Paperback Books by Kate Saunders

'Laetitia Rodd is a warm and engaging heroine' The Times For readers of The Thursday Murder Club, M.C. Beaton and James Runcie, The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden is the charming third mystery in Kate Saunder's series about Laetitia Rodd, the indomitable Victorian lady detective. In the spring of 1853, private detective Laetitia Rodd receives a delicate request from a retired actor, whose days on the stage were ended by a theatre fire ten years before. His great friend, and the man he rescued from the fire, Thomas Transome, has decided to leave his wife, who now needs assistance in securing a worthy settlement. Though Mrs Rodd is reluctant to get involved with the scandalous world of the theatre, she cannot turn away the woman in need. She agrees to take the case. But what starts out as a simple matter of negotiation becomes complicated when a body is discovered in the burnt husk of the old theatre. Soon Mrs Rodd finds herself embroiled in family politics, rivalries that put the Capulets and Montagues to shame, and betrayals on a Shakespearean scale. Mrs Rodd will need all her investigative powers, not to mention her famous discretion, to solve the case before tragedy strikes once more. Praise for the Laetitia Rodd Mystery series: 'A witty, genteel tale of secrets, lies and hidden gold... Enormous fun' The Times 'With a well-crafted plot, an engaging protagonist, and astute nods to the literature and theological squabbles of the period, this is a perfect novel for a summer afternoon' Guardian 'A Dickensian glow pervades this immensely satisfying novel. Hugely enjoyable' James Runcie, author of the 'Grantchester Mysteries' 'Pure delight' Sunday Times

There's trouble on the planet of Yule-1, the real home of Father Christmas... The Trubshaw family are flown back from Earth to help out! Once again Jake and Sadie are transported to a place where elves and reindeer are their friends and everything is about getting ready for Christmas, the best holiday of the year. Hysterically funny, wonderfully bonkers, it's Christmas like you've never seen it before. With knock-out illustrations throughout from Super Star, Neal Layton.

M. C. Beaton meets Miss Marple in the second book in the Laetitia Rodd Mysteries, which sees Kate Saunders's Victorian detective on the hunt for a missing Oxford academic. In 1851, private detective Laetitia Rodd is enjoying a well-earned holiday when she gets an urgent request for her services. Mrs. Rodd's neighbor Jacob Welland is a reclusive, rich gentleman dying of consumption, and he wants Mrs. Rodd to find his brother, who has been missing for fifteen years. Joshua Welland was a scholar at Oxford, brilliant, eccentric, and desperately poor when he disappeared from the university. Friends claim to have seen him since, in gypsy camps and wandering around the countryside. But the last sighting was ten years before-when Joshua claimed to be learning great secrets from the gypsies that would one day astound the whole world. Mrs. Rodd travels to Oxford and begins to search for the wandering scholar. But as she investigates, Mrs. Rodd discovers something dark-and extremely dangerous-lurking in the beautiful English countryside. For readers of James Runcie, Alexander McCall Smith, and M. C. Beaton, Laetitia Rodd and the Mystery of the Wandering Scholar is a delightful new mystery about Victorian England and an indomitable female detective.

Jingle bells, Jingle bells, smelly poo and bum! You can wait for Christmas but it's never going to come! When a miniature reindeer named Percy falls down the chimney of the Trubshaws' holiday cottage, the last thing they expect is to be whisked away to the distant planet of Yule-1 - the REAL home of Father Christmas, the elves, and his intrepid reindeer delivery teams. And what an amazing place it is - nobody minds being stuck there until the computer system has been mended. But the festive season is in danger! One rogue reindeer has teamed up with the evil Krampus to sabotage everything. Unless Percy and his new friends can track them down, there will be no Christmas this year - or EVER AGAIN! Illustrated in black and white by Neal Layton, this is destined to become a holiday favourite.

Tom is in shock. He's just discovered that his dad is an escaped fairy on the run. Tom doesn't know he is a demisprite - the child of a fairy and a human - until he meets his three fairy godmothers. They've been summoned to protect him, but they can't stop bickering, and two of them are hardened criminals. Tom must survive their botched magic spells, learn to fly and enter the dangerous Fairy Realm to save his parents... From the author of BESWITCHED One of the most enchanting, funny and suspenseful stories to have been published for some time THE TIMES

