The Beanstalk Murder

by P. G. Bell

Overview

The Beanstalk Murder - a middle grade fantasy novel by P. G. Bell - involves a young witch in training, her archenemy, the kingdom of giants, and a huge murder mystery!

Anwen sedge, a young meadow witch apprentice, lives in a rural village that hasn’t seen giants since the Great Beanstalk War. So it’s quite a surprise when one drops from the sky and squishes the village flat. It’s an even bigger surprise when Anwen discovers that he was dead before he hit the ground. This is a murder! The only solution is for Anwen and her arch nemesis, Cerys (who’s the best at High Magic and won’t let anyone forget it), to send a plea for help to the giants’ kingdom, using a magic beanstalk.

But the beanstalk backfires, shooting the two rivals into the giants’ kingdom before crumbling to dust! There, they make a terrible discovery—the murdered giant was none other than the king. And the giants have no magic of their own to send the girls home. Trapped in the royal palace and surrounded by intrigue, Anwen decides to use her Meadow Witch skills to unmask the killer, despite Cerys’s doubt in her.

With the help of a few new friends and her reluctant rival, can Anwen figure out who murdered the king before the killer strikes again?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250864826
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	08/06/2024
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	484,370
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 5.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

P. G. Bell is a native of south Wales, where he was raised on a diet of Greek mythology, ghost stories, and Doctor Who. He’s had all sorts of jobs over the years, from lifeguard to roller coaster operator, but has always wanted to write stories for a living. He currently works as a library assistant for Cardiff University and lives in Wales with his wife, Anna, and their two children.

Editorial Reviews

"Many characters are not what they seem, keeping the mystery an intriguing puzzle. . . A wholly new twist on a classic tale." —Kirkus

"It’s a genuinely intriguing murder-mystery with a fantastic fairy-tale feel, and frequent fun twists will keep readers on their toes. . .A sparkling story with a perfect blend of magic and mystery." —Booklist

"A unique whodunnit with more twists than an old beanstalk. Truly genius! I LOVED it." —Sibéal Pounder, New York Times-bestselling author of Wonka

"Two giant thumbs up from me! Stacked with spells, suspects and side-splitting moments, Bell has written a brilliant mystery that will have you guessing right until the very end." ― Siobhan McDermott, author of Paper Dragons

Bell's newest novel is imaginative, funny and full of surprising twists ― The Bookseller, Editor's Choice

“Bell’s newest novel is imaginative, funny and fully of surprising twists…” —Editor’s Choice, The Bookseller

The Train to Impossible Places:

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

“All aboard for an adventure like no other—readers will be delighted to learn it's just the first.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A rollicking adventure . . . reminiscent of Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones. There is plenty of humor to season Bell's debut novel, and the characters and plot are refreshingly well developed and raise serious questions about honor and freedom. Fortunately, there will be more adventures in this first in a projected series. All aboard!” —Booklist

From the Publisher

2024-05-17
After a dead giant falls on their village, two human girls venture up a beanstalk and help solve his murder.

Anwen Sedge is a Meadow Witch who’s apprenticed to her grandma Eira, but she longs to do High Magic like her rival, Cerys, who’s soon off to the Academy of High Magic and who taunts Anwen relentlessly, calling her “ditch witch.” When a giant falls to earth, crushing their village of Old Stump, the girls attempt to send a note up a beanstalk to let the other giants know. But there’s a mishap, and they end up in the Sky Kingdom palace, where they learn the dead body was that of King Thibault. Giants and humans (or tinies) have had no contact since the end of the Great Beanstalk War nearly a century ago, but the girls are treated as guests by Thibault’s sister, the new Queen Flavia, and as ambassadors from the Land Below by Captain Cato. Anwen and Cerys don’t instantly become friends, but they rely on each other out of necessity. Cerys’ ability to use glamour magic and Anwen’s ability to communicate with animals prove equally instrumental, and the girls ultimately recognize and value each other’s strengths—and their own. Many characters are not what they seem, keeping the mystery an intriguing puzzle, and each chapter ends with a teaser that will make readers eager to learn what happens next. The minimally described characters largely read white.

A wholly new twist on a classic tale. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews