Stella, eleven, gets her dreamed-of adventure when something she should not have seen in the damp, dull hotel where she lives with three dreadful aunts on a cliff above Withering-by-Sea sends her on the run from stage magician Professor Starke and his thugs, eluding danger, making new friends, and facing questions about herself.

Originally published: Australia : HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited, 2014. Sequel: Wormwood Mire.