Dan talks to the undead dead - and helps solve their problems. But when he takes on the case of a teenage shoplifter, things spin out of control. You'll find there are some great characters you'll warm to - even the undead ones - and there's plenty of humour and adventure rolled into the story.
Thomas Taylor has also just written Haunters, a supernatural thriller featuring three boys with special powers. This one is more suitable for 11+ readers.
Thomas Taylor's claim to fame prior to writing both these exceptionally good novels is that he is also the illustrator of the original Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. How cool is that!
Dan and the Dead is part of a series of Brilliant, fast-paced stories from publisher Bloomsbury with compelling plots, non-stop adventure and tons of style, at a manageable length. Perfect for newly confident readers, as well as keen readers who need to fit books in between the other demands on their attention!
Dan can see ghosts. See them, speak to them, and sometimes help them - for a price. Dan and his ghostly sidekick Simon (who took a bullet in the brain a few hundred years ago) help the unquiet dead solve their problems and move on to wherever they go. But when they take on the case of a teenage shoplifter, things start to spin out of control. Soon Dan is up against a very dangerous and very badly dressed gangster, and he's also got to cope with a rather unusual vicar, the ghost of a Victorian stage magician who cut off his own head (don't ask) and a spot of grave robbing. It's all in a night's work...
Thomas Taylor was born in Norwich, but grew up by the sea in Wales. His childhood was mostly about drawing, something he learnt to do in Maths classes.
After art school, Thomas set out to illustrate books, then to write them himself. His first commission was the cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Following this, he pursued a career in picture books, mostly from France where he lived for many years.
Thomas now lives on the south coast of England and has two sons. Sometimes they ask for help with their maths homework, so now they’re learning to draw too.
