Cephas Catchpole is a young orphan in 19th century England, apprenticed as a chimney sweep to a cruel master. When he is mistaken for dead after an accidental fall and buried alive, he is rescued from his fate by two unwitting bodysnatchers. Against his will, Cephas finds himself drawn into the criminals' shady underworld and begins to uncover a murderous conspiracy involving medical malpractice, his mysterious parentage and the dreaded speckled monster itself - smallpox.
This is a gripping and atmospheric Dickensian tale in two volumes for young readers, filled with suspense, humour and more twists than a hangman's noose.
This is Book 1 in the The Curse of the Speckled Monster Series. See all The Curse of the Speckled Monster books here.
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Born on the stroke of midnight in a little house in the ancient Roman town of Caesaromagus (Chelmsford), John grew up with a love of stories, the power of words and the magic of plays on the stage. John trained as a secondary school teacher and was first published in 1983. Oodles of years later, he became a full-time writer. He's well known for writing to en
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