I tell you what, the stakes felt a lot higher in this adventure, it wasn’t just about the kids uncovering some kind of plot, but they actually had to save their own Uncle Julian from being kidnapped! Crikey! It gets off to a mysterious start, that imposing building on the top of the hills with scary marshes all around, and the mysteries just continue to deepend. I did feel a bit annoyed about how much effort it took to hide Timothy the dog, but hey, he’s one of the five, so you’ve got to love him!

I don’t remember why I bought this because I haven’t yet seen the TV show and was only vaguely aware of the phenomenon. But I’m glad I did buy it because it was actually a really good read. I wouldn’t have said that historical Cornish fiction would be my cup of tea, but I liked it. There’s a detached way of telling the story that I really like, whilst we sometimes get a glimpse inside the character’s head, for the most part we have to infer what their motivation is.