Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger..

I thought this was such a fun read! It is mysterious and atmospheric from the very first page, and has kind of a gothic feel to it. The setting was amazing - it really felt like a creepy seaside town, and the myth and legend around the town was really cool. I also loved the cast in this one - Herbert and Violet make wonderful heroes, and they come up against some fantastically quirky villains.

I sped through the story because I couldn't stop wanting to know what happened next. I'm delighted to see there are more books planned because I think we have a lot  more to discover about Herbie, Vi, and Eerie-on-the-Sea.

I think this would be a great for readers about 9 years old and up - while the issues are largely relevant to younger readers (friendship, fitting it etc) it is a little bit scary sometimes - it would also be great to read with younger kids, and would make a fun read-aloud too.
I definitely recommend picking this one up!

xo Bron

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