#Fiction

Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a roving band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns, eight-year-old Duck keeps her head down and her mouth shut. It’s a rollicking life, always thieving, always on the run – until the ragtag Crowns infiltrate an abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne and decide to put down roots. It’s all part of the bold new plan hatched by the Crowns’ fearless leader, Gnat, to ensure the Crowns always have a steady supply of food and money. But no sooner is Duck apprenticed to the kindly local baker than her allegiances start to blur. Who is she really: a Crown or an apprentice baker? And who does she want to be? Meanwhile, high above the streets of Odierne, on the roof of the unfinished cathedral, an old and ugly gargoyle grows weary of waiting to fulfil his own destiny to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this exquisite novel evokes a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and what it means to be rescued.

The little pup of Coming Home and the stronger, bigger, more mischievous Gopi of Finding Love grows up in the third book and has new adventures, new interests, a new dog-person in his life-the charming Nova-and brings a new family into the world. He’s also wiser – ‘I learnt a great lesson, which I want to teach my children. Loyalty to our humans brings happiness and peace into our lives.’

This third book brings to a close the endearing and heartwarming Gopi Diaries series-a series that has generated innumerable fans across ages.

Written in Sudha Murty’s inimitable style, these simple stories told from a dog’s perspective show us just why pets are so precious – for their love, devotion and boundless affection.

Ivy and Maggie have been best friends ever since they were born at exactly the same minute on Friday 13th - twelve years ago. They're always on the lookout for their next adventure, and, when strange and mysterious things start to happen in Crowood Peak, it's up to them to work out what's going on.

All the evidence points to the old house next door with purple smoke coming out of the chimney, and a new owner who looks suspiciously like a witch!

Can Ivy and Maggie solve the mystery of Hokum House, or will this adventure spell more mischief than even the Double Trouble Society can manage?