“[A]dventure-loving readers will find the developing friendships between the four children amusing and the mystery moderately exciting…. A jolly adventure story…”–Kirkus Reviews, review of The Case of the Smugglers’ Curse: The After School Adventure Club: Book One The second in a series of gripping adventure stories featuring mystery, excitement, and friendship. Joe can’t believe his luck when his dad rents a castle for their Easter holidays - but is devastated when his mom receives a better invitation and the trip is cancelled. Determined to have his holiday, Joe develops an elaborate plan to go with his friends instead. The castle is everything the friends had hoped for: a partially restored ruin with a moat, a Saxon chapel, spiral staircases and an ancient burial mound that gives it an air of mystery. But it’s not long before they hear strange noises underground and notice yellow eyes lurking in the forest. And when Sherlock falls through some rotten boards and into an old well, they discover an ancient box, containing a 200-year-old notebook and an incomplete treasure map. The race is on. The After School Detective Club is on the trail of Ragnar’s gold - a hoard of treasure said to have been buried by a Viking warrior and guarded by his demon hound . . . that is, unless someone else gets there first.
Ben was born in Leamington Spa in 1980, and developed a very early interest in things artistic, designing programme covers for school productions and even coming first in his local library colouring-in competition. From there he went on to study animation at Surrey Institute of Art & Design, graduating in 2003.. He then gained valuable experience working on Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” before moving to Brighton to work as ‘Head of Animation’ in a media company, focusing on Character and Background design. He was also part of the Animation team creating the BAFTA winning ‘Big and Small’ CBeebies website. Since 2008, Ben has been working as a Children’s Book Illustrator from his shared studio in Brighton and he also produces screen prints and digital artwork to exhibit. He illustrated ‘Callum’s Incredible Construction Kit’ which won the Bishop’s Stortford Picture Book prize 2013.
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