisThe Outfit' had never really believed the stories about the ghosts of Weeping Wood until now! When odd events keep on happening, they decide to investigate the strange cries that come from the forest, but soon discover there's more to the mystery than they could ever have imagined! This gripping, page-turning read from the Carnegie Medal-winning master storyteller Robert Swindells is a great introduction to the series, as The Outfit hunt out adventure, crimes and mysteries to solve as only a bunch of best friends could!

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Book SynopsisMiserable Reuben Kilchaffinch is going to fill in Froglet Pond and he won''t let anything, or anyone, get in his way. The Outfit are desperate to save the pond and its wildlife and they plan to stop Kilchaffinch at any cost! A thrilling tale of mystery and adventure from Carnegie Medal-winning author Robert Swindells.

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Book SynopsisIn Boston, a young woman finds herself pregnant – even though she is still a virgin.In Ireland, another young woman discovers she is in the same impossible condition.And in cities all around the world, medical authorities are overwhelmed by epidemics, droughts, famines, floods and worse. It all feels like a sign that something awful is coming.Anne Fitzgerald, a former nun turned private investigator, is hired by the Archdiocese of Boston to investigate the immaculate conceptions. Even as she comes to care about and trust the young women, she realises that both are in great danger. Terrifying forces of light and darkness are gathering.Stepping into uncharted territory where the unknown is just the beginning, Anne must discover the truth – to save the young women, to save herself and to protect the future of all mankind.The worldwide bestseller, updated for young adults

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Book SynopsisBest friends Molly Malone and Bram Stoker are headed to London to collect his brother Thornley from boarding school. When they arrive, they discover that Charles Dickens has been kidnapped. Our heroes resolve to find the great author. Can Molly and Bram solve the riddle of the disappearing Dickens?

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Book SynopsisA thrilling, Wild West adventure set in a toy world.

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Book SynopsisA gripping story of myth and mystery about a legendary mermaid and her dark power. When the truth comes out, will it bring freedom or a terrible retribution?Vivien's never going to win the Mermaid Crown and she knows it. Does she care? Who wants to be rewarded just for being pretty anyway? So she joins Alice on her quest to find the mermaid of the lake instead. But as the legend starts to unravel, it reveals an ugly truth. And leads the girls into terrible, watery danger...Cover illustrations by Kathrin Honesta.

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Book SynopsisMeet Mark Anchovy: pizza delivery boy and private detective!'Hilarious and exciting' The Scotsman'LOVE this proper funny series ... Funny, fast-paced adventure with loads of cheese (the good kind!)' Pamela ButchartColin Kingsley is a pizza delivery boy with a twist. He's actually an aspiring detective. But in sleepy Rufflington-on-Sea, there are no cases to solve - until the Golden Spatula League come calling. The world's premier agency for 'caterer-detectives', run by children, the G.S.L. have been dazzled by Colin's freakish memory skills.To join their ranks, Colin - codenamed 'Mark Anchovy' - must fly to Rome to track down a valuable stolen painting, titled, 'Girl With A Squirrel'. The chief suspect: Big Alan Fresco, notorious art thief and pizza addict. It's the toughest, most pizza-ry mystery the G.S.L. have ever encountered.Read more of the Mark Anchovy adventures for fast-paced and food-filled hilarity:MARK ANCHOVY: WAR AND PIZZAMARK ANCHOVY: PIZZA POWERTrade ReviewIf you like cheesy jokes, and not taking things too seriously, you will enjoy this book. * English Association *Author and illustrator William Goldsmith has hit on a winning formula in this, his début children's novel, which is sure to herald the start of a successful new series for Colin and the Golden Spatula League * INIS - Children’s Books Ireland Magazine *

