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Written by Mark Dawson
Illustrated by Ben Mantle
Part of the The After School Detective Club Series
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Mystery, atmosphere and Blyton-esque adventure abounds in this seaside-set story
Melding modern day derring-do with classic-style whodunnit mystery and local history, Mark Dawson’s The Case of the Smuggler's Curse (the first in The After-School Detective Club series) comes recommended as a contemporary alternative to Enid Blyton. Co-written with Allan Boroughs and featuring lively illustrations by Ben Mantle, this character-driven story will keep adventure fans enthralled from start to finish.
Meet Lucy (brave, loyal and athletic), Max (geeky genius with a wicked sense of humour), Joe (intrepid, funny, and prone to stretching the truth) and Charlie (fearless, fierce and devoted to her dog, Sherlock). Four friends whose everyday lives are sent a-spinning when they spot a spectral figure brandishing a lantern on Southwold Beach during the depths of winter. Before they know it, the gang find themselves embroiled in a perilous smuggling plot, and in trouble with the police.
With lots of dialogue keeping the story moving (and readers keen to turn those pages), the writing is both evocative and engagingly clear, and the book’s not short on laughs either.
Lucy, Max, Charlie and Joe aren't looking for new friends - they have too many of their own problems to worry about. But when the four of them, and Charlie's faithful dog, Sherlock, spot a phantom figure on Southwold beach one winter's night, they are thrown together to unravel a mystery that none of them expected.
The deeper they dig, the bigger the adventure becomes - motorboats and tracking devices, bedroom breakouts and daring sea rescues are all in a day's work for the After-School Detective Club. But when their investigations lead them into trouble with the police, there is only one thing left to do - they must go undercover for a final showdown with a ruthless gang of smugglers who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
ISBN: 9781801300063
Publication date: 20/01/2022
Publisher: Welbeck Flame an imprint of Welbeck Publishing Group
Format: Paperback
| ISBN: | 9781801300063 |
| Publication date: | 20th January 2022 |
| Author: | Mark Dawson |
| Illustrator: | Ben Mantle |
| Publisher: | Welbeck Flame an imprint of Welbeck Publishing Group |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 256 pages |
| Suitable for: | 9+ readers |
| Genres: | Adventure Stories, Crime / Mystery |
| Collections: | 2022 Book Preview: Must Read Books To Look Forward To, |
Mark Dawson is the bestselling author of the John Milton, Beatrix Rose and Isabella Rose series, and has sold over 3 million books. He lives in Wiltshire with his family. Mark Dawson has co-written this series with children's author Allan Boroughs. www.markjdawson.com Ben Mantle has illustrated a number of children's books including Rudey's Windy Christmas (HarperCollins) and Callum's Incredible Construction Kit (Egmont) which won the 2013 Bishop's Stortford Picture Book Award. He is also the creator of the award-winning The Best Birthday Present Ever! and The Best Christmas Present Ever! published by Macmillan Children's Books. Ben lives and works in ...
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