A beautiful and heartbreaking novel from an award-winning author about a girl who gets swept up into an adventure involving forgotten toys, perfect for fans of Lauren Wolk and Kelly Barnhill. "A delicate, funny, poignant exploration of grief, love and memory that has the welcoming warmth of an instant classic."--The Guardian Emily and her sister, Holly, were as close as sisters could be. They did everything together. But Holly died three months ago, and Emily's world is shattered. Amid a sea of changes--her best friend is acting distant, she's just started at a new school, and she's been cast as the lead in the school play--Emily is surprised to find that she misses Holly's teddy bear, Bluey, almost as much as she misses Holly herself. But Bluey was buried with Holly, and there's no getting either of them back. Then one night, Emily dreams of talking toys, who tell her they have come from the toy world with a message from Bluey. Emily is convinced she can be reunited with him. But there's something strange about the barrier between the toy world and the real world. Not just strange, but dangerous--magic is spilling out, and it's wreaking havoc on Emily's world. Now she must decide whether finding Bluey is worth risking the lives of those she loves. "Deeply moving and highly imaginative."--The Daily Mail "Written from the heart and can't fail to make yours sing."--The Times, Book of the Week "One of the wittiest books of the year."--The Sunday Times "Suffused with longing and dappled with humor, this novel explores the limits of grief and the lasting power of storytelling."--Wall Street Journal "From whimsical comicality to impending danger...a standalone title, in which the topic of loss is dealt with deftly. For readers willing to let their imagination soar, this fantasy may be just what they are looking for, especially if they have experienced grief."--School Library Journal "An imaginative, magical story ideal for kids experiencing loss."--Kirkus Reviews "Wise in the ways of loss as Emily discovers that the route through grief lies not in escaping to Smockeroon but in engaging with the hard world, in the passage of time, in friendship, memory, and, above all, storytelling."--The Horn Book, Starred Review "A refreshing take on the classic theme of toys coming to life, with the residents of Smockeroon amusingly sassy and self involved. There is still plenty of warmth...while the magical elements cushion the heftier themes...A pleasing blend of sentiment and humor."--Bulletin "Saunders combines the hard reality of loss and the soft comfort of fantasy surprisingly well, offering unexpected humor in Smockeroon as well as sharp insights into human characters."--Booklist

For the 90th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh, a sequel featuring new stories and a new character from the Hundred Acre Wood. Now a New York Times Bestseller. The Trustees of the Pooh Properties have commissioned four authors to write in the timeless style of A.A. Milne to create a quartet of charming new adventures for Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin, and their friends. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall: take a trip back to the Hundred Acre Wood with a collection of tales sure to delight year-round. One story finds Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet on a quest to discover the "Sauce of the Nile" (they suspect it's apple). And in another, all the animals rally around poor Eeyore when he thinks he sees another donkey eyeing his clover. The winter story features a new penguin character, based on a stuffed toy owned by Christopher Robin Milne himself. Readers of all ages will love rediscovering old friends and making new ones in this essential new volume of Pooh stories. The book feature beautiful color artwork in the style of Ernest H. Shepard by Mark Burgess.

For fans of Alexander McCall Smith and James Runcie's Grantchester Mysteries, the first novel in a clever new crime series about Victorian London and an indomitable female detective. Mrs. Laetitia Rodd, aged fifty-two, is the widow of an archdeacon. Living in London with her confidante and landlady, Mrs. Bentley, who once let rooms to John Keats, Laetitia makes her living as a highly discreet private investigator. Her brother, Frederick Tyson, is a criminal barrister living in the neighboring village of Highgate with his wife and ten children. Frederick finds the cases, and Laetitia solves them using her arch intelligence, her iron discretion, and her immaculate cover as an unsuspecting widow. When Frederick brings to her attention a case involving the son of the well-respected, highly connected Sir James Calderstone, Laetitia sets off for Lincolnshire to take up a position as the family's new governess--quickly making herself indispensable. But the seemingly simple case--looking into young Charles Calderstone's “inappropriate” love interest--soon takes a rather unpleasant turn. And as the family's secrets begin to unfold, Laetitia discovers the Calderstones have more to hide than most. Introducing an irresistible new detective, the first book in the Laetitia Rodd Mystery series will enthrall and delight.

In this incredible, heart-wrenching story reminiscent of E. Nesbit’s Five Children and It, Kate Saunders illustrates the power of war but the even greater power of family, and the love that carries us out of the darkness of despair into the light of hope. The sand fairy, also known as the Psammead, is merely a creature from stories Lamb and Edith have heard their older brothers and sisters tell . . . until he suddenly reappears. Lamb and Edith are pleased to have something to take their minds off the war, but this time the Psammead’s magic might have a serious purpose. Before their adventure ends, all will be changed, and the Lamb and Edith will have seen the Great War from every possible viewpoint—that of factory workers, soldiers and sailors, and nurses. But most of all, the war’s impact will be felt by those left behind, at the very heart of their family. Praise for Five Children on the Western Front Winner of the Costas Award for Children’s Fiction ★ “An irresistible read.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “Skillful and deeply moving.” —The Guardian “A rewarding experience.”—Booklist “Saunders strikes a surprisingly successful balance between the mischievous magic of the sand fairy and the harsh realities of wartime England.” —The Bulletin “A dramatic, heartrending look at World War I’s far-reaching consequences for families and individuals.”—SLJ “An emotionally resonant, engaging story of personal growth (the siblings’) and moral education (the Psammead’s). With issues of social and gender inequality and a compassionate take on the ruins of war, it’s historically convincing, thought-provoking, and sensitive.”—The Horn Book Magazine

Jane is spending the summer with her odd new friend, Staffa, going to parties and wearing fancy dresses. Staffa's slightly scary mother, Lady Matilda, tells crazy stories, drinks a vile-smelling tea, and never strays far from a glowing painted box that the girls are under strict orders never, ever to open. But Jane can't resist; upon opening it, she is sucked into an amazing and terrifying new world so small that insects are the size of horses. Jane knows she must escape immediately or be trapped forever. But first, she has to wrangle a flying bumblebee, rescue the king, and free the people of Eck. Kate Saunders's The Little Secret takes readers into a wildly imaginative miniaturized world of castle balls, death-defying bee riders, and giant racing spiders. A world where wicked plots are hatched, exciting rescues staged, and where the power of friendship can be a match for even the most dastardly of villains.

For fans of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Oz and Lily’s magical chocolate-filled adventure continues in the sequel to The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop. In the wrong hands, chocolate can be very dangerous indeed. . . . Oz and Lily have a top-secret mission. Alba the witch has gotten her hands on a magical chocolate phoenix and is plotting to use it for some serious evil. With the help of an army of rats and an unreliable talking cat, the children must pursue her not only across London but through time itself. This might be their toughest adventure yet. Praise for The Curse of the Chocolate Phoenix “Saunders weaves the supernatural with the ordinary with ease. Readers who enjoyed The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop will not be disappointed.”—Booklist “Clearly, Saunders has honed her deft and breezy comic style while affectionately channeling mild echoes of Harry Potter and The Hobbit....It’s official: more magical chocolate equals even more perceptive and magical fun for all.”—Kirkus Reviews “Saunders’s imagination is out in full force. Hand this to readers who love adventure, fantasy, and Mission Impossible–type adventure.”—SLJ

Oz and Lily's family have inherited an ancient chocolate shop and they're moving in upstairs. It's the perfect home ... apart from the small fact that it's haunted. And then they discover some solid gold chocolate moulds - with magic powers! Soon the ghosts are joined by some evil villains determined to get their hands on the priceless secrets of the magical chocolate.

When Flora Fox's parents send their daughter off to boarding school, they have no idea that the train will take her back to 1935. On the journey Flora has a strange dream. She wakes up without her laptop or her phone, wearing a hideous uniform with ridiculous bloomers underneath. She is a new girl at St Winifred's, where the rules are mad, the food horrible, and the hairiness of the teachers unbelievable. Her 21st century manners will not be tolerated at strict St Win's - how will she ever survive and find her way back to her own time? But there is a special reason why Flora has been summoned to the past. It involves the tempestuous girl who becomes her best friend...

Oz and Lily's family have inherited an ancient chocolate shop and they're moving in upstairs. It's the perfect home ... apart from the small fact that it's haunted. And then they discover some solid gold chocolate moulds - with magic powers! Soon the ghosts are joined by some evil villains determined to get their hands on the priceless secrets of the magical chocolate.

Melissa Lamb and her cousin Ernestine are at the centre of the Wild Young Bohemians, an exclusive dining club at Oxford for the beautiful and ambitious. Melissa is in the grip of an obsession. Ernestine, however, mild and practical, does not see through Melissa's ruthless determination to restore her derelict family mansion - a Gothic legacy of lust, greed and death, with a spectacular secret that has slept for a hundred years. Melissa will let nothing stand in her way - until a vengeful stranger enters their magic circle. But he is only a catalyst: the seed of evil is already sown.

Having spent much of her childhood in the family circle of her loving next-door neighbors rather than the home of her cold, remote parents, an adult Cassie makes a deathbed promise to her neighbor that she will help the family's impractical sons to find loving wives. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.

Poorly equipped for the modern world given an eccentric mother and lack of education, four aristocratic sisters, facing a mountain of debt and a deteriorating family home, set out in London society in search of rich husbands. 17,500 first printing.

13 Old Noshie and Skirty Marm are the naughtiest witches in the world. A rich and mysterious old lady moves into the cottage in the woods and is buying everyone presents. She looks like a sweet old lady - but she is their worst enemy - Mrs Abercrombie.