The Whitby Child (header)

The Whitby Child (cover)

Published in the United Kingdom by Hodder Children's Books

Nelda's torment

'Outside the cottage the coven gave a tremendous shout, then their savage voices were drowned by a hideous scream. Ben's voice blistered over the courtyard and the witch hounds held their breath expectantly.

Abruptly the boy's shrill cry ended and the fishmonkey sucked the air through his needle-like teeth, widening a ghastly smile.'

genuine fishmonkey

In the depth of the night, a dark shape rises from the Whitby Harbour and crawls along the deserted streets, leaving a trail of slime in its wake. As Ben murmurs fitfully in his sleep, two glittering clusters of eyes stare keenly at the sleeping boy...

Along the windswept Whitby shore, Nelda the aufwader nurses a terrible secret. It is only a question of time before she must reveal the truth...

As Alice Boston lies paralysed by illness in her Whitby home, the ghost of a long-dead friend appears before her to warn of a great and impending danger...

Robin Musings
 

'There was a lot to pack into this one and many threads to tie up. Poor Miss Boston is crippled, yet still has to face the deadliest threat of all - The Lords of the Deep and Dark. It was a great challenge but I wanted to pit her against even more dangers and so the brides of Crozier arrived.

I can't lay claim to the idea of the fishmonkey.
I saw him in the Science Museum and knew at once I had to use him. He's actually a fake mermaid, the sort that sailors used to bring back from the Far East over a century ago. They were made from all kinds of things, sometimes simply carved from wood, but this one was the top half of a monkey that had been attached to a fish's body.

I have often been asked to write another book about Whitby but, as most of the main characters are either dead or vanished, it would have to be a completely different concept and not involve the aufwaders at all. I did have the germ of an idea but it needs working on, perhaps one day.

The character of Sister Frances is based on the superb actress and comedienne, Joyce Grenfell, in one of her galumphing roles.'

 

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