Lewis Watt is an ordinary schoolboy, living at the boarding school where his mother works as school nurse. But when his mother disappears, she leaves Lewis a letter which changes his life forever. Both Lewis and his mother, it seems, are connected with a mysterious African Tribe which has the secret of invisibility. Could it be that Lewis will develop the power to vanish?

Meanwhile the secret order known as the Light Crusaders wants to uncover the secret of invisibility. Dedicated to freeing the world of evil – by whatever means possible – the Crusaders believe that the power of invisibility will allow them to infiltrate crime gangs and stop all sorts of crimes. If Lewis and his friends are sacrificed in the quest for the secret, it is a price the Crusaders are willing to pay.

The Cursed is a high-action thriller for 10 to 14 year old readers with a touch of fantasy, plenty of intrigue and lots of twists and turns. With letters, historical documents, emails and newspaper articles sprinkled throughout, the novel has a feel of old meets new, and even a sense of timelessness.

An absorbing adventure.

The Cursed, by Michael Pankridge
Black Dog Books, 2007