Demelza and the Spectre Detectors

Demelza loves inventing crazy contraptions like the Magnificent Belly Button Cleaning Machine and the Remarkable Robotic Hand for Homework Haters. For someone so scientific, it is a shock to discover that her beloved grandmother has an astonishing secret – she is a Spectre Detector, and can summon up the ghosts of the dead! Demelza herself turns out to have the same talent, but no sooner has she discovered her abilities than she is in danger: someone is kidnapping young Spectre Detectors. But who, and why? Can her inventions help her get to the bottom of the mystery?

This spooky adventure story fizzes with energy and humour. Many children from Year 4 upwards will find plenty to enjoy about this daring heroine and the world she lives in. However, it is advisable that, when recommending the book to children, adults remain aware that the topic of raising the dead with ritual practices may be unacceptable to some religions, and the topic – which includes parents trying to bring their children back from the dead - while handled lightly, could well be upsetting for more sensitive children, especially those who have recent bereavement or terminal illness in their family.