An award winning novel from one of the UK's greatest living children's authors.

When the mysterious MCC Berkshire starts working in Povey's Antiques Emporium he turns Ailsa's life upside down. Ailsa's mum isn't very good at running a shop - in fact she manages to talk her customers out of buying anything at all. MCC is very different. He can sell the ricketiest old piece of furniture, but he does it in the strangest way possible. Every time a customer is interested in something, he tells them a wild and fantastical tale about it. These stories range from adventures on the high seas, to detective stories, to ghost stories, and more. Ailsa is fascinated, even though she knows it's just a pack of lies . . . isn't it?The strangest thing of all is MCC himself - after all, he is the only thing in the shop that doesn't seem to have a story. Who is he, and why is he even here?

"McCaughrean is one of the greatest living children's authors." - The Bookseller