The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery

(Hardback)

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Description

An enchanting Christmas mystery, with an illustrated chapter for each day of adventTwelve-year-old Flora Winter and her mother are off to the small seaside town of Helmersbruk for Christmas. When they arrive, Flora soon discovers an abandoned mansion straight out of a fairytale.But it's not just the manor that's mysterious - porcelain figures are appearing out of nowhere, a strange boy in a green cap seeks her friendship, and she hears eerie whispers in the night.Flora is determined to unravel the secrets of Helmersbruk Manor - but as the clock ticks down to Christmas, Flora must solve the mystery before time runs out...

Reviews

'This is an intriguing mystery tale. The book is also an exquisite object, beautifully bound with gold lettering and a deliciously spooky front cover image - a hefty, impressive Christmas present... Will draw in curious over-12s, with a layered mystery to solve and a satisfying emotional resolution' - Big Issue, Kids' Books of the Year

'Ideal to snuggle up with on a chilly evening, this evocative, gentle ghost story for 9+ has a hint of Tom's Midnight Garden' - Guardian

'An authentic classic ghost story that speaks to Victorian traditions, while also bringing an accessible modern sensibility... It would make an excellent advent gift' - Irish Times

'So compelling and absorbing that it is impossible to put down! A brilliant, gripping story - perfect for Christmas, but a great read at any time of year!' - Through the Bookshelf

'The story is told in 24 chapters, each just the right length to be read aloud before bedtime, beginning with a beautiful illustration by Elin Sandstrom, and ending in a suitable cliffhanger. The idea is to read one chapter a day, in 'real time' with the story, until the happy conclusion on Christmas Eve, a concept I find utterly charming. However, it is such an enjoyable read that it might be difficult to ration it' - Swedish Book Review

Author Bio

Eva Frantz is a Finnish author and journalist. She was already an award-winning writer of crime novels for grown-ups when she wrote her first book for children, The Mystery of Raspberry Hill, which won the Runeberg Junior Prize. She currently lives in a lovely yellow house in Esbo with a lovely husband and three mostly lovely children. The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor is her second spooky book for children published by Pushkin Press.Elin Sandstrom is an illustrator, artist and writer living outside of Stockholm, Sweden. She has been working as an illustrator since 2012 and in 2023 made her debut as an author with Vilse (Lost).