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Book SynopsisPeek inside the pop-up windows! Young Paulo Costa is desperate to make it into the junior soccer squad, but when the day of the trials finally arrives, not everything goes according to plan...You can gaze through bustling crowds and lift a manhole cover to discover the unexpected turn of events that gives football-mad Paulo an incredible day to remember! Three-dimensional layered pages enable youngsters to explore all the sporty subterfuge. This exciting story is certain to score with readers aged 3 to 7 years. Paulo Costa is ten years old, and he lives and breathes football. His Uncle Marcos is the star striker for the Eagles, one of Brazil's top teams, and Paulo wants to follow in his golden footsteps. Paulo's ultimate goal is to succeed at the trials for the Eagles' junior team, and he is determined to give it his best shot. His best friend Juanita wishes him luck. Peer through the packed streets as a carnival comes to town. See Paulo dash off, boots flying, when the Costa family's car breaks down, and he ends up running late for the junior try-outs. Follow him down a gloomy side street, where he notices something suspicious going on, something decidedly unsporting, something that could prove disastrous for the Eagles' forthcoming match...Young readers will be enthralled by this gripping adventure, and the detailed pop-up illustrations will take them right into the heart of the game.

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Book SynopsisPraise for Gracie Fairshaw and the Mysterious Guest: 'A delightfully engaging mystery.' Katherine Woodfine 'A magical rollercoaster of a ride.' Marie Basting 'Satisfyingly sprinkled with clues to sniff out, this is a timeless, accessible and well-paced mystery with bags of atmosphere.' Booktrust The stage is set for a thrilling mystery! Gracie Fairshaw is delighted to get a sneak preview of the Children's Ballet's Christmas spectacular. But when the curtain rises, things go horribly wrong for the young dancers. Accidents, pranks and a poison pen letter make Gracie wonder if someone is trying to spoil the show. Can Gracie and her friends stop the saboteur before their final act?

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Book Synopsis A deliciously spooky novel packed with illustrations - Stranger Things for younger readers! 'Wildly imaginative and totally terrifying' JEFF KINNEY, AUTHOR OF DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 'A haunted-house version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' BRIAN SELZNICK, AUTHOR OF THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET 'Overgrown with fantastic ideas' THE NEW YORK TIMES Nothing seems out of place in the town of Cowslip Grove. But kids have been going missing – excpet no one even realizes it, because no one remembers them. Not their friends. Not their teachers. Not even their families. But Levi and Kat do remember, and only they can see why everyone is in danger when night descends. Can they find the disappeared before evil swallows the town whole? A spellbinding, original and lavishly illustrated horror story for middle-grade readers Half-written, half-graphic novel, and all spooky mystery! Two unlikely friends face down their worst fears in order to stop their small town – and themselves – from disappearing

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Book SynopsisOne by one, urban legends are coming to life! For some reason, the people I mention in my blog experience bad luck, accidents, and other misfortunes. One day, a strange boy appears and explains that it's the fault of what I'm using to write the blog......my smartphone is cursed! What’s that supposed to mean!? Someone, help me!

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Book SynopsisHinata is a shy fifth grader who ends up caring for Chris, his grandfather's Shiba Inu. Chris is apparently a highly distinguished former police dog, but he's not the most reliable pooch—he's terrified of bugs! One day while Hinata and Chris are out on a walk, a patrol car siren blares: There's been a jewel heist in the neighborhood! As the police desperately investigate the crime, Hinata and the cowardly great detective Chris just happen to come across a vital clue...?

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Book SynopsisIzzy is really pleased to have been put in charge of the new girl at school. Matilde is French, and Izzy and her friends can't wait to show her their den and its moth, and to help her avoid school dinners (also known as poison). But Matilde LOVES school dinners and even has seconds! And that's when they know.

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Book SynopsisWhen Grandfather's friend Mrs. Winkles needs some extra workers at her candy factory, the Boxcar Children are thrilled to help. What could be more fun than spending their days making candy? But working in the factory isnât as sweet as they expected. Workers are quitting, machinery is breaking down, and mysterious threatening messages are appearing on the candy hearts. It looks like someone is sabotaging Mrs. Winklesâs candy!

