Comic-book courage, real-world crime: a boy and his eccentric senior crew bust a seaside smuggling ring in this warm, quirky middle-grade mystery.

 Roland Bickering-Jones likes facts, lists, and things that make sense. He likes them a lot. Which is tricky, because ever since his mum died, nothing makes sense at all. He also has a passion for an obscure comic book series. In “The Adventures of Squidape,” the hero, a half-squid, half-ape character, always outsmarts the villains and Roland dreams of being as brave.

His dad, Digby, runs a second-hand shop, and the best part of the day is when Roland gets to spend time with his favourite customers: a quirky group of elderly people known as The Collectors. When Roland spirals into magical thinking, trying to rationalise the loss of his mother by imagining she is on a secret mission, one of their elderly friends suggest Digby take him to Yumpy for a beachfront holiday.

But the quiet seaside town is hiding a big secret: a suspicious antiques shop called The Itchy Fingers Emporium, run by people who seem very friendly. When Roland recognises an object he knows was stolen from one of The Collectors, he soon discovers that paying attention can be a superpower, and that Squidape isn’t the only hero in town!

ISBN 9781923676046

Format: Paperback

Release date: 28/07/2026