Books with author Joan Aiken

Dido Twite’s sharp wits are put to the test in this new adventure in the Wolves Chronicles. After King Richard dies, Dido’s good pal Simon is put on the English throne, but he hates being cooped up in drafty St. James Palace, and his crusty old advisors won’t let him have any fun at all. If only another descendent of the king could be found, Simon would gladly be replaced. Never short a solution, Dido discovers a lead to another member of the royal line. But no one knows exactly who—or where—the child is.The masterful storyteller Joan Aiken once again invites readers into a spellbinding world of magic, mystery, and mayhem—with a dose of “proper” English hilarity, of course.

After visiting his family in England, Felix is on his way back to Spain when he's shipwrecked off the coast of France. He is taken in by monks to recover from his ordeal--but it soon becomes clear to him that he is actually being held prisoner. Felix encounters an injured boy, Juan, on the grounds of the monastery and saves him from death. The two boys escape and continue on to Spain together--but a gang is pursuing Juan, and the journey is more dangerous than they imagined.

This eagerly awaited addition to Joan Aiken's award-winning Wolves series takes us on Dido's most imaginative adventure yet!Dido Twite has been sailing the high seas, chasing after Lord Herodsfoot, who is scouring the globe for new and interesting games. Now he's needed back in London, in the hope that his games will help King James, who is lying ill and wretched with a mysterious disease no doctor can cure. Dido's search has taken her to Aratu, a mysterious spice island where foreigners seldom venture--maybe because of the deadly pearl snakes and sting monkeys there.When Dido lands at Aratu, she realizes that there is something even more dangerous than poisonous snakes on the island. She soon makes friends among the Forest People and learns of a plot to overthrow the island's king, who lives--deaf and sick--at his palace on the Cliffs of Death. Will Dido and her friends be able to reach him in time?

Dido Twite is aboard the Thrush, trying to return to England after her adventures in America. But orders have been sent to find Lord Herodsfoot, said to be on Aratu, the Pacific 'Island of the Pearl Snakes'. Snakes are the least of Dido's worries as she and her companions struggle through the jungle. On Aratu she is helped by spirit magic but also meets settlers who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. And what is this strange royal residence called Limbo Lodge

Dark family secrets can be murder . . .'Joan Aiken's triumph with this genre is that she does it so much better than others' New York Times Book ReviewMarried to an ambitious but feckless architect and living in the pretentious show home they can ill afford, Jane is forced to return to work, leaving her children in the care of a less than reassuring childminder. As the weeks pass, her disintegrating marriage and the discovery of her husband's secrets lead Jane into a battle to save both herself and her children from an explosive summer of hatred, jealousy - and murder.This claustrophobic thriller, based on events from the author's own life and her struggles as a young widow, marries the desperate ring of truth with all the added horror of Joan Aiken's gothic imagination.

The Children Of London Are VanishingNo one knows why, so Is Twite, younger sister of Dido Twite (from Dido and Pa and Nightbirds on Nantucket), sets out to discover the whereabouts of Arun, her cousin, and Davie, the king's only son -- both missing.Is soon finds herself aboard a secret midnight train heading north to Playland, a place of fun and frolic and dancing every night, or so they say....Instead of fun, Is is heading straight into horrible, horrible danger...and exciting, terrifying adventure!From the Trade Paperback edition.

Wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie's parents leave Willoughby Chase for a sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture is sold, and Bonnie and Sylvia are sent to a prison-like orphan school. It seems as if the endless hours of drudgery will never cease.With the help of Simon the gooseboy and his flock, they escape. But how will they ever get Willoughby Chase free from the clutches of the evil Miss Slighcarp?