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Book SynopsisIn this hilarious sequel to the hugely popular Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Sally Stick and her shaggy best friend Fetch discover plenty more mysteries to solve. Like, Is there a beaver loose in the town? Who is the handbag thief? And, most importantly, Why does Uncle Bob''s house always smell of biscuits? Somehow, despite the accidents, misunderstandings and general confusion that dog the hapless pair wherever they go, they always get results. And they have a lot of fun along the way!Trade Review“Engaging, delightful, charming and simply wonderful!” * Fallen Star Stories *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the British Museum, home to Lottie Lipton: nine-year-old investigator extraordinaire!When a collection of Roman treasures comes to the museum, Lottie, Uncle Bert and Reg discover the legendary code of the Ninth Legion's Golden Eagle. Can Lottie and her friends break the code and find the treasure before a ruthless treasure hunter gets his hands on it?Perfect for developing and newly confident readers, Lottie Lipton Adventures are packed with action, adventure and puzzles for the reader to solve.

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Book SynopsisMeet Enola Holmes. Not only Sherlock Holmes''s sister, but a detective on a mission.Enola wakes on her fourteenth birthday to discover her mother is missing and she is now in the care of her older brothers. Desperate to avoid their attempts to send her to school, she escapes to London, determined to find her mother and rescue her. But will she be able to decode each clue in time? Will she survive alone in London''s dangerous underworld? And will she be able to solve the mystery of the missing marquess before her famous brother?

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Book Synopsis A stunning edition of Kevin Brooks' celebrated novel - a truly original, powerful and emotional story from the author of The Bunker Diary! ' ... will keep you gripped.' The Observer "... a cult novel." Independent "An immensely clever murder mystery." Literary Review Martyn hated his dad, but he never meant for him to die. And now he has to tell the police what happened ... or hide the body. Simple, right? Not quite. One story leads to another. Secrets and lies become darker and crazier. And then everything shatters. Life is never easy, but death is even harder ... A stunning reissue of the Branford Boase-winning novel from Kevin Brooks, author of The Bunker Diary; also shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Published in over 20 countries and over 250,000 copies sold worldwide!

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Book SynopsisJoin the Famous Five on a brand-new adventure in this NEWLY CREATED story for children aged 5 and up! When the Famous Five are enjoying a picnic on Kirrin Island they spot a lamb in trouble. With no one else on hand to help, it''s up to the Five launch a rescue mission. Will they make it in time? Set in the world of Enid Blyton''s best-loved series, this newly created story follows Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog on a special new adventure. The story is broken down into six short chapters with vibrant, full-colour illustrations on every page - perfect for shared reading or for newly confident readers to enjoy independently. Also look out for: The Birthday Adventure, illustrated by Becka Moor. Enid Blyton''s eight original short stories about the Famous Five are also available as early readers illustrated by Jamie Littler. Collect them all! A Lazy AfternoonGeorge''s Hair Is Too LongWell Done, Famous Five Five and

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Book SynopsisA tragedy ripped them apart. A mystery will bring them together. A powerful, gripping YA thriller by New York Times number one bestseller Kelley Armstrong. Trade ReviewThrills and mystery from a pro. -- KIRKUS REVIEWSFans of Laura Ruby's Bone Gap and April Henry's Girl, Stolen will be drawn to...Armstrong's sinister tale. -- SLJEnough twists to keep any suspense fan happy, but it's the deeper theme of trying to disentangle oneself from the place society says you belong that resonates strongest. -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLYFresh and honest, Armstrong touches on issues of mental health with commendable sensitivity in this compelling thriller * Independent on The Masked Truth *

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Book SynopsisFunny, highly entertaining spooky middle grade packed with monsters and mayhem - for kids who love a good (safe) scream!

