Author Lauren St John
First published 2010
Publisher Orion Children’s Books, London, UK
Eleven year old amateur sleuth, Laura Marlin finds her new Cornish home full of myteries.
Story
11 year old Laura Marlin longs for a life of adventure, like those in her favourite books. Orphaned at birth and raised in a children’s home, she finally gets the chance to escape her dull existence when her uncle comes forward to adopt her. Her new life in Cornwall proves more mysterious than she might have wished for, however, and Laura has to use all her powers of deduction to unravel the secrets surrounding Dead Man’s Cove.
Why we chose it
A great mystery adventure story.
Where it came from
Lauren St John was born and raised in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). From the age of 11 she lived on a game reserve, which provided the inspiration for her memoir Rainbow’s End and her White Giraffe series of children’s books. Dead Man’s Cove is the first in her series of Laura Marlin mysteries.
Where it went next
Dead Man’s Cove won the 2011 Blue Peter Book of the Year award and was short-listed for Children’s Book of the Year at the Galaxy National Book Awards.
Associated stories
The subsequent books in the Laura Marlin series are Kidnap in the Caribbean (2011), Kentucky Thriller (2012), Rendezvous in Russia (2013), and The Secret of Supernatural Creek (2017).
Author Lauren St John
First published 2010
Publisher Orion Children’s Books, London, UK