Utterly spooky, spine-tingling and atmospheric, The Vanishing of Aveline Jones will be devoured by readers. This is the third book in the series but you don't have to have read them before reading (handy as I haven't read the second, but I will be now!).

Aveline and her friend(s) undertake a seemingly fruitless search for her long-missing uncle. A mysterious empty house, a cold murky winter, a terrifying fairy (we're not talking Tinkerbell here folks) and a series of missing persons all set the scene for a brilliant thriller. I thought the story was so atmospheric I could taste the warmth of the hot chocolate made for Aveline by her mum and picture the wind howling round the longbarrow.

Although I read this book around its release date close to Halloween I think it's worth a visit at any time of year. The length of the text will appeal to some readers as well as the story not letting you out of its grip for one page! Phil Hicks is one of the most entertaining children's writers out there at present and I would definitely recommend the Aveline books for school libraries.

This is a very spooky story with a great underlying message about not letting your fears from the past impact your present and future. I really enjoyed the nods back to the previous books. The way the book is written is a master class in creating a sense of fear and apprehension in the reader and it would be great to unpick in the classroom (or just to read as it’s such a good story). Also the start of the book, describing the setting, is beautifully written and shows so many amazing techniques that I will definitely be using it with the children I teach. I loved this book and know that anyone who loves to feel a little scared would also enjoy it.

My first foray into the Aveline Jones series was in September 2020 and it was my must read for Halloween that year at the Moon Lane children's bookshop I managed in Ramsgate, Kent - and it formed much of our spooky window display too! The cover artwork by Keith Robinson has a 'Nancy Drew'-esq style to it that feels so spookily retro, when all the best scary movies were made.

In the first book 'The Haunting of Aveline Jones', Aveline was haunted at Halloween in a seaside town and I've never looked at a scarecrow the same ways since; in the second, 'The Bewitching of Aveline Jones', she was staying in the countryside and discovered some very evil witchery; this time in 'The Vanishing of Aveline Jones', Aveline is beset upon by some mischievous ancient faeries that might possibly mean that we don't get a fourth book in this brilliant series in 2023!! Or so I thought...

About the book
What I love about these books is that they're rather clever. Aveline is a school girl who loves books, she loves to think outside the box, think of an alternative explanation. Hey, she's not always right! That's what her faithful sidekick, Harold, is there for and he has the best jokes (even the corny ones). Harold and Aveline met in the first book, and together they are the Doctor Watson to your Sherlock Holmes, who specialise in solving supernatural mysteries, usually in a race against evil to save themselves at the same time (pretty age-appropriate nail-biting stuff).

Aveline has broken up from school for the Christmas holidays and it's almost Christmas Day. Her mum, her mum's sister and Harold head to a village near Bristol in the southwest of England to stay at her Uncle's house while her mum and aunt sort out his belongings and the house sale. You see, Uncle Rowan disappeared without a trace 10 years ago...

There's a fascinating long barrow near to Uncle Rowan's house, an ancient burial mound, that seems to have kept him very busy before he went missing. Uncle Rowan is an archeologist and once Aveline and Harold find the key to his study (after a very interesting ghostly figure points to the hiding place in the dark of night) they find out that there is more to his disappearance than once thought. There are also some very unusual relics from the past that hold some vital clues... cassette tapes!

Finding a local blog about other unexplained disappearances, the kids decide to meet the blog's author for more clues, chaperoned by their aunt. The blogger turns out to be an 11 year old schoolboy called Sammy. Thanks to Sammy, the sleuths learn more about the long barrow and its connection to faeries (total tricksters), and that it's very dangerous. Didn't they know that long barrows are said to be "gateways to the dead"? What's more, faeries can lure people into their world inside the long barrow, never to be seen again... is this what happened to Uncle Rowan, and the others who simply VANISHED?

Aveline and Harold realise that it is the midwinter solstice the very next day, and that it will be exactly 10 years since Uncle Rowan's disappearance. The long barrow must hold the answers. One by one the children find themselves lost in a dark and mystical world filled with misshapen memories and visions, as they come to realise that they are at the mercy of the Master of Traps itself, Lord Hemlock, Lord of the Long Barrow... a very angry faerie!!

The clock is ticking as the sun's rays of the solstice slowly fade. Will Aveline's instincts save the day and release them all from Lord Hemlock's clutches? There are some SERIOUSLY gripping chapters towards the end of the book, as the mystery unfolds and the children fight for their freedom.

Of course I'm not going to let you know what happens, and I have left LOADS of juicy clues and plot moments for you to discover for yourselves, however, I do feel so happy that there is a very obvious hint towards the end of the story that there'll be a book 4... which means my annual fix of an Aveline Jones supernatural middle grade mystery is on for 2023. Two thumbs up!

The book features superb illustrations, and mood-setting quotes at the beginning of each chapter like: “Fairies are frequently described as being peevish, irritable, and revengeful to a degree” (British Fairy Origins, Lewis Spence, 1946), or, “Sometimes one may thus go to Faerie for an hour or two; or one may remain there for seven, fourteen or twenty-one years” (The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, Walter Evans-Wentz, 1911). So, are you a believer?

This is the third instalment in the Aveline Jones series. Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

Aveline's uncle's mysterious disappearance haunts and saddens her family. Almost a year since they last saw or heard from him, the family have decided to accept the news that he will not return and sell his house. Aveline, however, is determined to prove otherwise. She finds research inside his study that she believes are the keys to where he went and why he failed to come back. She follows in his footsteps to find him, but just might end up losing herself in the process, instead.

I've quickly discovered that the best creepy middle grade stories are penned by Phil Hickes! This is the third of his books featuring little Aveline Jones that I have read and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with all three. I believe they can be experienced alone or out of order and still be admired, but to fully understand the character relationships that feature they are best read in order of publication.

The gothic atmosphere pervaded these pages as solidly as in the previous instalments and I had genuine moments of fear, despite being far older than the target audience. The events here were, if anything, creepier than those featured before and I flew through this book to get to the conclusion and to put the eeriness to bed before I did!

This series has never disappointed me, and this third book continues that trend as we follow Aveline as she goes in search of her uncle whose been missing for a decade.

I don't know how kids, ever put these books down because I as an adult do not know how to put it down. This plot is engrossing and captivating from the start and how anyone after the second chapter can stop reading this book is a stronger human and reader than me. Atmospheric and creeping, this story grows into a rich and brilliant story from the start of the story.

Our characters are strong and well rounded and incredibly human. The relationship between her mum and aunt like a sibling rivalry, Aveline, a young and curious invesigator and Harold who makes one heck of a team with Aveline as they begin their investigation. Hickes has such a a knack for such genuine characters in these books and means I will read whatever he writes.

A fantastic edition to this series and I think the last of them, I love these books so much and I highly recommend for anyone of any age to read these especially during spooky season!

Thank you to Usborne for the ARC!

The Christmas holidays have just begun and Aveline is heading to her uncle's house with her mum and Aunt Lilian. After years of being missing, they are going to sort out his things, including putting his house on the market. With Harold keeping her company, Aveline is determined to get to the bottom of why and how her uncle vanished and why he was researching a an ancient burial ground close to his home as well as other local disappearances. But, by investigating this themselves, could Aveline and Harold be putting themselves in danger?

I've been a big fan of the Aveline Jones book since I read The Haunting of Aveline Jones in the summer of 2020. The deliciously spooky atmosphere that is built has always enticed me (I remember reading book 1 on a gloriously sunny evening and dropping the book in fright as my phone pinged next to me whilst I was reading it!). And The Vanishing of Aveline Jones is no exception. The opening page details the journey on the train and the description sets the tone immediately with 'black clouds billowed like clenched fists' and 'grim mires of water pooled in the fields' - it's not your typical Christmas holiday journey and I loved it! The atmosphere continues to build when they arrive at Uncle Rowan's house, with its musty, unlived-in feel and and then even further with the Scarbury Long Barrow entering the plot. I was definitely spooked on more than one occasion but felt an absolute thrill at the tension the Hickes has built, yet again in this book.

