The Catchpole Curse

Teenagers Ben and Emma share many things with their ancestors, including twins’ communication skills and a curse that has blighted the family for 200 years. And this summer, it seems the curse will exact its final revenge – the destitute Catchpoles will have to sell their beloved Cornish home, Penrose. A fall down an abandoned cliff-top mineshaft brings Ben and Emma face to face with the ghosts of their ancestral twins. They time slip back to the 19th century and are forced by ruthless smugglers to help bring a cargo ashore, which, they discover, contains something far more valuable than merely brandy barrels. At the critical moment, soldiers ambush the smugglers, whose leader, convinced that the Catchpoles betrayed them, curses the family. Ben and Emma come back to the present day and into a media frenzy. They have to contend with a muckraking journalist, a vengeful family descended from the smugglers, an armed robber and parents who don’t understand. The Catchpoles will have to pull together if they are to have any hope of clearing their family’s name and saving Penrose – and reconciling with the family that once cursed their name. The Catchpole Curse is a fast-paced time-slip fantasy that will be enjoyed by children aged 11-14 years. Set in the idyllic Cornish countryside, this book mixes the surreal with the modern day to take the reader on a unique adventure through the Catchpoles’ family history and turbulent present day struggles.