A uniquely dark and elegant tale that illuminates the loneliness of childhood, the pain of loss and the power of imagination. It will charm and haunt its readers in equal measure.

Eleven-year-old Mark is bored. He spends his days on the Brighton sea-front, practicing on his skate-board. His mother is too ill to leave the house, and his stepfather is determined that Mark shouldn't disturb her. So when the old lady who lives in the flat downstairs introduces him to rock cakes and offers to show him a secret, he's happy to indulge her.

The old lady takes a large, old-fashioned key and leads Mark down a dusty corridor to a heavy door. Beyond the door is a world completely alien to Mark's understanding. For behind the old lady's tiny apartment, the house's original servants' quarters are still entirely intact, although derelict. Mark finds himself strangely drawn to this window onto the past, and when, the next time he visits, the old lady falls asleep, he steals the key and goes to visit the servants' quarters alone.

And suddenly Mark's life takes a bizarre turn, as the past seems to collide with the present, dreams invade reality and truths become apparent to this hitherto unperceiving boy.

About the Author

M M Smith is also know as Michael Marshall, author of the internationally bestselling novels 'The Straw Men', The Lonely Dead' and 'Blood of Angels'. Before that, he had already established a successful career under the name Michael Marshall Smith: his groundbreaking first novel, 'Only Forward', won the Philip K. Dick and August Derleth Awards, and its critically acclaimed successors 'Spares' and 'One of Us' have been optioned by major Hollywoood studios. He lives in North London with his wife, son and two cats.

Reviews

'Superb, offbeat contemporary fantasy ... Smith portrays a child's irrational anger with devastating accuracy, and Mark's visits to the surreal and intensely symbolic world of the servants are powerfully depicted' Publishers Weekly

'A touchingly sweet book that refuses to give easy answers or cheap twists. A perfect rainy-day read that'll leave you with a lump in your throat' SFX

'Damn good storytelling ...beautifully conceived and utterly real' Fortean Times

'This moving parable delivers strong psychological insights into a child's powerlessness and anger' Entertainment Weekly

'A charming and eerie fantasy' Sun Herald (Australia)

Book Information
ISBN 9780007261949
Author M. M. Smith
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint HarperCollins
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 159g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 16mm