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Welcome to Haarville – if you've arrived, you've survived! This darkly comic, quirky middle-grade mystery adventure is perfect for fans of Malamander and Lemony Snicket.
Off the grid and not on the maps, Haarville is shrouded in fog and steeped in pungent pongs. Everything here smells fishy, especially the town's suspicious new arrivals.
Twelve-year-old Manx Fearty is an orphan (his family has a terrible habit of dying, terribly), and now he's about to lose their perpetual device shop to sinister newcomers claiming to be long-lost relatives. As he sets out to prove them wrong, Manx finds himself on the trail of a murky, mist-muddled mystery – and it's one he needs to solve fast, otherwise Haarville is doomed.
With the help of his fiercely protective drag-queen guardian Father G (aka the fabulous Gloria in Excelsis), loyal best friend Fantoosh, and oystercatcher-with-attitude Olu, Manx wades through secrets, schemes and some stomach-churning seafood. Can he save both his family's legacy and his town?
'A fantastically fishy adventure, packed to the gills with humour and heart. A boat-load of thrills, fun and friendship.' —Maria Kuzniar, author of The Ship of Shadows series
'A wonderfully imagined, ridiculously unique story that I raced through in a day. The inhabitants of Haarville and their secrets will hook you in and leave you wanting more. Justin Davies deserves first plaice for crreating a book every child, and adult, will love.' —Clare Povey, author of The unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre
'Utterly magical and instantly transporting. You'll want to visit Haarville again and again.' —Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of These Broken Stars
'The plot is lively with high stakes and misadventure. Intermittent illustrations pair well with the quirky sense of humor. An eccentric and fantastical mystery.' —Kirkus Reviews
'This brilliant well-written story transports you to a murky seaside town that is the life and soul of the party. The characters are colourful and heartwarming whilst the villains make it an edgy race to uncover secrets to save the family's legacy and Haarville from sinister newcomers.' —Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
'A magical story where Manx fights increasingly difficult challenges to uncover the truth and save Haarville.' —YA Books Central
'Steampunk... if steampunk typically involved large quantities of fish. Overall, the book is a funny, whacky treasure hunt with plenty of fishy illustrations and witty sentences. Kids looking for an adventure may enjoy this story of a town cut off from the rest of the world and a boy who wants to save it more than anything else.' — NetGalley Reviewer