We begin in LONDON, 1774.

Twelve-year-old Lettice Breech is excited to visit Europe with her Pa, who is eternally fascinated by ancient objects. Together they’re going to admire breathtaking French art, astounding Roman ruins, and spectacular Greek carvings.

But their plans are dashed when part of a famous statue is exposed as a forgery, and Pa is thrown in gaol for the crime.

Pa has taught Letty how to tell a real antiquity from a fake, but she needs the other pieces of the statue to prove it. So she escapes to France with only a notebook of clues in her pocket, and her pet magpie for company.

Soon Letty is whisked from her quiet life on an adventure to bustling cities, underground mazes, and misty mountains. But can she unravel the mystery of the statue, and prove Pa’s innocence before it’s too late?

Penny Boxall is fascinated by all things 18th-century. In her museums jobs she’s helped look after William Wordsworth’s spectacles at Dove Cottage, Laurence Sterne’s porcelain cow at Shandy Hall, Mughal miniatures at the Ashmolean, and the Queen’s tapestries. She has an MA in Creative Writing from UEA and has published three poetry collections.

Number of pages: 320
Reading age guide: 8 to 12 years
Publication date: 13th February 2025
Publisher: Puffin
ISBN: 9780241657447
Format: Paperback

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