I hardly ever finish a novel these days but this one had me up till 2am to find out things turned out at the end.
Charlie has been left almost to fend for herself in the cold unwelcoming castle after the mysterious disappearance of her mother, the Queen, and the increasingly bizarre behaviour of her father, the King. There are other adults around but it's not an easy job to decide which of them can be trusted and which can't. Charlie is determined to find out what happened to her mother, even if it puts her own life in real danger.
Although the main character, Charlie, is a girl, the book will appeal to boys, too, with a great secondary character, Tobias, and filled with lots of action that's slightly unusual as it's set in an alternative Victorian setting. Great for children (and adults!) who like mysteries, trying to work out who to trust and who not to, and for anyone that loves a really good story.
I'm ordering another three copies for my nieces and nephews...