Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman

By Author / Illustrator

Alex Atkinson, Miriam Serafin

Genre

Supernatural

Age range(s)

Publisher

Usborne

ISBN

9781835400937

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

10-10-2024

Synopsis

Discover a brilliantly spooky new horror-mystery series for fans of Dread Wood, Goosebumps and Aveline Jones...

Indigo and Rusty might live in a funeral parlour, but they don't believe in ghosts. That is, until Indigo drops an old urn, accidentally releasing the Cinderman: a terrifying ash monster, who will smother their town in ashes and turn everyone into zombies, unless they can stop him by sunset.

Using their newly awakened Spooksmith skills, Indigo and Rusty set out to enlist the help of other ghosts. But can the Blasted Banshee and Chuckles the Phantom Toddler really help them find the Cinderman's true name and put him in his grave for good - before Ashmageddon strikes?

"Brilliantly spooky and funny." Jennifer Killick, author of Dread Wood; "Spine-chilling terror and laughs on every page." S.J. Wills, author of Bite Risk.

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Reviews

Jenny

Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman is a frightfully thrilling new comedy horror debut novel from Alex Atkinson. Twins Indigo and Rusty are used to life living in funeral parlour in their hometown of Greyscar. Although death surrounds them, nothing spooks them and they know that ghosts definitely don't exist. . . . The recent loss of their beloved grandfather has caused family tensions and upsets.

Then, when Indigo stumbles across a secret door in an old bookcase at home, all she ever believed about the finality of death, is challenged. An old, dusty urn appears to be whispering malevolently at her and when she accidentally drops it, a swirling whirl of human ash is unleashed and the terrifying Cinderman curse is set free.

A dramatic, dark and incredibly creepy story ensues as Indigo and Rusty come to realise their hidden family history as Spooksmiths. Life after death does exist and those non-existent ghosts? Well, it appears that not only can the twins hear them, but can see them, too. Whilst the dusty ashes of the Cinderman pervade the atmosphere and seems to suck all joy from all its inhabitants, Indigo and Rusty must stop his evil from smothering the whole town as the sunset falls. Secrets of the abandoned mine and of the Cinderman's real name must be uncovered before Ashmageddon blankets them all once and for all.

Tension and terror are paired with humour and heart in this story. The Twins have the spirit of grandad on their side and Phrank, a local pheasant, as an unlikely guard-dog. They have each other (even if trusting each other is going to take some time). There follows a frantic race against time, drawing on Rusty's gaming Battle Beast strategies and enlisting the help of local terrifying ghostly legends - the ghosts of the Blasted Banshee and Chuckles, the Phantom Toddler. Can Spooksmiths and spirits unite and rally together to defeat the Cinderman's deeply dark threat?

Entertaining and excitable energy throughout – gloriously grotesque at times and gleefully ghostly too!

240 pages / Reviewed by Jenny Caddick, teacher