posted on 15 Jan 2023

The Terror of Hilltop House by Dan Smith

The Terror of Hilltop House sees us make a welcome return to Crooked Oak where Pete, Krish and Nancy are once again on alert for yet another threat to the wellbeing of the town. This is the fourth instalment in the Crooked Oak series – two of which, The Invasion of Crooked Oak and The Beast of Horwood Forest, have already been reviewed elsewhere on the site. (You can also find our exclusive interview with the author on this link if you’d like to know more about him).

In the latest adventure, Pete, Krish and Nancy find their adventure antennae twitching when they read a newspaper story detailing the mysterious disappearance of a farmer’s sheep – seemingly turned into an unpleasant pile of bones and horrible gloop. And what makes this odd little story a bit more interesting is that the newspaper feature has been written by their very own English teacher, Miss Wan.

It soon becomes clear to our three amateur detectives that this mystery may well have something to do with slightly sinister Hilltop House which sits just outside the town and has some new owners. Talking to Miss Wan about her newspaper article the children discover that Hilltop is now being used as a pioneering centre for bio-engineering – although just what that really means isn’t at all clear. What, we want to know, is going on in the building called The Vault, into which no visitors are allowed to go.

In an echo of the classic science fiction story by John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, we discover that plants can be a lot more dangerous than we give them credit for – especially when they a ‘raptor’ plants, fast-moving, giant meat eaters!

When a storm hits Crooked Oak and the power and lights go out, Pete, Krish and Nancy are going to have to do something very special to save the town from the rampaging plants that have broken free and on the loose.

Of course, I’m not going to reveal just how this all turns out because you’ll enjoy the thrill of the battle that must inevitably take place. What I will say is that by the end of the story you might well want to make a hasty visit to the nearest garden centre and check-out what power tools they have available.

As with the other books in the series, this one is illustrated by the ever-excellent Chris King who provides a range of full and half-page black and white drawings.

The book is published in January 2023 by Barrington Stoke who specialise in stories for young readers who struggle with reading or are reluctant to pick up books. You’ll be able to order a copy from your local independent bookshop.

 

Terry Potter

January 2023