Tales of Terror from the Black Ship [Hardcover]

`Paired with illustrator David Roberts's spindly, evocative draughtsmanship, the result is another triumph for old-school spookiness' --Financial Times

`Expertly told, and full of atmosphere and shivers ... a spookily good read'
--Young Post

'Short, exciting horror-tinged stories, finely quirky drawings and a sure fire winner' --School Librarian

'A lovely writer, economic yet evocative He builds tension effortlessly, while David Roberts' scratchy illustrations suit the tone perfectly' DEATHRAY magazine

`The note of tension and suspense throughout the stories is brilliantly maintained and their ability to deliver one unexpected twist after another will delight even the most prescient of readers'

`Priestley is adept at creating a suitably creepy atmosphere, and his lightness of touch as a writer keeps the pages turning long into the night'

`Very like Saki short stories, these tales should definitely not be read after lights out'

`A lovely writer, economic yet evocative ... He builds tension effortlessly, while David Roberts' scratchy illustrations suit the tone perfectly'

`The tales build to an inevitable and chilling - though curiously touching - conclusion which leaves the reader with a residual sense of disquiet ... Hauntingly illustrated by David Roberts. Highly recommended'

`Priestley's spooky, gory prose and his talent for the telling detail make this, despite its faults, a fine, eerie read, encompassing demon tattoos, flesh-eating snails and a bewitched whale's tooth, suitable for those children who love telling stories in the dark'

`Short, exciting horror-tinged stories, fine quirky drawings and a sure fire winner'

`A fantastic page-turner, with a really scary ending'

At the Old Inn, which clings precariously to a cliff top above a storm-lashed ocean, two sick children are left alone while their father fetches the doctor. Then a visitor comes begging for shelter, and so begins a long night of story-telling, in which young Ethan and Cathy, who have an unnatural appetite for stories of a macabre persuasion, sit out the last throes of the storm in the company of a sailor with more than enough grisly tales to satisfy them. But something about this sailor puts Ethan on edge, and he becomes increasingly agitated for his father's return. Only when the storm blows itself out can Ethan relax - but not for long, for the new dawn opens the children's eyes to a truth more shocking, more distressing than anything they heard the night before.

Chris Priestley is the author of the spine-tingling Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror. His other books include New World, The White Rider, Redwulf's Curse and Death and the Arrow. Chris is also an illustrator, painter and cartoonist. He lives in Cambridge. David Roberts is an award-winning illustrator who has worked with a huge variety of authors, including Philip Ardagh and Georgia Byng. He is the creator of the Dirty Bertie series.