The cottage was desolate, even dilapidated, but it had an air of mystery about it that attracted Tim and his sister, Jane. So the two of them set to work convincing their mother to forget the rest of their vacation plans and stop right here. And to their everlasting surprise, and regret, she agreed.
For there was something menacing about Yaxley's cottage. No one had set foot in the place for seven years, not since old Yaxley, the owner, had stepped out and never came back. Where had he gone? What had happened to him? Tim and Jane thouhgt it might be fun to find out. But the neighbors didn't.
Then one day, someone does return, Not Yaxley, but his cat. The cat knows something. And it's out for revenge.
This author spins a web of terror, guilt, and deceit in this gripping novel about one family's voyage into a night and nightmare they will never forget.
Great book--will keep you turning the pages and checking to see if the door is locked.
For there was something menacing about Yaxley's cottage. No one had set foot in the place for seven years, not since old Yaxley, the owner, had stepped out and never came back. Where had he gone? What had happened to him? Tim and Jane thouhgt it might be fun to find out. But the neighbors didn't.
Then one day, someone does return, Not Yaxley, but his cat. The cat knows something. And it's out for revenge.
This author spins a web of terror, guilt, and deceit in this gripping novel about one family's voyage into a night and nightmare they will never forget.
Great book--will keep you turning the pages and checking to see if the door is locked.
Robert Westall weaves an unexpected spooky tale of a holiday (vaction) gone wrong, that will keep the pages turning.
Yaxley's Cat is written in third person, over the shoulder of Rose, the mother of two precocious children, Tim and Jane. The story really begins rolling as Rose abandons the carefully arranged vacation plans laid by her absent husband, Phillip, to rent a primitive beach house that hasn't been lived in for seven years. The precocious children, who often seem less like children, and Rose accidentily dig into the mystery of where Mr. Yaxley has gone without his watch, boots and his little fortune. The more pages that turn to the left, the more we find the quaint little village and it's villagers to be menacing and even a bit spooky. Westall's characters are largely believable and the mystery of the story keeps the pages turning.
For an adult looking for a quick and mildly spooky read, or for mature young adults (there are some concepts that some parents may find objectionable), "Yaxley's Cat" is a worthwhile page-turner.
Yaxley's Cat is written in third person, over the shoulder of Rose, the mother of two precocious children, Tim and Jane. The story really begins rolling as Rose abandons the carefully arranged vacation plans laid by her absent husband, Phillip, to rent a primitive beach house that hasn't been lived in for seven years. The precocious children, who often seem less like children, and Rose accidentily dig into the mystery of where Mr. Yaxley has gone without his watch, boots and his little fortune. The more pages that turn to the left, the more we find the quaint little village and it's villagers to be menacing and even a bit spooky. Westall's characters are largely believable and the mystery of the story keeps the pages turning.
For an adult looking for a quick and mildly spooky read, or for mature young adults (there are some concepts that some parents may find objectionable), "Yaxley's Cat" is a worthwhile page-turner.
