Synopses & Reviews
“Grabs at the reader with hooked talons.”Eoin Colfer
A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitchand he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed ofa safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who trades peoples deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlows job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: The Black Book of Secrets.
Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experiences or future interactions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.
Born in London, F.E. Higgins moved to Ireland at the age of seven. After attending university in Dublin, she returned to England, and now lives in a house that dates back to the 15th century in a small village in rural Kent. The Black Book of Secrets is her first novel.
Review
"The story's vaguely Dickensian atmosphere is exquisite....[A] smart, peculiarly thrilling book that is sure to appeal to readers ready to sidestep the goody-goody Harry Potters of adventure fiction." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Strongly seasoned with details of nineteenth-century oddities, the story abounds with puzzles, quirks, and enticing disclosures." Horn Book Magazine
Review
"Higgins creates a fascinating novel peopled with colorful characters and imbued with clever plot twists. The reader's interest is sustained throughout the book, and the novel's climax is both excellent and surprising." VOYA
Review
"Though set in an alternate universe, the tale closes with historical notes on the Victorian-style horrors mentioned or committed. The parts don't hang together at all, but readers may enjoy many of them individually." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Higgins' debut novel is a page-turning mystery brimming with humor and originality. The ending hints of a sequel, which is good news for anyone lucky enough to read this unusual and absorbing book." Children's Literature
Review
"Wonderful. Anyone looking for the next big thing has come to the right place. Higgins has created a uniquely grim fantasy world that more than holds its own with Dickens or Peake. Her characters are brilliantly realized and the story grabs at the reader with hooked talons." Eoin Colfer, bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series
Synopsis
Running from his past, young Ludlow Fitch is hired as the assistant to a mysterious pawnbroker who trades dark secrets for cash. Ludlow's job is to transcribe the confessions in the Black Book of Secrets. What the pawnbroker doesn't know is that his new apprentice may have the most troubling secret of all.
Synopsis
A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to a mysterious pawnbroker who trades people's deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlow's job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome:
The Black Book of Secrets.
Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experiences or future intentions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.
Synopsis
“I have a dreadful confession . . .” A pawnbroker of secrets and his young assistant hold the key to unlocking the mystery behind a villages evil tyrant in this spine-tingling debut.
Synopsis
A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch, and he is running from a most terrible past. In this village is the life he has dreamed of: a safe place to live and a job, as the assistant to a mysterious pawnbroker who buys peoples deepest, darkest secrets. Ludlow transcribes the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: the Black Book of Secrets. He yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experiences or future intentions. But what the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.
Synopsis
A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch—and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of—a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to a mysterious pawnbroker who trades peoples deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlows job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome:
The Black Book of Secrets.
Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experiences or future intentions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.
About the Author
F.E. Higgins is the author of The Bone Magician and The Eyeball Collector. As a child, she once saw a ghostly apparition, and ever since then, she has been fascinated by the macabre. She travels the world, collecting strange artifacts and stranger stories. Born in London, F.E. Higgins now lives in a haunted house that dates back to the fifteenth century, in a small village in rural Kent.