Reuben Pedley is a recluse, has no friends and lives with his mum, a single parent, in a rundown flat in a gloomy town. The town where he lives is patrolled by rogue agents, a gang of suited men called the Directions who, true to their nickname, keep watch out front, behind and sideways as they patrol the city and collect protection money from the local shopkeepers. The Directions are answerable to Smoke, a shady villain that all the townspeople fear. When Reuben finds a peculiar timepiece that has the power to make the holder invisible he realises he has found a treasure that could bring him great fortune, and could change his and his mother’s life for the better.

But Smoke and his gangsters are on the lookout for this much coveted artefact and the secrets it hides. As the story unfolds, one secret leads to another, setting in motion a treacherous cascade of traps and near-miss escapes that pack an adrenaline punch. An adventure for readers aged 9–12.

Natalie Platten