A spooky adventure set in Cornwall; Famous Five with a twist.

A long-dead Cornish witch to thwart and a curse to stop – it's just another family holiday. Orla thought she was in for a relaxing break, but when she finds a mysterious glowing necklace in the woods, it turns out there is a slight possibility she may have uncovered a witch's ancient curse. After meeting a coven of suspicious old ladies, it becomes clear that Orla's arrival in Cornwall is no longer a coincidence. The curse is poisoning the land and destroying everything it touches, and Orla is the one person who can stop it. But she'll need help from the only other member of the family with good instincts – Dave the dog.

• A witchy 10+ children's debut from Sunday Times journalist C. J. Haslam.
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• Orla is a budding conservationist and the curse in the book manifests itself through poisoned and barren land.
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• Has an incredibly appealing character in Dave, the grumpy Jack Russell who thinks he's a member of Special Forces. Orla has two older brothers and a newly acquired friend called Raven – together, they make a great modern-day Scooby Doo gang / Famous Five.
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About the author

C. J. (Chris) Haslam is the award-winning Chief Travel Writer at The Sunday Times, specialising in extreme adventure. He appears regularly on the BBC and has written three black comedy thrillers for adults. One of them, Twelve Step Fandango, was shortlisted for the Edgar Allan Poe award. Orla and the Serpent's Curse is Chris' first book for children. He lives in Cambridge.

Orla and the Serpent's Curse

By C. J. Haslam

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