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Book Synopsis''Password Emil!''Emil and the detectives are on holiday by the seaside when they meet the three Byrons. One Byron is the father and the other two are the sons, Mackie and Jackie. Jackie is bigger than Mackie and Byron Senior is very annoyed about it. But what is Jackie to do? When Emil and the detectives discover that the father is planning to desert poor Jackie they are determined to come to the rescue but not before they''ve been cast away on a desert island...BACKSTORY: Test your knowledge of Emil and his friends and discover some fun seaside activities!Trade ReviewEmil and the Three Twins is that very rare thing - a successful sequel * Observer *Emil's Berlin, and the Baltic resort of its sequel Emil and the Three Twins, were as vivid to me as Arthur Ransome's English Lakeland -- Philip Pullman * Independent *This must be one of the most delicious children's books ever written * Daily Express *So what makes these different to any other set of classics? In a moment of inspiration Random House had the bright idea of actually asking Key stage 2 children what extra ingredients they could add to make children want to read. And does it work? Well, put it this way...my 13-year-old daughter announced that she had to read a book over the summer holiday and, without any prompting, spotted The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas...and proceeded to read it! Now, if you knew my 13-year-old daughter, you would realise that this is quite remarkable. She reads texts, blogs and tags by the thousand - but this is the first book she has read since going to high school, so all hail Vintage Classics! * National Association for the Teaching of English *

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Book SynopsisIn this terrifying prequel novel to the New York Times bestselling Asylum series, a teen is wrongfully committed to the Brookline psychiatric hospital and must find a way out—before he becomes the next victim of the evil warden’s experiments.With the page-turning suspense and unsettling found photographs from real asylums that led Publishers Weekly to call Asylum “a strong YA debut,” Escape from Asylum is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine''s Home for Peculiar Children.The nightmare is just beginning.Ricky Desmond has been through this all before. If he could just get through to his mother, he could convince her that he doesn’t belong at Brookline. From the man who thinks he can fly to the woman who killed her husband, the other patients are nothing like him; all he did was lose his temper just a little bit, just the once. But when Ricky is selected by the sinister Warden Crawford for a very special program—a program that the warden claims will not cure him but perfect him—Ricky realizes that he may not be able to wait for his mom a second longer. With the help of a sympathetic nurse and a fellow patient, Ricky needs to escape now.Set long before Dan, Abby, and Jordan ever walked the hallways of the Brookline asylum—back when it was still a functioning psych ward and not a dorm—Escape from Asylum is a mind-bending and scary installment in the Asylum series that can stand on its own for new readers or provide missing puzzle pieces for series fans.Trade ReviewPraise for Catacomb -- ; "Roux's use of found photographs, text messages, and excellent chapter hooks will keep readers up late, following the misadventures of the appealingly geeky honor students." -- Booklist "Seriously spooky." -- School Library Journal "With plentiful old photographs of carnival acts, Roux works the creepy verisimilitude that made Asylum such a page-turner. The haunted-house explorations are especially cinematic and spooky...Roux knows how to keep the action rolling and the reader hooked." -- Booklist Praise for Asylum -- ; "Days after reading Asylum, I'm still haunted by the images that Madeleine Roux's words conjured. I just want to curl up inside her skull and exist for a while in its dark, twisted magnificence. Brilliant!" -- New York Times Bestselling Author Zac Brewer "A strong YA debut. Roux (aided by unsettling photo illustrations of abandoned asylums and tormented patients) creates an entertaining and occasionally brutal horror story that reveals the enduring impact of buried trauma and terror on a place." -- Publishers Weekly "Page-turning. Fans of 'found footage' horror will enjoy this visually creepy take on the haunted-institution setting." -- Kirkus "The plentiful illustrations both advance the story line and immeasurably contribute to the spooky atmosphere. With its abundant jump scares, horror readers and fans of the TV show American Horror Story will delight in the fast-paced plot." -- Booklist "Illustrations used in this book are from actual asylums, and the author builds the tension nicely as Dan receives what may be messages from an inmate. A good choice for readers who enjoy books with scary situations that lead to a solid climax." -- Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) "Madeleine Roux's Asylum takes the fondest dream of our collective nerdy childhood and handily turns it into the scariest collective nightmare." -- Tor.com "I started reading this one at my desk in broad daylight and still got goose bumps." -- Glamour

