Thepoisonedpiemystery-Nicki Thornton

From the author of The Last Chance Hotel comes

a brand new magical mystery ...

'Blending magical adventure with Golden Age crime mystery,

this delightfully atmospheric spin-off from the author of The

Last Chance Hotel confirms Thornton's place as one of the

most original children's writers around.' WATERSTONES

on book 1

Is Oakmoss Hornbeam the unluckiest boy in the world? Or

has someone cursed him?

When a black cat crosses his path, mysteriously blown in by a

storm, Oakmoss believes it's his worst omen yet. But Nightshade,

a cat of considerable talents, knows when it's game on

or game over.

With the help of newshound Veena Vale and magical crime investigator

Dexter Stormforce, she sets out to become a lucky charm for

one very unlucky boy ...

• A magical murder mystery story perfect for fans of Robin

  Stevens and Harry Potter

• By the author of The Last Chance Hotel, chosen

  as Waterstones Book of the Month and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie

  Award

• Follows on from The Howling Hag Mystery, a series

  starring fan-favourite Nightshade the cat

  as the star of her very own mystery!

Praise for THE LAST CHANCE HOTEL:

'A jolly, atmospheric mystery.' THE TIMES

'All kinds of fun' THE OBSERVER

'[A] mash-up of murder mystery and fantasy ... full of great

characters, plot twists and intriguing detail.' METRO

'Featuring magical antics, a talking cat and a locked-room

murder mystery, Seth's story reads like an old-school whodunnit

with added wizards and spells' BOOKTRUST