Poisoned Pie Mystery
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 ...
Spooky Reads this October
Over here in the coop, it's officially SPOOKY SEASON!
Bad Luck Lighthouse
In solving the mystery of the Last Chance Hotel, Seth has discovered a bewildering new world of magic.
Swept up in a new MagiCon case investigating ghostly goings-on at the Snakesmouth Lighthouse, he is determined to prove himself. But when eccentric owner Mina Mintencress is murdered, Seth realizes danger lurks around every corner. With the help of his cat, Nightshade, Seth must put his new-found magic to the test. Can they unmask a sinister sorcerer ... before it's too late?
Agatha Christie meets Harry Potter in this sequel to the bestselling The Last Chance Hotel.
An ode to writing competitions ...
Nicki Thornton's debut novel The Last Chance Hotel won the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition in 2016 and is currently Waterstones' Children's Book of the Month. Nicki has dropped by the blog to share how the competition changed her life ...
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THE LAST CHANCE HOTEL is Waterstones CBOTM!
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. (more…)
And the winner is ...
On Wednesday 20 June, at 10.30am, we welcomed a prestigious panel of judges to the Artist’s Residence in London Victoria for our 2018 judging day. (more…)
NaNoWriMo Nov Day 2: Nicki Thornton
One day down, twenty-nine to go! Today we're hearing from the winner of last year's Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition, Nicki Thornton. Nicki bagged the top prize – a £10,000 publishing contract – with her debut novel The Firefly Cage, which will be published by Chicken House next year. Read on for her words of wisdom! (more…)
And the winner is ...
On Monday at the Savile Club, in the downpour of the British summer, our ten judges sat down over coffee and biscuits to decide on the winner of the 2016 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition. The debate was heated: every one of our shortlisted novels received passionate support. But ultimately, there can only be one winner. And the winner is … (more…)
