Rory has a secret that churns his stomach but if no-one finds out then it’s OK to lie, right?
Living in the quiet and uneventful town of Aberfintry, Rory tries to become invisible to avoid the bullies, especially the Goodman Twins, their father runs the town and they consider themselves having the same stature at school.
Up on the rocky ledge of Scrab Hill lies Hotel Grimm, Rory knows it’s there but the stories of its deathly legacy stop him venturing near the spooky hotel. He’s never seen guests come or go and the number of missing people connected to it seems to be rising and he wonders who will be next.
Zizz Cola is the go-to drink in Aberfintry, everyone drinks it. Rory unknowingly meets the head of the company and before he knows it his lie is out. It cements what happens in his life next when he is thrown into the world of fame and fortune – a blessing on one hand but definitely a curse in the other, in more ways than one.
The Goodman family have a financial hold on Hotel Grimm and seek Rory’s advertising genius to bolster their visitors. If Rory is to survive a request to visit the gloomy building, that he can’t turn down for fear of his life, he needs to do his research. What he finds in the library shocks him – disappearing guests, tradesman injured through no fault of their own, accidents galore and more are just the beginning of his investigations.
An incident in 1948 seems to come up in the limited information he can find but with the help of allies and the forgotten history books in the library, he uncovers some of Aberfintry’s history that’s definitely not taught in class.
Can he survive his visit to Hotel Grimm? What does the future hold for him, the hotel and the deep sense of dread he has every time he looks up at the looming structure? Most of all, does Rory keep his secret or does he confess and take the consequences?
Delighted to see a new revamped edition of the brilliant Mike Nicholson’s Hotel Grimm darkening my door and creeping its way into my world again.
With stunning illustrations by Jen Chennell, its pages will lead you on the adventure of a lifetime.
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