A powerful and haunting story about a boy’s pain and jealousy after the death of his father. Simon is outraged when his mother tells him that she plans to remarry. He can’t stand Joe Morton. He’s everything his father wasn’t and Simon can’t forgive him for that. To make matters worse, Simon’s mother and sister seem to be quite happy to welcome him into the family and to rub out the past. Simon takes refuge in a nearby mill and finds himself stalked by an unlikely trio of scarecrows. They are creeping nearer and nearer…But, can scarecrows really move? Simon seems to have unleashed a powerful hatred. Is there anything that can stop it?
There were three people, standing in the darkest place, watching him.
Simon is outraged that his Mum plans to remarry. He can't bear her new fiancé or the way his mother and sister seem to have forgotten his late father. Overwhelmed by hatred and anger he seeks solace in a nearby abandoned water mill. But another, powerful hatred lingers within its walls. And it is about to be unleashed...
Westall's immense talent is evident from the opening line - Simon's anger and unhappiness are tangible, and the Scarecrows' ill-intentions terrifying.
Robert Westall was born in Northumberland and went to school in Tynemouth. He studied fine art at Durham University and after he graduated he worked as an art teacher. Despite having two degrees in Fine Art, and majoring in Sculpture, Robert Westall spent his working life teaching art in secondary schools, and writing only in his spare time. He loved teaching and worked in Birmingham, Yorkshire and Cheshire as a head of department.
He has had around 40 books published and they vary from ghost stories to fantasy epics.
