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IT'S HALLOWEEN TIME. Yup, for the entire month of October it's entirely acceptable to dress solely in costume and only communicate via songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas (Halloween or Christmas film? The eternal debate). AND, seeing as the weather has become properly autumny now, we have even more of an excuse to stay inside and read – and we've got you covered.

We published the brilliant Last Chance Hotel back in June – a magical murder mystery by Nicki Thornton – which has been hugely loved by readers everywhere. And Waterstones agreed, as they've made it their Children's Book of the Month for October!

Nicki's debut is Harry Potter meets Agatha Christie with a dash of Robin Stevens – brilliantly described by Izzi at Waterstones Clifton as 'if Harry Potter discovered the wizarding world by being accused of Dumbledore's murder'. UH HUH.

The Last Chance Hotel is also the first winner of the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition to become a CBOTM throughout the UK. (Psst, don't forget you can enter the 2019 competition to be in with a chance of winning a £10,000 publishing deal.)

Seth is the downtrodden kitchen boy at the remote Last Chance Hotel, owned by the nasty Bunn family. His only friend is his black cat, Nightshade. But when a strange gathering of magicians arrives for dinner, kindly Dr Thallomius is poisoned by Seth’s special dessert. A locked-room murder investigation ensues – and Seth is the main suspect. The funny thing is, he’s innocent … can he solve the mystery and clear his name, especially when magic’s afoot?

What are you waiting for? Read chapter 1 now and head down to your nearest bookshop now to get your hands on a copy.