The Shadow on the Wreck

A mysterious figure on an old fishing boat, anonymous postcards, disappearing cousins — Mizzy is thrilled to have a new mystery to solve! The next installment of this charming series for middle-grade readers, starring a girl with Down syndrome.

Mizzy is spending half-term with cousins in St Jude’s-on-Sea: a seaside town struggling to accommodate an influx of refugees. When she sees a spooky shadow on a wrecked old fishing boat on the shore, she thinks she’s found her next mystery. But her cousins seem determined to keep her in the dark about their comings and goings to the wreck, and she’s left alone to help their old Greek-Cypriot grandfather Papou sort out his papers.

Then an anonymous postcard arrives for Papou, featuring a picture of the old wreck and the words WHAT REALLY HAPPENS? Mizzy must solve the mystery of the postcard sender and prove once again that she is the best detective in town.CLAIRE HATCHER-SMITH is a speech and language pathologist who has worked with children with Down Syndrome for thirty-five years. Originally from the UK, she now lives surrounded by sea on Vancouver Island, with her husband, their son and a Korean rescue dog. As well as writing, Claire runs groups for neurodivergent tweens and teens, focusing on self/other awareness, self-esteem and self-advocacy skills.