Riverskin

About this book

Tess can only ever remember living in the turns, a network of tunnels below the River Tees. Aunt Peg is her guardian, but Unkle Darkwater is so dangerous that he’s chained in a pit and kept under control by slumbermix. 

But Aunt Peg is getting older. She’s becoming mind-slippy and mood-swirly, a bit like stirred-up mud, and Tess can no longer rely on her for protection. She’s also having doubts about her real origins. Unkle says Aunt Peg stole her and that she is as much a prisoner as he is. 

Dare Tess leave the turns to search for the truth? Can she survive away from the river? And, if she finds the truth, what will she do with it? 

This inspired debut has its roots in a Teeside myth about a green-skinned witch who drags people to their doom from the banks of the river, but offers so much more than a retelling of folklore. 

Using unique and compelling language to give Tess a voice unlike any other, Riverskin will drag readers into the world of the turns just as surely as any witch could.    

A remarkable book that is packed with edge-of-seat drama, nail-biting moments and mysteries aplenty.