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