The White Rider

The second exciting historical mystery, featuring Tom Marlowe.

This pacy historical novel, with some references to slavery and Shakespeare's The Tempest, is full of dramatic twists and turns with one final surprise at the end. It would be ideal material for turning into a children's TV drama

An 18th century romp, packed with colourful characters, enough surprises and twists to keep the reader guessing and enough gruesome details and fisticuffs to bring the era to technicolour life

This book is super horror and holds mystery and intrigue

As clever and as tightly plotted as the first

This is a gripping thriller with a zesty plot

Chris Priestley has worked as a cartoonist for high-profile publications including THE NEW STATESMAN. Young Corgi published his first-ever book, DOG MAGIC!, which was shortlisted for the Children's Book Award. He has also written historical non-fiction for young readers. 
 
He is married with a young son.

London, 1716. The streets are full of spies and buzzing with intrigue. Jacobite rebels are being rounded up and hanged at Tower Hill, and on the outskirts of London the roads are haunted by a mysterious Highwayman known only as The White Rider; a robber so fierce that he kills his victims simply by pointing at them! Tom Marlowe, caught in the fascinating heart of events, is resolved to get to the bottom of them. With the help of his mentor, Dr Harker, Tom is determined to discover who is behind the White Rider's gruesome mask. But Dr Harker seems to be keeping secrets of his own. Who is the mysterious stranger with the Scottish accent seen at Harker's house, and why does the Doctor lie when questioned about him? Highly atmospheric, with a gripping plot this historical adventure will fascinate and engage readers.

Dog Magic!

Entertaining tale about a dog who can wish for whatever he wants - perfect for building reading confidence.

Imagine being able to wish for anything you wanted! 
Lucy has the surprise of her life when she releases a genie from an old bottle. Wow - unlimited wishes for a year! But wait a minute... Lucy didn't wish for dinosaur bones. And where have all the cats gone? 
 
Why does Lucy's dog Mitch look so full of himself? Uh-oh. It looks like a case of dog magic!

New World

A fantastically atmospheric and exciting historical adventure about an Elizabethan voyage of discovery to the New World.

Chris Priestley was born in Hull, spent his childhood in Wales and Gibraltar and his teens in Newcastle upon Tyne. He went to art college in Manchester and then lived and worked in London for many years as an illustrator and cartoonist, mainly for newspapers and magazines. He has written a range of books for children, both fiction and non-fiction. He lives in Norfolk with his wife and son. 
 
The Tom Marlowe Adventures are inspired by his own childhood love of historical novels. Death and the Arrow was shortlisted for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America in 2004 and Redwulf's Curse was shortlisted for the 2006 Lancashire Fantastic Book Award.

The year is 1584 and fourteen-year-old Kit is living by his wits as a thief on the streets of Elizabethan London - a far-cry from his early childhood, when he lived a privileged life with his rich Catholic parents, who died when he was very small. The memory of his parents haunts Kit: his father was executed for plotting to kill the Queen but went to his death proclaiming his innocence. When Kit meets John White, a mapmaker and associate of Walter Raleigh, on the streets and White offers him a place in his household, Kit accepts. 
 
Soon Kit finds himself with White on board The Tiger, bound for the New World as part of a voyage to found a new colony in Virginia. After surviving the many weeks at sea, a great storm and contact with the Spanish along the American coast, The Tiger finally reaches Virginia and the settlers establish a colony at Roanoake. 
 
Life in the colony is hard, the relationship with the Indian tribes made precarious by the aggression of some of the English colonists. As trading with the tribes break down and winter sets in, food becomes scarce and the colonists struggle to survive. And Kit's past comes back to haunt him when an enemy suddenly reveals himself . . .

