The Last Chance Hotel - Nicki Thornton

Harry Potter meets Agatha Christie in this bestselling magical murder mystery!Seth is the oppressed kitchen boy at the remote Last Chance Hotel, owned by the nasty Bunn family. His only friend is his black cat, Nightshade. But when a strange gathering of magicians arrives for dinner, kindly Dr Thallomius is poisoned by Seth''s special dessert. A locked-room murder investigation ensues - and Seth is the main suspect. The funny thing is, he''s innocent ... can he solve the mystery and clear his name, especially when magic''s afoot?''This mystery is a worthy prizewinner ... a jolly, atmospheric mystery.''THE TIMES''Thornton, like [Agatha] Christie, can turn murder into a thoroughly comforting bedtime read.'' THE TELEGRAPH''... all kinds of fun: a locked-room murder mystery paced breathlessly, but fruited with humour, poignancy and great character names'' THE OBSERVER''[A] mash-up of murder mystery and fantasy that celebrates food and cooking, and is full of great characters, plot twists and intriguing detail.'' METRO''Featuring magical antics, a talking cat and a locked-room murder mystery, Seth''s story reads like an old-school whodunnit with added wizards and spells and echoes of ancient sorcery.'' BOOKTRUST