As a young reader, few things gripped me more than a good mystery.
I devoured the Enid Blyton books, especially Island of Adventure, as well as the Swallows and Amazon series, then moved on to the Hardy Boys and the odd Nancy Drew, and especially loved those that had a hint of the supernatural about it.
I would most definitely have loved The House With 46 Chimneys, had I been a young adult, as it ticks all of the boxes I liked.
Here we a continuation of that familiar theme of young people in a new location, as Kaleb, Jude and Sequoia move to live with their aunt in a rural corner of central Scotland.
There’s a touch of the real world as it’s set at the beginning of April 2020, during the early days of the coronavirus lockdown.
After meeting three local children – in a socially distanced way, of course – the group are drawn into a family mystery dating back 200 years, involving the haunting of the nearby ruins of Dunmore Park, the titular House With 46 Chimneys.
The chapters are sort and sweet, the characters are easy to relate to and picture in the mind’s eye, with the page layouts nice and clear, making them appealing to younger readers.
It’s a gripping read with tough decisions to made by the youngsters, which will appeal to the young – and, indeed, the young at heart.
The House With 46 Chimneys, by Ken Lussey, published by Arachnid, £7.99.
[review rating=”4″ align = “left”]
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