A fin-tastic tale of friendship and adventure, perfect
for fans of Lemony Snicket and Edward Scissorhands!

'Charming and delightful ... a whimsical adventure story stuffed
to the flippers with fish puns and fun.' SAM
SEDGMAN, CO-AUTHOR OF THE ADVENTURES ON TRAINS SERIES

'The story has been polished like a pebble in a gift shop
... so charming and quirky is our voyage' THE TIMES

'[A] gem of a book' JENNIFER KILLICK
'Crammed to the gills with everything I want in
a middle-grade book ... I was swept right into the vivid world of
Merlington and adored the larger-than-life characters deftly drawn
in technicolour - they sing from the pages!' JASBINDER
BILAN

Marina lives in Merlington,
a fish-obsessed seaside town. Unfortunately, she doesn't care for
fish; she loves telling stories.

Marina finds her best
story yet when she explores the ruined, haunted pier: a boy called
William with a head of tentacles and crab claws for hands. He
has lived on the pier all his life, cared for by a fisherman who
has since disappeared and who warned him always to remain hidden.

Together, the pair resolve to unravel the mystery of
his past - but danger isn't far away ...

The debut novel by Richard Pickard, a fresh new voice
in children's fiction and winner of the Times/Chicken House Chairman's
Choice Award 2019.

A funny, dark, core middle-grade story touching on themes
of lies, storytelling, secrets, acceptance and, of course, fish!

Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of
Unfortunate Events and Edward Scissorhands!