Cosy crime meets magical mystery in the new story from the bestselling author of The Last Chance Hotel, Nicki Thornton!

‘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 THE HOWLING HAG MYSTERY

A charming stranger arrives in sleepy Sleeford Lock. 

Only intrepid school reporter, Veena Vale, is suspicious of his arrival at a time when the riverside community is in trouble. But no one will listen to her … except for Nightshade, the talking black cat.

Together they consult wise woman Hetty Dimple on her barge, The Floating Witch. With her help, they must unravel an ancient curse, tell some uncomfortable lies, and bake an awful lot of flapjacks ?

• 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 and The Poisoned Pie 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