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Book SynopsisCollins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners.Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2).Each reader includes:A CD with a reading of the adapted storyHelpful notes on charactersCultural and historical notes relevant to the plotA glossary of the more difficult wordsPretty, young Anne Beddingfeld comes to London looking for adventure. But adventure finds her when she sees a man fall off an Underground platform and die on the rails.The police think the death was an accident. But who was the man in the brown suit who examined the body before running away? Anne has only one clue, but she is determined to bring the mysterious killer to justice.Anne's adventure takes her on a cruise ship all the way to Cape Town and on Trade Review‘As a teacher using the Amazing People ELT Readers in an Extensive Reading Project, I’m as happy as my students are: motivating topics/real people, interesting facts and a great alternative to Graded Reader fiction. Having said that, the same class is also reading books from the Agatha Christie series, and enjoying them very much. Their Reading Diaries are full of questions, speculation about who-dunnit and comments about “unputdownability”. The buzz in the classroom when we’re swopping books is tangible.’Hania Bociek, Zürich, Switzerland

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Book SynopsisA terrifying new adventure for Tory Brennan great niece of Dr Temperance Brennan and the Virals as they come face to face with their greatest enemy. Tory Brennan and the Virals pack are forced to confront the existence of a rival pack The Trinity who want them off the scene declaring war by engraving One Territory. One Pack' on a local landmark. What's more this pack's powers seem stronger and their eyes glow red rather than golden when they flare. Chance Claybourne, who now owns his father's pharmaceutical company, shares The Trinity's powers he accidentally infected himself and his ex-lab tech Will Speckman. Chance claims he's on the Virals' side but can they trust him? And if Speckman is one of The Trinity, who are the other two? As the tension mounts between the two packs an even greater threat looms. Covert government agents are closing in on them, determined to find out exactly how their powers work, to experiment on them. Have The Trinity

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Book SynopsisA wonderful novel from a major voice in tween' fiction.Tiff''s mum is a thief and she''s about to get caughtTwelve-year-old Tiff loves her mum, Carla, who is glitzy and fun and always coming home with shiny new amazing stuff. The trouble is, Tiff''s mum doesn''t buy things, she takes them. The fact is, Tiff''s mum is a thiefWhen Carla gets caught, Tiff's shiny life is ruined. She''s packed off to a remote island to live with Carla''s family. A family her mum never even talks about and that Tiff has never even met! How can she survive in this dull, dull place?But the island of Sark isn''t as awful as Tiff imagined it would be. The islanders are kind and honest and she''s happy spending time with them. So three months later, when it''s finally time for her mum to join her, Tiff can''t help feeling more than a little bit worriedTrade ReviewPraise for ‘Invisible Girl’:“Kate Maryon’s characters stay with you long after the book is finished.” Jenny Valentine Praise for ‘Shine’:“[Kate Maryon] understands a child's deepest feelings, including the negative ones, and she allows Tiff to run through the gamut of them as she slowly works her way through feelings of abandonment, loneliness, fear and anger, until eventually happiness and love can resurface. Readers will recognise all her thoughts. It's an uplifting story which begins with a huge disaster and ends with a new start for everyone. It will reassure and comfort its readers and it exactly inhabits their emotional landscape… I think tween girls are going to love it.” [Four stars] TheBookBag.co.uk “I read Shine in 4 days and I think that it is amazing. I was glued to it, which made my mum quite annoyed especially when I was supposed to be getting to sleep.” Olivia, aged 10 “Shine is favourite book in the world! It is the first long book that I have actually read all the way through. Usually I start reading and get bored half way through. This is a great book and I would DEFINITELY recommend it! Kiera, aged 10 “Shine is amazing. I really loved it so much.” Dana, aged 10

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