The Elemental Detectives

Welcome to eighteenth-century London, where there are four Elemental spirits that most humans know nothing about: the fiery Dragons, airy Fumis, earthbound Magogs and the watery Chads. Marisee’s grandmother is the Keeper of the Wells, and regularly talks to the Chads. But now she’s disappeared, just as a sleeping sickness overtakes London. The infected people breathe out a yellow cloud, and dream of everything they’ve ever wanted. But some are awake and chasing Marisee, controlled by a mysterious Shepherdess, who wants to find Marisee’s grandmother.

Twelve-year-old Robert Strong is a slave of the Hibbert family. Torn from his family on the plantation in Barbados, he is forced to wait on Lady Hibbert in London. When he helps Marisee escape some attacking sleepers, he discovers a world of Elemental spirits, serpents in the Serpentine and ghosts in Hyde Park.

Together, Marisee and Robert must find her grandmother and defeat the sinister Shepherdess. But what price will they have to pay?

Each chapter alternates between Marisee’s and Robert’s point of view, and the action never flags. This is an inventive mix of historical accuracy and magical elements. It explores themes of social injustice, such as slavery and poverty, with a clear eye, while the character twists and turns will keep the reader hooked.