Catherine Doyle is an Irish writer of fantastic fantasy adventures for young readers. Her novels include The Lost Girl King, the award-winning middle grade Storm Keeper trilogy and the YA Blood for Blood trilogy.
Her work is characterised by an energy expressed in colourful language, well-defined characters and fast-moving plots. Scare B’n’B is the first in a new series that promises lots of mischief and mayhem that will keep young readers engaged to the last page.
Ted McKenley would rather live anywhere than with his evil stepsister, Frankie “spawn-of-the-devil” Stark. And Frankie wouldn’t go near a coward like Ted. Too bad – their parents just got married and blew their savings on Tartarus Hall, a creepy old mansion they want to turn into a boutique hotel. Unfortunately the hotel is haunted by the Duke of Snoring whose overwhelming ambition is to beat the Earl of Snyde Park for the coveted spot of Scotland’s Most Haunted Home. So when Ted encounters a disappearing housekeeper and Frankie runs into a screaming suit of armour, their feud becomes the least of their problems and maybe they have to join forces to combat the ghost infestation.
This is a glorious romp peopled by cranky ghosts and an idiosyncratic blended family focusing on Ted and Frankie’s struggles to prevent disaster striking the hotel before it’s even opened. They are helped or hindered by a laconic teenager brother and Nan, the devious grandmother who, I hope, has a larger role in the next instalment.
Animated cartoon style illustrations scattered throughout the text add to the fun. Ted and Frankie are interesting people and the blended family is drawn with affection and understanding. I particularly enjoyed the writing. Doyle can breathe fresh life into familiar situations with some original turns of phase.
Recommended for readers age 9+ who enjoy ghost stories leavened by humour rather than horror.
Catherine Doyle is an Irish writer of fantastic fantasy adventures for young readers. Her novels include The Lost Girl King, the award-winning middle grade Storm Keeper trilogy and the YA Blood for Blood trilogy.
