By Janet Fox
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Pages: 400
Lexile: 740L
Age Range: 10 – 14 Years
ABOUT
“Keep calm and carry on.”
That’s what Katherine Bateson’s father told her, and that’s what she’s trying to do: when her father goes off to the war, when her mother sends Kat and her brother and sister away from London to escape the incessant bombing, even when the children arrive at Rookskill Castle, an ancient, crumbling manor on the misty Scottish highlands.
But it’s hard to keep calm in the strange castle that seems haunted by ghosts or worse. What’s making those terrifying screeches and groans at night? Why do the castle’s walls seem to have a mind of their own? And why do people seem to mysteriously appear and disappear?
Kat believes she knows the answer: Lady Eleanor, who rules Rookskill Castle, is harboring a Nazi spy. But when her classmates begin to vanish, one by one, Kat must uncover the truth about what the castle actually harbors—and who Lady Eleanor really is—before it’s too late.
REVIEWS
* “Wonderfully written . . . Readers will curl up and keep the lights on with this chilling page-turner.”
—Booklist, starred review
* “An original, clever, page-turning adventure.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* “In this intricately plotted thriller . . . . True-to-life protagonists, the skillful interweaving of flashbacks and the chatelaine motif, a masterful final encounter, and a satisfying denouement attest to Fox’s craftsmanship.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* “Fox works a spell of her own, pulling her audience deep into the increasingly nightmarish tale, while creating a stout-hearted heroine who isn’t afraid to trust her own mind.”
—Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Fox’s story of intrigue and magic is enticing from page one . . . a fascinating and wonderful read.”
—VOYA
“[A] cleverly-crafted thriller . . . readers who enjoy historical fiction, science fiction, or horror will not want to miss this book!”
—School Library Connections
“An enchanting, ghostly story that had me in its grip until the last page. With her courage, strength, and intelligence, Kat Bateson will become one of the great literary heroines. I rooted for her right through the last page.”
—Jennifer A. Nielsen, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of The False Prince
“With nods to Narnia, Harry Potter and The Golden Compass, Janet Fox has created hair-raising suspense and drama. My heart is still pounding from this action-packed, imaginative read!”
—Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky
“Chilling, creepy, charming . . . a delicious read, full of twists and turns and writing that soars right along with the rooks outside the castle walls.”
—Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor-winning author
“Fiendishly addicting, with as many twists and turns as the sinister castle that conceals the charmed children and the chilling evil that first ensnared them.”
—Julie Berry, award-winning author of The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place
“A new classic: a terrifyingly irresistable mystery, full of danger, magic, and adventure.”
—Nikki Loftin, author of Wish Girl and Nightingale’s Nest