What I also love about this book is that there are some great nods to the previous books but the book can also be read without having first enjoyed books 1 and 2.

Keith Robinson has, once again, done a wonderful job with the illustrations, which further enhance the enjoyment of the book.

The Vanishing of Aveline Jones is brilliantly atmospheric and deliciously spooky and a book to read whilst curled up under a blanket as the nights grow dark. Publishing on the 27th October, it's perfect for Hallowe'en.

I really like the Aveline Jones books. They have some genuinely spooky parts in them.
This book is about fairies and is based on the older stories about them, where they are quite dark creatures who aren’t very fond of humans. There is a great old tale of a farmer and his dreadful fate to help set the scene, before Aveline and her friends find themselves caught up in a terrifying situation. Phil Hickes is very good at writing scary, tense scenes that set you on edge without going too far. Perfect for middle grade readers.
Another great instalment.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Phil Hickes is undoubtedly one of my favourite children’s authors at the minute. The Aveline Jones series is sublime: beautifully crafted, deliciously dark and entirely unpredictable. The stories are genuinely creepy and quite frightening, whilst still being perfectly suited to their MG audience. They are entirely different to anything I’ve read recently and it’s refreshing to read something which stands out from the very busy, and often quite repetitive, market of children’s literature.

Hickes is not afraid to make his horror, well horrific. He doesn’t tip-toe around his reader, but instead is clearly fully aware of how many young readers actually enjoy being frightened. His writing is beautifully atmospheric and the stories are a great length - long enough to world build, but short enough to be accessible to even the most reluctant reader.

The latest book in this series, The Vanishing of Aveline Jones, is another fear-filled and spine-chilling read. We rejoin Aveline and Harold as they search for her lost uncle, finding themselves entangled with some very dark and malevolent magic. It’s another suspense-filled story and I was gripped from beginning to end.

This series has been a massive hit in my classroom - one of the most in-demand I’ve seen for many years. I therefore cannot wait to add the latest release to my bookshelf. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a brilliantly spooky trilogy featuring the courageous and determined Aveline. In this third book, Aveline is travelling to Scarbury with her Mum, Aunt Lilian and Harold. Sadly, they are travelling to put her Uncle Rowan’s house on the market. He has been missing for some time and the family need a bit of closure and a chance to pay his mortgage. Finding a locked study door, Aveline knows there will be clues inside but finding the key doesn’t come so easily.
Making some thrilling discoveries, Aveline and Harold find themselves drawn into an inexplicable world where nothing is truly as it seems. Figuring out what is real and what is not will be a challenge for the duo as they try to rescue those in need and make their way home. This will be the biggest challenge for Aveline and there were times, I wasn’t sure what would happen next.
It is certainly a story to keep readers awake, worried, thrilled and expecting the worst but hoping for the best!


Haunting and spooky! This is an epic trilogy of stories!

I adore the Aveline Jones books so when I was approved for an early copy of the most recent book I was ridiculously happy and couldn't wait to get started. I curled up with a hot chocolate and was transported back into Aveline's world in what I feel may be the best book of the series so far!
Aveline, her friend Harold, her mum and aunt are off to sort and sell the home belonging to her uncle .. who has mysteriously disappeared .. or has he? Can Aveline figure out what has happened and bring him back?
I loved this story, the introduction of Sammy the paranormal expert/blogger was great and the Fae were delightfully creepy.
A perfect autumnal, halloween-y read for younger (and some of us older) readers who like spooky goings on .. I am now waiting, hoping, for the next book in the series!
Huge thank you to Net Galley and Usborne Publishing for the early copy.

What a triumph if a third book in the Avelind Jones series. I know lots of children who like horror stories and this is perfect. It gave me a few spine tingling moments of fear! Aveline and her friend Harold go to stay at her Uncle's house whilst the house is prepared for selling. Soon they find themselves investigating his disappearance and find themselves in the world of faeries. These aren't your flying fairies granting wishes, but malevolent, shape shifting, illusionist faeries. Aveline, Harold and their new accomplice Sammy have to use everything they know about the supernatural to escape from their underground dungeon in a neolithic longbarrow and take her uncle back home. A total page turner!

