Crookhaven The School for Thieves

Crookhaven is criminally good fun! * Nicki Thornton, author of The Last Chance Hotel *Lively storytelling for, well, yes, fans of Harry Potter. – Nicolette Jones * Sunday Times *With its Robin Hood vibes, themes of family and friendship, and exploration of what it really means to do good, Crookhaven is a thrilling, escapist adventure full of secrets and skulduggery, and with an imaginative power that marks out an exciting and empathetic new voice in children’s fiction. It would be a crime to miss the fun! – Pam Norfolk * Lancashire Evening Post *Gabriel Avery is a pickpocket, and a very good one at that. Crookhaven is a school teaching criminal skills from lock picking to forgery and, when the head spots his talents, he’s invited to join. His unorthodox education also leads to him uncovering some surprising family secrets. * The Daily Express *This debut puts a lovely new spin on the classic school story, offering a strong sense of community and togetherness in the face of adversity. It will tickle and thrill young miscreants of ten and up. – Philip Womack * Literary Review *

J.J. Arcanjo is a half-Portuguese, half-English writer who grew up between the Algarve and Devon. He has a masters in Creative Writing and Publishing from City University, London, and currently works in the editorial department at Bloomsbury Publishing. He’s previously had two adult crime novels published by HQ digital.

He spent the early years of his childhood in Portugal and when he moved to the UK learned English through reading - instilling the importance of books in him from a young age.