Following Frankenstein

Maggie has grown up distinctly neglected by her distracted father, who has a disturbing obsession. He’s consumed with the idea that he can solve the mysteries surrounding the work of Frankenstein and bring them to the attention of the world.

When he decides to set sail (in a boat called the Moby Dick), following a lead that he believes will finally take him to the scientist’s legendary creation, Maggie fears for his safety and stows aboard. With her precious pet mouse Victor at her side (or rather in her pocket), Maggie’s journey is to be a long and perilous one – and when they find the famous "monster", he is not what anyone expected…

This is a gripping adventure, packed with drama and tinged with sadness and poignancy. As the name suggests, this is a lot more than a nod towards the Mary Shelley book; in fact, it represents almost a sequel. Woven into its fabric are also little fragments of other literary works, and yet all the while the book maintains a very modern appeal. The blend of fact and fiction is ingenious and, perhaps equally powerful, are the acknowledgements, in which the author discusses the book’s overriding message about 'otherness' and the potentially risky business of exploring a classic with elements that are inherently problematic.

A thrilling, unusual and highly intriguing Gothic adventure story.