A book that starts off brilliantly, then proves itself guilty of some really weird decisions. Aveline has got her bestie with her when her mother and aunt sell off their sibling's old house – he vanished ten years ago, so it's time they got rid of it. When they finally meet with enough of his estate the pesky kids realise the uncle was investigating the local long barrow, and quotes from fairy lore every chapter break prove the hidden folk are part of the plot. But when the kids get sucked into the danger of the whole situation, WHAM there is a character we're supposed to know about, and only BAM then do we get news this is the third in a series.

What was so great was the build-up to the situation, but the fact this is happening a third time for Aveline and her friend is just completely ignored. And it makes no sense for the story to not mention anything about this before then. The news these characters are returning ones was enough to trip the reader up – the fact this is a recurring occurrence for these kids to find the occult dangers around them is really something that needed to be mentioned.

That mockery of logic and character aside, this is still pretty good. I didn't appreciate the second half, of the stumbling around searching for a way out, nearly as much as the slow-burn build to the way in, but all the same this works as a chilling fantasy for the under-twelves. Any older, and the amount of quotes about fairy folk will prove to offer little that's new, and you'd be demanding so much more given all the foreshadowing going on. This little oddity really makes some rum decisions now and again – three stars for that.

Thank you Usborne Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of the book!

Our late-night sleuths Aveline and Harold are back, this time wandering Scarbury searching for her lost Uncle Rowan and nosing through stuff they shouldn't.
They have a new friend, Sammy– a blogger who know quite a bit about paranormal stuff and local myths. With Sammy’s aid, the trio looks out for more clues to find Uncle Rowan.

Whilst investigating, Aveline learns her uncle wasn't the only person to go missing in Scarbury. There were many people before him, which the locals believed had to do with the Long Barrow- a place where faeries, not the sweet but terrible ones, lured humans and trapped them forever.

Long Barrow was a place where darkness thrived. People who entered there never saw the light again. Our trio ends up there anyways, searching for Uncle Rowan, but not without troubles. Unlike the previous book, this one has menacing faeries, instead of witches, trying to spook these kids by conjuring nightmares from their fears. They had a tough time trying to differentiate between reality and made-up things.

Lord of the Long Barrow, Hemlock, was the only faery prominent in the book. Others were mostly instruments of terror.

Even though Lord Hemlock was the actual villain, he didn’t outright act out. He was somehow controlling everything in the barrow, making the place a living character in its own right. That place was every bit forbidding, steeped with darkness and shadows, which only manifested his dark side. That guy didn't have to lift a finger to scare the trio, and that power was what the trio was more afraid of.

Overall, this book is a very short read. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a quick paranormal story. If you have been following Aveline's journey through book 1 and 2, don't forget to this pick this one.

Don’t expect a cozy, comforting, Christmasy tale when you pick up The Vanishing of Aveline Jones. Yes, there is hot chocolate, snow and promises of festive events but the darkness of the town of Scarbury is too powerful for even the merriest of visitors.

It’s nearly the shortest day of the year when Aveline, her mum, Aunt Lilian and Harold travel to Scarbury to sort out her uncle’s house. An archaeologist and fan of all things mysterious, Uncle Rowan went missing almost ten years ago. His sisters have finally decided to sell his house and deal with his things, meaning they’re almost ready to admit that he’s not coming back.

There’s something unnerving about Uncle Rowen’s house in its emptiness. Reports of ghostly lights at night and a study full of newspaper clippings and unusual finds sets Aveline’s curiosity alight. Where did he disappear to all those years ago? Should she try to find him?

Readers who know Aveline will know that the answer to the second question is an undoubted yes. The discovery of a local prehistoric landmark, stories of evil faeries and the upcoming Winter Solstice cause Aveline to throw caution to the wind and jump right into her investigations – with Harold following along trying to stop her from getting into too much trouble!

