The Casebooks of Captain Holloway: The Disappearance of Tom Pile

Nov 17, 2024 12:26 AM

Author:Ian Beck

On a bitterly cold winter's night in 1900, a young boy disappears without trace from the forest near his home in the quiet village of Litton Cheney. He is never found, but the man he was with claims he was snatched by angels.

Forty years later, Corporal Jack Carmody is sent to investigate strange reports of mysterious lights above Litton Cheney. The villagers suspect German bombers overhead, but Carmody knows there's something far more intriguing going on. And when a terrified boy appears in the graveyard, convinced it's the year 1900, it's up to Carmody and his boss - the charismatic Captain Holloway - to uncover the truth.

Reviews

A cracker . . . Utterly convincing

—— Philip Pullman

WW2, somewhere in southern England. Our mathematically and psychically gifted soldier-narrator is on a secret mission . . . Despite the diversity of its elements, this is a well-paced, enjoyable read, which effectively combines ideas generally not seen together in WW2 fiction, and certainly not children's fiction

—— Armadillo

The real-life location, historical detail and plausible contemporary voices give this conviction

—— Sunday Times

Carries the Murder Most Unladylike mysteries into new heights . . . meticulously plotted and consistently delightful, and I can't recommend it enough

—— New Statesman

Stevens' combination of meticulous research, character development and a knotty plot is guaranteed to please

—— Guardian

Stevens' writing and plotting is sharper than ever

—— Bookseller

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