The Creatures of Killburn Mine is the fifth book in the brilliant Crooked Oak Mysteries series. It’s an electrifying, spine-tingling and action-packed adventure that kept me utterly gripped – and ever-so-slightly grossed out – throughout.
Unable to sleep, Peter Brundle witnesses a strange light in the sky in the early hours of the morning. When he meets up with best friends, Krish and Nancy, he tells them that he has seen a U.F.O: aliens have arrived in Crooked Oak! Krish points out that there is much more likelihood that Peter has seen something much more common: a shooting star. Another possibility is given by their physics teacher, Mr Bennings, who believes that a meteorite may have fallen on the moor close to Crooked Oak. He intends to visit the moor to find evidence …
When they meet their teacher the next morning, he tells them that he didn’t find anything on the moors, but he is acting strangely and appears unkempt. The three friends decide to carry out their own investigation into what may have fallen from the sky …
And so begins a thrilling, fast-paced adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat as Peter, Krish and Nancy begin to uncover the truth behind the fallen meteorite. Could their teacher’s strange actions and appearance be linked to something not of this world? And what horrors could be slithering deep underground in Killburn Mine? This mystery is brimming with danger, tension, unexpected and scary occurrences, and is deliciously spine-chilling with just the right amount of horror and creepiness for its audience.
The illustrations are brilliant and complement the tension and scariness of the story perfectly.
Another brilliantly creepy mystery for these three friends to solve, and definitely worthy of an entry on The Mystery Shed website. This is one I am excited to share this with my class as I have no doubt that it will be a firm favourite as I have lots of fans of middle-grade horror.
This book is published by the wonderful Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages. This one is perfect for 9+.
Thank you to Barrington Stoke for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
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