This is truly creepy book. Expect shivers and goosebumps as you follow Aveline into a world of tricksters, traps and torture. Once captured by the faeries of Scarbury Long Barrow, there really is no way out. Fans of The Chime Seekers by Ross Montgomery and The Clockwork Crow series by Catherine Fisher will love this visit to the dark, menacing world of spirits who despise humans and want nothing else than to punish them for their interfering ways.

Keith Robinson’s illustrations are perfect again in this third Aveline book. Shadows and shapes give clues to the danger that lies ahead. The faerie quote pages between chapters add to the atmosphere with wintery forests, ominous owls and hints that humans have always known about this other world yet never learn to heed its warnings.

A huge thank you to Jess Feichtlbauer & Usborne for this incredible book!

If you haven’t already, make sure you read the first two books in the Aveline Jones series:

The Haunting of Aveline Jones & The Bewitching of Aveline Jones

In the third book of the series, Aveline visits her uncle's home with her mum and aunt Lilian. Aveline's uncle mysteriously disappeared 10 years earlier - Mum and Aunt Lilian have decided to sell his house but Aveline and Harold wonder if they could bring Aveline uncle's back.

Aveline discovers that her uncle's archeological researches had led him to the village's Long Barrow, an ancient burial mound, linked to unexplained disappearances of other local villagers. Aveline and Harold discover that malevolent magical powers are involved and that they'll stop at nothing to keep their existence secret.

I absolutely loved this third installment. There is a lovely progression from the first two books while remaining a whole story very much in its own right. A reader picking up The Vanishing of Aveline Jones without having known Aveline before won't be lost at all and will quickly be drawn into Aveline's world. Spine-tingling moments crank up the tension very nicely as the story progresses. Aveline Jones is the prefect MG horror story for Halloween, with added elements of folklore and archeology that make the reader want to go and explore local history!

An abandoned house, missing people and spooky seances, and that's just in the first few chapters! Aveline's third adventure sees her battling to escape the clutches of the faeries, who she suspects are also behind all the mysterious disappearances that have happened in the area. Luckily she has Harold and their new friend, faerie expert Sammy, on side to help. Their friendships are just so sweet and strong, these kids would brave anything for each other. The villain is particularly sinister, popping up in many tales told over the years. The story is creepy and dark perfect for a Halloween evening!
I am now impatiently awaiting news of any further books as I enjoy this series so much.

Such a fantastic third book by Phil Hickes. I was absolutely desperate to read this having read the previous two Aveline Adventures.

I love it when a sequel builds on and includes characters and events from previous books, and The Vanishing does not disappoint in this regard.

Haunted with visions of previous adventures, Aveline, Harold and their new friend Sammy are working together to find Aveline’s uncle who has been missing for many years.

This is a haunting and spooky story featuring faerie folk, with their dislike of human interference. Recommended for 10 years+ due to the sinister (yet excellent) spookiness

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

With only a few weeks until Hallowe’en, it seems that all of a sudden many readers’ thoughts have turned to spooky titles and for upper KS2 you would be hard pressed to find anything more suitably supernaturally scary than the Aveline Jones series from Phil Hickes. With Books 1 and 2 proving to be enormous hits with many classes, this new title has had a lot to live up to and I was keen to see whether or not this would be another winning spine-chiller.

The good news is that indeed it is, and – if anything – is possibly even better than the stories which precede it, blending familiar folklore with a thoroughly modern adventure in a story which had me on the edge of my seat and will hold younger readers spellbound on the dark autumnal evenings to come.

It is shortly before Christmas that we meet Aveline once more, travelling by train to Scarbury – a village fifty miles from her Bristol home and where her Uncle Rowan lived before his unexplained disappearance almost ten years ago. With it now looking like there is no chance of his return, Rowan’s sister – Aveline’s mother, Susan – has decided to put his house on the market and so, together with Aveline’s Aunt Lilian and friend Harold, they are heading to Scarbury to set things in motion. Searching for the village on his phone for more information, Harold comes across the Spooky Blogspot – a blog detailing unexplained happenings of the area and shares its contents with Aveline but the train arrives at their stop before they have time to discuss it further.

