Mr Ransome again equals or perhaps excels himself...every boy will vote this detective story super

In my early teens I read Arthur Ransome's books, The Coot Club and The Big Six... They impressed me so much that I persuaded my father to take me on holiday to the Norfolk Broads where we had great fun teaching ourselves to sail, all on the impetus of Ransome's books

A continuation of Coot Club and as good as ever

The adventure, though engrossing, is only part of a book in which the cry and flight of birds, the small of water and tarry ropes, and the jargon of men and boys brought up to use their hands and senses are all delightfully plain to us

A lovely, forgotten classic that deserves to be reprinted

A charming tale for readers old and new

I read it a dozen-odd times as a child – and nowadays it’s my flu book. If I’m ever under the weather, I read it and cheer myself up

As in the first volume there are plenty of heart-stopping moments and a generous dollop of gore, but nothing most teens and confident readers can't handle: in fact, the problem will be to persuade them to put the book down. In short, it's both gross and engrossing!

The Whispering Skull frees Stroud to let his flair for spectacle run riot, resulting in several deftly constructed set-pieces far more akin to true horror than the ghost house antics of the first book.

As in the first instalment, Stroud manages to perfectly balance grisly encounters with gleefully sarcastic humour.

This is quality reading for young and old. Bring on those ghosts, but first hand me my rapier!

There's a dark, macabre air to these books that Stroud handles with an expert touch, perfectly balancing the supernatural with witty repartee and serpentine plots (no one could ever accuse Stroud of dumbing down). After The Screaming Staircase, our trio is back with a second instalment to sort out a seriously creepy talking skull trapped inside a glass jar. Ghost-busting has never been more engrossing.

The spine-tingling performance of Lyons’ narration will keep listeners on the edge of their seat.