Corny Scaredy-Cat Paranormal Investigation Squad , The

Eleven-year-old Alastair leads a lonely life in darkest Cornwall: his parents ignore him, his only friend has moved away, and he’s beset by a plethora of frankly embarrassing nervous conditions that ensures permanent ostracism from the rest of his class. But then who should arrive in the village but Saoirse, a new girl, cool where Alastair’s pathetic, smart where he’s perennially confused, unconcerned with school popularity contests and obsessed with unsolved mysteries involving ghosts. In her wake is her adorably potty-mouthed little brother Billy, crazy, reckless, a force of nature and a law unto himself.Everywhere he goes, Billy creates a hurricane of chaos to which he’s oblivious. Saoirse pressgangs Alastair and Billy into a team of wonderfully incompetent ghost hunters and through their adventure into the village’s murky past, replete with sinister sword wielding ghosts, Alastair is forced to confront his own shortcomings as well as his greatest fears.

A comic debut full of strong, memorable characters and a plot littered with twists and turns.