Ghost Knight

Ghost Knight

As if it wasn’t enough that Jon is sent to boarding school. The ghostly horsemen, who one night appear under his dormitory window, are messengers of a dark, sad story and have it in for him. But why? There is someone resting in Salisbury Cathedral, who may know the answer and stand by Jon.

Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft never expected to enjoy boarding school. Then again, he never expected to be confronted by a pack of vengeful ghosts, either. And then he meets Ella, a quirky new friend with a taste for adventure…

Together, Jon and Ella must work to uncover the secrets of a centuries-old murder while being haunted by terrifying spirits, their bloodless faces set on revenge. So when Jon summons the ghost of the late knight Longspee for his protection, there’s just one question: Can Longspee truly be trusted?

It was on my sixth night that I realized homesickness was going to be the least of my worries. Angus was humming in his sleep, some tune he was practizing for the choir. I lay awake, wondering once again who would be the first to give in: my mother, because she'd finally realize that her only son was far more important than a bearded dentist, or me, because I'd get tired of my leaden heart and beg her to let me come home.

I was just about to pull the pillow over my head to block out Angus' sleepy singsong, when I heard horses snorting. I remember wondering, as I tiptoed toward the window, whether Edward Popplewell had taken to traveling to the pub on horseback. Angus' humming, our clothes all over the floor, the cheesy nightlight Stu had put on the desk — none of those things could possibly have prepared me for seeing something scary in the soggy night outside.

But there they were. Three riders. Very pale. As if the night air had gone moldy. And they were staring up at me.

With "The Thief Lord", I discovered the magic of a story that is set in real place that my readers can visit. I received so many photos, postcards and letters from children who visited and discovered Venice with my book under their arm. What a wonderful thing to happen.

I love it when a story shows us the magic of the world that surrounds us. I hope that Ghost Knight will bring many children to Salisbury and Kilmington and Lacock and that they will discover the magic waiting in those places. I hope they’ll go to find the effigy of Longspee, the church where Stourton almost kills Jon and Ella, and Lacock where a dead knight finds peace thanks to them.

Maybe you will even visit the island behind the cathedral school, walk through the close, find the cafe where Jon sits with his mother?