Arriving at Uncle Rowan’s house, Aveline and Harold soon discover that Rowan’s study is locked, with no sign of a key and at dinner Lilian says that they will need to hire a locksmith to open it. After finishing their meal, the four of them sort out the sleeping arrangements and head off to bed. Snuggling down into her bedclothes to try to warm herself up, Aveline hears a long slow creak on the stairs and goes to investigate but before she can do so fully is interrupted by her mother coming to see what she is up to. Returning to the stairs later with Harold, she discovers a lump under the carpet – a lump which turns out to be the missing key to the study where they discover various newspaper articles about people who have gone missing nearby and photographs of the excavation of a local long barrow.

The following morning Aveline and Harold email the blog’s author to ask about the barrow. Meeting up with him, they discover that the writer is Sammy – a boy a similar age to them who warns them that the barrow is dangerous because of the presence of The Fey before telling them a local legend about it and taking them to see it. Heading back afterwards, Aveline picks up a flyer outside Rowan’s home advertising a festival at the long barrow and after persuading Susan and Lilian that they will be fine, they head back. But when they arrive, it soon becomes clear that none of the local inhabitants is at the festival and the contents of the stalls are not what might usually be expected. When she and Harold become separated, Aveline starts to look for him but before long she becomes lost herself and it is clear that something very strange is happening. What has happened to Aveline and Harold? How is the barrow involved? And will Aveline be able to find her way back, or has she too joined those who have disappeared forever?

While stories of the supernatural have always existed, they seem to be enjoying somewhat of a revival thanks to stories such as Otherland by Louie Stowell, The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery and Orla and the Wild Hunt by Anna Houghton, all of which have been published within the last 18 months. In all of these tales, those who the human protagonists have met have on the whole not been the benevolent Tinkerbell type of creature that I was brought up on but have been dark and malevolent individuals whose whole raison d’être seems to be to make life as miserable as possible for the humans who encounter them. Here, where for the majority of the story we do not meet any creatures, their absence makes them more frightening and menacing because we simply do not know what they are or what their intention is towards Aveline or anyone else.

Definitely a must-read for fans of the previous books, I would also recommend this to readers of the books I’ve just mentioned. This works very well as a standalone title and while I wouldn’t suggest this to more sensitive children, those titles all have scary sections too, making this a perfect follow-on read. Publishing just in time for Hallowe’en on October 27th, my thanks go – as always – to Usborne Publishing Ltd and to Net Galley for my virtual advance read ahead of that date.

Her Uncle gone.
A house abandoned.
Answers none.

Aveline Jones, oh how I love you! To say I’ve been counting down the days to reading this is an understatement…Aveline Jones is my absolute favourite Middle Grade spooky series and since the summer holidays, I’ve been obsessively checking Netgalley daily for an early copy having been uploaded. So when the news broke on Twitter that it had gone live, I was SCREAMING!
The Vanishing of Aveline Jones was without a doubt my most anticipated read of 2022 and I could not have loved it more! As with the two previous volumes, I devoured it in one sitting completely unable to tear myself away from the spooky mystery and atmospheric setting. And as The Fae are at work in The Vanishing, Aveline’s latest adventure is perfect for fans of Ross Montgomery’s The Chime Seekers and Catherine Fisher’s The Clockwork Crow series.

Aveline’s Uncle Rowan mysteriously disappeared without a trace over 10 years ago. With no sightings since or fresh evidence as to his whereabouts, the trail has gone cold. His body has never been found but Aveline’s mum and Aunt Lillian have reluctantly decided that it’s time to sell his house.

It’s the start of the Christmas holidays and not ones to miss out on a mystery, Aveline and trusty sidekick Harold travel with Sarah and Lillian to the lonely village of Scarbury, determined to find out the truth of what became of Uncle Rowan. It seems unlikely his house will yeild any clues – sparse and unlived in for years his few possessions lay abandoned gathering dust. The Police allegedly searched the house years ago, yet his study stands locked and the key nowhere to be found.

