The Night House Files (2) - The Wintermoor Lights

By Author / Illustrator

Dan Smith, Luke Brookes

Genre

Science Fiction

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Barrington Stoke

ISBN

9780008700508

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

11-09-2025

Synopsis

What is happening to the children in Wintermoor? Secret organisation The Night House exposes the bone-chilling truth in this terrifying thriller from master of sci-fi Dan Smith.

Tara Fisher's best friend Zoe is the first to see the lights over Wintermoor - and she's never the same again. Soon more and more teenagers are affected and start behaving strangely, often appearing to be trapped in some kind of trance, while talking about being "chosen". The adults dismiss what is happening as some kind of hoax or mass hysteria. But will they finally listen when the kids start to disappear . . .?

The second book in The Night House Files. See also: The Night House Files: The Deadsoul Project (book 1)

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Reviews

Ruth

The follow-up in The Night House Files series, The Wintermoor Lights was eagerly awaited and it is as exciting as the first book, The Deadsoul Project. The science fiction mystery continues with the sudden appearance of strange bright lights in the area causing the local teenagers to behave in a most unusual way. The young people become zombie-like, yet the grown-ups think it can be squared away by calling it mass hysteria. Protagonist Tara Fisher is bemused as she watches people initially become possessed and then start to disappear.

Author Dan Smith has created another thrilling tale which again builds up the tension as you turn the pages and Luke Brookes illustrations enhance the chilling nature of the narrative. This immersive story is excellent for any secondary age student but, published by Barrington Stoke, in addition, this book is accessible for any child with visual difficulties. It has dyslexia-friendly font, the considered use of white space, less complex sentences and shorter paragraphs.

Despite the length of the book (only 159 pages), this story packs a punch and has an engrossing start, middle and end. I will recommend it to all students and am going to find the series particularly helpful with reluctant readers, for whom I think the hook of this captivating mystery will prove very useful in encouraging reading for pleasure.

Roll on book three, The House of Horrors, which is already eagerly anticipated. Highly recommended for 11 years plus and an excellent addition to the school library catalogue.

159 pages / Reviewed by Ruth Cornish, school librarian