When Shane’s dad buys an old, long-closed bush school, he takes Shane to live there. They are going to build a house and plant grape vines.
But there is something strange about the school and its neighbours. Clarrie Johnson, who owns the neglected farm next door, seems to be watching them, turning up at unexpected times. Clarrie’s daughter, Ellie, is even stranger. She spends her time walking a doll in a pram up and down the dirt road that runs past the school.
Shane’s worries grow when the school building burns down and a body is found within. Is he safe alone there when his father is off working?
Cadaver Dog is a well told mystery which will appeal to readers aged twelve to fifteen. Part of Lothian’s Crime Waves series, it mixes supense with a solid, readable story.
Alan Horsfield has written several children’s and YA books. He lives in Fiji.
Cadaver Dog, by Alan Horsfield
Lothian, 2003