'A rip-roaring delight.' Anna James
The Famous Five are back as a new group of kids head to Smuggler's Top to crack
their second mystery.
A brand-new adventure by bestselling author Chris Smith, inspired by Enid
Blyton and featuring original and new characters.
Maddy, Fran, Tom and Gilbert can't wait for their holiday with Professor George
at Kirrin Cottage. But when they arrive, they realise George is missing.
They follow her to an old house called Smuggler's Top, full of secret tunnels
and ancient hiding places, where they discover a master criminal who must be
stopped at all costs.
About the Author
Chris Smith is a bestselling author and the
joint recipient of the 2024 Ruth Rendell award for his work promoting literacy
and campaigning for school libraries. Chris created the Kid Normal series
with his friend Greg James and recently the pair published The Twits
Next Door which became an instant bestseller. Chris is also a solo
author and has published two fantasy adventures set in his fictional kingdom of
Parallelia including Frankie Best Hates Quests.
Before he was an author Chris worked as a newsreader and presenter on radio
stations including Xfm and BBC Radio 1. His most famous news bulletin is
probably the one sampled by George Michael in 1998 and used on his
international hit Outside. Chris lives in London with his wife
Jenny, their son Lucas and Mabel the cat.
James Lancett is a London-based illustrator,
director and yellow sock lover! As a child growing up in Cardiff he was
obsessed with cartoons, video games and all things fantasy.
As he grew up and
became a lot more beardy these inspirations held strong and so he moved to
London to study BA Illustration and Animation at Kingston University. He now
works as an illustrator and animation director.
He is known for his
illustrations for Lightning Girl by Alesha Dixon, the Avengers
Assembly graphic novels, Max Einstein by James
Patterson and many others.