1361: Orphaned by the Black Death, all John possesses are the tools that belonged to his father, a carpenter, and an uncanny ability to work wood. His travels bring him to Chesterfield, where he finds work erecting the spire of the new church. But no sooner does he begin than the master carpenter is murdered and John himself becomes a suspect. To prove his innocence John must help the coroner in his search for the killer, a quest that brings him up against some powerful enemies in a town where he is still a stranger and friends are few. Chris Nickson brilliantly evokes the feeling of time and place in this story of corruption and murder.

1361: Orphaned by the Black Death, all young John has left are the tools his father, a carpenter, leaves behind. Before long, however, John realises that he too has a way with wood; it speaks to him and he can make it do what he wants. Leaving the poverty and plague in Leeds behind, John travels to Chesterfield, where he finds work erecting the spire of the new church. But no sooner does he begin than the master carpenter is murdered and John himself becomes a suspect.To prove his innocence John must help the coroner in his search for the killer, a quest that brings him up against some powerful enemies in a town where he is still a stranger and friends are few. Chris Nickson brilliantly evokes the feeling of time and place in this story of corruption and murder.

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In 14th century plague devastated Chesterfield the curse of Wendela the witch causes the spire of the town's church to become crooked and twisted, and souls to be Moonwraith enslaved. The last of the snowmen take us into the near future; global warming has all but wiped them out until an SOS is sent to a Professor of snowology. In Victorian England, a young man's 'freaky' lizard features make him a star of the new sporting craze, football. A Wizard boy in a whirl goes on a quest to the mythical Turquoise Town, meeting a host of weird and wonderful characters along the way. A spellbinding collection of fairy tales, by turns enchanting, magical, Goth and Grimm. Beautifully illustrated by Paul McCaffrey From the author of If the Kids are United www.manutdbooks.com

In the old market town of Chesterfield stood a magic cottage with an enchanted garden, here lived Wendela the good witch. Her medicines and potions had helped heal generations of locals; in nearly every home one of her good luck charms could be seen in a place of prominence.Then the corrupt, power hungry vicar, John Thorn comes to town and desires Wendela's land to build his church. When she refuses to give it up he sets out to destroy her, and convinces the townsfolk that she is evil and to blame for the Black Death that has killed half the population. Wendela is burned at the stake, but with her last breath she puts a curse on John Thorn and the land that he is now free to build his church upon.On the church opening day a bolt of lightning hits the spire making it crooked and twisted and sending souls to the dark side of the moon - instead of heaven - to be enslaved by moon wraiths. This continues for hundreds of years.One area of good magic remains, on the spot where Wendela's enchanted garden once grew. It's here in the present day that toys (used for a nursery and Sunday school) come to life. One is Todsy the mouse who learns of the curse and sets out to break it.'Spellbinding' - Derbyshire TimesFrom the author of If the Kids are Unitedwww.manutdbooks.com