Withering-by-Sea

Written and illustrated by Judith Rossell

Part of the Stella Montgomery series

An orphan uncovers a dark secret and must outsmart a sinister magician.

4.0 Goodreads · 2,152 ratings

288 pages· 46,813 words· Est. 6.5 hour read· 670L

$8.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In the dreary Hotel Majestic, young orphan Stella Montgomery dreams of escape. Her life takes a thrilling turn when she witnesses a dark secret, putting her on the run from the menacing Professor Stark. With the help of a mysterious maestro, his musical cats, and spirited Gert, Stella must outwit an evil magician and save his mistreated assistant. Can she defy the odds and find adventure beyond her wildest dreams?

From the publisher

A stalwart orphan sets out on a spine-tingling adventure in this wildly imaginative and darkly funny Victorian middle grade novel. High on a cliff above the gloomy Victorian town of Withering-by-Sea stands the Hotel Majestic. Inside the walls of the damp, dull hotel, eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery leads a miserable life with her three dreadful aunts. Stella dreams of adventuring on the Amazon—or anyplace, really, as long as it isn’t this dreary town where nothing ever happens. Then one night Stella sees something she shouldn’t have. Soon she finds herself on the run from terrifying Professor Stark and his gang of thugs. But how can one young girl outwit an evil magician, much less rescue his poor, mistreated assistant? With the help of a mysterious maestro, his musical cats, and a lively girl named Gert, Stella Montgomery sets out to do the impossible.

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