Orla and the Serpent's Curse

Set in Cornwall, this darkly comic adventure starts innocently with twelve-year-old Orla and her family on holiday. However things rapidly take a spooky turn when she discovers a glowing necklace in some woods and soon she's embroiled with witches, pirates and a mysterious curse that only Orla, with the help of her trusty dog Dave, can break. Think Famous Five with a twist * The Good Wide Wed * This is a beautifully written tale of an adventurous and unstoppable young girl and her pet dog. * Parent Talk * Orla and the Serpent's Curse, by the first-time children's author CJ Haslam, is a welcome breath of fresh air ...] We pause to admire every view - but the action whips on, resulting in a wonderfully suspenseful debut that will lift the spirits of any child cooped up at home. -- Emily Bearn * The Telegraph * A rollicking adventure of witches and pellers and pirates and betrayal all set in a vividly painted Cornwall rich with language and landscape. Brilliant to see an historical novel with a contemporary setting, that incorporates folklore, history, mystery, adventure and family - and with the biggest hearted dog ever - the utterly selfless - Dave. * Fleur Hitchcock * It was a real treat to get lost in this sprawling adventure full of magic, pirates, witches and a most heroic Jack Russell. Orla and the Serpent's Curse is packed full of adventure, mystery, humour and thrills... All shot through with lots of wonderful witchy magic - this is rich storytelling sure to appeal to fans of Catherine Doyle's magical Storm Keepers series or Robin Stevens' brilliant mysteries. * James Nicol *