Malamander

Description: (WINNER OF THE AWESOME BOOK AWARD 2021 (UK) AND THE WEALD BOOK AWARD 2020 (UK). SHORT-LISTED FOR ALEXANDRA PALACE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2020 (UK) AND BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS 2019 (UK) AND BOLTON CHILDREN'S FICTION AWARD 2019 (UK) AND BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS 2019 (UK) AND CRIMEFEST AWARDS (BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN) 2020 (UK) AND EALING JUNIOR BOOK AWARD 2020 (UK) AND STOCKPORT CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2020 (UK)

Nobody visits Eerie-on-Sea in the winter. Especially not when darkness falls and the wind howls around Maw Rocks and the wreck of the battleship Leviathan, where even now some swear they have seen the unctuous Malamander creep... Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy - especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma's parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger...

Review: ...a wonderfully imaginative and atmospheric adventure, rich in myth and legend and with a delicious gothic edge... Taylor is best known as an illustrator - he famously created the original jacket for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - but Malamander confirms him as a ferociously talented writer... this really is one that deserves all the buzz. -- Fiona Noble * The Bookseller, Children's Book of the Month *
I was steeped in the briny world of the Malamander from the very first page. Set in Eerie on Sea, where mythical beasts to walk the misty shores, Thomas Taylor introduces us to a wonderful pair of detectives - Herbie and Violet - with a riddle to solve. This is fantastical storytelling at it's best with a Dickensian cast and a terrifying beast from the deep. This enthralling oceanic adventure had me hoping our heroic lost and foundlings will have more mysteries to solve in books to come. I wanted to read on and on. * M. G. Leonard, Author of Beetle Boy *
Full of unforgettable characters and brimming with maritime mystery, Malamander is a masterclass in original story-telling. Taylor's magical touch makes you believe in the impossible. * Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island *
Mermonkeys, monsters and magic, oh my! Malamander is a brilliantly plotted mystery swirling with secrets, myths and the enigmatic residents of one unforgettable sea-side town. * Jennifer Bell, author of The Uncommoners *
"Taylor knows how to create atmosphere and a sense of creepy place. It's a book to be devoured, but is also born for the screen - and I can't wait to see this south-coast Grand Budapest Hotel meets The Shape of Water (but with a better plot) become a hit." * The Times, Children's Book of the Week *

Author Biography: Thomas Taylor is an award-winning author-illustrator for children. He illustrated the cover for the very first Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and has since gone on to write and illustrate several picture books and young novels; most recently he illustrated Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter, written by Marcus Sedgwick. He lives on the south coast of England.