Death And The Arrow

An atmospheric and intriguing historical mystery - the first in a trilogy of stories featuring Tom Marlowe

A thrilling story with lots of twists and turns all the way through

The descriptions of London are really creepy and will keep children gripped all the way

An excellent addition to younger members' of the family's libraries

Many twists make this story gripping and hard to put down

Fifteen-year-old Tom lives in the murky, sooty city of London, where he helps his father to run a print shop. Among the customers is wise old Dr Harker, a retired physician and seafarer, whose patient demeanour and fascinating tales endear him to Tom. When Tom and Harker hear a newspaper seller announce a most curious murder in the city, with the victim pierced by an arrow and left holding an illustrated card of 'Death and the Arrow', they are both intrigued by the mystery. As subsequent 'Death and the Arrow' victims are discovered, the mystery closes ever more tightly round the city and intrudes even into Tom's own life. From then onwards, he can't rest till he has discovered the truth behind the murders... A really atmospheric venture into the eighteenth-century, combined with a gripping mystery plot, will fascinate and engage readers of ten and upwards.

Billy Wizard

A perfect, funny school story which will charm newly confident readers.

A sensitive story about finding your feet and coping with aggression, and particularly notable for the depiction of father-son bonding

Author and illustrator Priestly explores sensitively, and with well judged humour, the developing friendship of Joe and Billy . . . This is a tale of evolving friendship told with warmth

Sure to strike a chord . . . [Chris Priestley's] wry observation that it's not just children who can be bashful hits home too

Chris Priestley is the author of three successful historical mystery adventures, set in the eighteenth century and following the adventures of a young boy called Tom Marlowe. The first in the series, DEATH AND THE ARROW, was shortlisted for an 'Edgar' mystery-writers award in the USA. Chris's first-ever book, DOG MAGIC!, was published by Young Corgi and shortlisted for the Children's Book Award. He has also written historical non-fiction for young readers. 
 
 
Chris is also an accomplished illustrator and cartoonist, whose work often appears in high-profile publications including THE NEW STATESMAN. He is married, with a young son.

The first day at a new school is often tricky, and if the only person who befriends you claims to be a wizard you simply have to make the best of it! Joe is pretty certain that Billy has, as the teacher says, just got an over-active imagination but when he witnesses some pretty odd events at playtime, he's not quite so sure... 
 
 
This is a really engaging book for newly confident readers, which perfectly captures the way young children speak and behave, in the classroom, the playground and at home. It's a refreshing new take both on bullying and on magic.

Chris Priestley

Fast and furious . . . An exciting and pacey read

An intriguingly dark atmosphere and chilling setting . . . Gripping from the start

Should stimulate interest in this exciting period. I certainly couldn't put it down

This thrilling story set in the 18th century is steeped in atmosphere and will give readers an exciting glimpse into East Anglia's Anglo-Saxon past

A brilliant story that comes to a shocking end

Tom and Dr Harker are back and this time their adventure takes them outside London. They visit a friend in Norfolk, Mr Gibbs, who has recently unearthed fabulous Anglo-Saxon treasures from an archaeological excavation. They are believed to have belonged to the East Anglian king, Redwulf. Local legend tells of a ghostly guardian of the king's tomb and a curse against anyone who threatens it. 
 
When not one but two murders occur in the household, it is hard to dismiss the legend. As everyone feels threatened and the atmosphere of hostility increases, Tom and Harker investigate. Discovering in fact that Gibbs' wife is behind the attacks seems to explain what's been happening. But then Tom sees an unidentifiable figure in the mist . . . 
 
An exciting and atmospheric story set in the eighteenth-century and delving into our Anglo-Saxon past.

Chris Priestley

Praise for Redwulf's Curse

Fast and furious . . . An exciting and pacey read

An intriguingly dark atmosphere and chilling setting . . . Gripping from the start

Should stimulate interest in this exciting period. I certainly couldn't put it down

Fast and furious . . . An exciting and pacey read

An intriguingly dark atmosphere and chilling setting . . . Gripping from the start

Should stimulate interest in this exciting period. I certainly couldn't put it down

Fast and furious . . . An exciting and pacey read

An intriguingly dark atmosphere and chilling setting . . . Gripping from the start

Should stimulate interest in this exciting period. I certainly couldn't put it down

Books by Chris Priestley

Series by Chris Priestley

Tom Marlowe

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