But supernatural forces follow Aveline and Harold around and they’ve barely had time to unpack before things start to go bump in the night. An unsettling encounter on the stairs in the dead of night leads to the key to the study being revealed. Aveline and Harold begin to sift their way through the stacks of information stored in there (at 3am of course!) and make the shocking discovery that a number of unexplained disappearances haunt the village of Scarbury, locals vanishing into thin air never to return. And they appear to be linked with the Scarbury Long Barrow, an ancient burial ground not far away – a site of interest it seemed for her archaeologist Uncle.

More digging through Rowan’s possessions reveal a collection of cassette tapes. Upon listening to them, Aveline and Harold come to the chilling conclusion that Rowan was researching paranormal activity and the tapes are actual audio footage of séances – Most Haunted eat your heart out, these are seriously scary scenes!

The creepy recordings are enough to scare anyone senseless but the pair are determined to keep searching for answers and the next day, they set out to investigate the Scarbury Long Barrow. Aveline remembers a spooky blog post about Scarbury Harold found on the internet on the train journey up and they decide to email the blogger – hopefully a local person – to see if they know anything. They get a reply back in seconds, sending a grave warning not to visit alone and agree to meet Sammy Adamu-Taylor AKA Spookyblogspot in the village. Sammy tells them a terrifying tale of malevolent, magical forces at work and implores them to stay away, but as Midwinter Night approaches, The Fae draw Aveline ever closer to a dark underworld that awaits…

Autumn has become synonymous with the release of a new Aveline Jones adventure and I’m truly hoping that there will be more supernatural mysteries in the pipeline with our favourite duo Aveline and Harold. I really love how their friendship has developed and strengthened, from shy, akward beginnings in a Malmouth bookshop in book 1 to the paranormal in-bestie-gators they are now 2 books on, they really trust one another and have each other’s backs.

Spooky Season wouldn’t be the same without Aveline and as the promise of another installment has neither been confirmed nor denied, I am going to treat myself to a re-read of the original adventure in the lead up to Halloween.

With thanks to Usborne and Netgalley for approving me to read an early copy of this brilliant book in advance of publication.

Thank you so much to Usborne Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Aveline, Harold, her mum and aunt are going to Scarbury where her uncle last lived before he vanished without a trace. Once the key is found to his hidden locked study room Aveline realises her uncle was a lot like her. With evil Faery luring people in or so the theories of the town go, Aveline, Harold and new friend Sammy get lured down into a deep dark path.

Wow another excellent and incredibly chilling book in the Aveline Jones series. This gave me chills from the first line to the very last line and it didn’t stop, it hasn’t stopped even when writing this review. This book was so creepy and eerie, so many turns and incredibly sinister and creepy aspects of the story. I loved it and ate up this book so fast.

I really enjoyed this book I loved that we went into a dark older mystery of missing people in a small town over many centuries, I loved that it had a personal connection to Aveline, with her uncle being one of the missing. All the fascinating tales of the evil Fae that live in the Long Barrow that don’t like when people interfered, that tread too far or disrespect their land. It honestly was incredible, taking you to this really creepy place. The things that the kids had to go through, it was intense and really horrifying, the bravery they had to find and the shear determination was brilliant.

This book was so chilling and eerie, it really was. It was the most perfect addition to the series, we got to meet new characters Sammy and Uncle Rowan which I loved, they fitted in perfectly to this world. I loved the mystery of the story trying to actually figure it all out and the deep rooted history of it all, set In yet another creepy historical sacred piece of land. It always gives you the right eeriness instantly.

I really got sunk into this story it grasped me so quickly and I devoured it. I love the Aveline Jones books they really are the best middle grade horror books. They are chilling, eerie, creepy and so full of mystery, wonder and evilness; all with the most likeable protagonist and her best friend. They always wind up on the most unconventional paths etching into the paranormal or the sinister and all linked to the strange and dark historical factors of the past.

If you haven’t yet read the previous books in the series then you really must, and you must read this one too. If you are already a fan of the series, then this one will be a new favourite. It’s so incredibly well written, so eerie and chilling, you’ll feel it in your bones how creepy this story is. It’s another incredible horror adventure with our favourite spooky lover Aveline Jones.