LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
September 2016 Book of the Month
Chilling historical novel in which an orphan becomes entangled in a web of supernatural goings-on and family secrets.
It’s 1853 and, following the death of his father, William’s Uncle Seth offers to take him in, so he walks the eighty miles to Seth's cliff top mansion in North Wales, land of his deceased father. While William tries to settle into these unfamiliar, unfriendly circumstances (his uncle is arrogant, ill-humoured and makes William work as a valet to his stepson, Toby), he witnesses a series of unsettling occurrences - the sound of a woman sobbing for help, the sight of a cloaked figure near the cliffs, words written in frost on his window. Could these haunting happenings be the work of the Hag of the Mist, as claimed by Rhiannon, the superstitious scullery maid? William is unconvinced, but the home truths turn out to be even more terrifying than local folklore.
Alongside the thrilling unfolding of the mystery, this truly gripping tale also features a strong strand about seeing the good in people and acting nobly. Perceptive, good-natured and empathetic, William is a character you really do root for (he even finds it in his heart to understand how Toby came to be such an idle brat, and he even risks his own life to protect him), and his action-packed story would surely make an enthralling screen adaptation.
Joanne Owen
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About
The Haunting of Jessop Rise Synopsis
Alone and penniless after his father is killed in a cotton mill accident, fourteen-year-old William faces the rest of his childhood in a brutal workhouse. Then his long-estranged uncle Seth sends for him, and William thinks his fortunes are changing. But arriving at Uncle Seth's grand house in North Wales, Jessop Rise, William encounters a ghostly figure.
It soon becomes clear that the place is haunted by more than just one ghost. But who are the spectral creatures that prowl about the estate? What are they trying to tell William? And what is the dark secret that Uncle Seth has been keeping for so long? As William uncovers the clues, he finds himself caught up in a dark and terrifying mystery.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781783444618 |
| Publication date: |
1st September 2016 |
| Author: |
Danny Weston |
| Publisher: |
Andersen Press Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
308 pages |
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Press Reviews
Danny Weston Press Reviews
Praise for The Piper:
‘Wonderfully twisty chiller that’s sure to make you want to keep all of the lights on’ Scotsman
‘The best spine-tingling, atmospheric tale that I’ve read for some time. Warning: be prepared to be up all night.’ Mr Ripley’s Enchanted Books
‘Totally creepy and completely brilliant’ Askews & Holts Library Service
Praise for Mr Sparks:
‘This is dark-hearted fun, macabre mischief and seriously spooky storytelling.’ Scotsman
‘This will certainly send shivers down the spine.’ Andrea Reece, Lovereading
Author
About Danny Weston
Danny Weston is the YA pen name for popular children and YA writer Philip Caveney. He was born in North Wales in 1951 and now lives in Edinburgh. His first novel, The Sins of Rachel Ellis was published in 1977 and he produced a series of adult thrillers over the following decades. His first novel for younger readers, Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools was released in 2007 and was published all around the world. Since then, he has concentrated on writing exclusively for younger readers.
Danny's debut novel The Piper won the Scottish Children’s Book Award in 2016 and in 2018, The Haunting of Jessop Rise was shortlisted for the Scottish Teenage Book prize and nominated for a Carnegie Medal.
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