Book description
Dido Twite is waylaid by her father, the shady Abednego Twite, acting
on instructions from his evil patron. Why is Dido so urgently needed
in Wapping? Why are King Richard's friends all accidentally drowning
in the Thames? How does hard-drinking Mrs Lily Bloodvessel figure in
this intricate plot, with her cellar full of sleeping guttersnipes?
Another rollercoasting story by Joan Aiken, in which Dido's scheming
Pa finally receives his comeuppance.
Prize-winning Joan Aiken was born in Sussex in 1924 and came from a
family of writers. Her father was the novelist and poet, Conrad Aiken
and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge, writes historical fiction for adults.
Before joining the 'family business' herself, Joan had a variety of
jobs, including working for the BBC, the United Nations Information
Centre and then as features editor for a short story magazine. Her first
children's novel,
The Kingdom of the Cave
was published in 1960. Since then she has written over 100 books for
young readers and adults and has been awarded the MBE for her services
to literature. Joan Aiken died in 2004.
