Don’t Let Them Leave by Mike Lucas

If you have an older middle grade/YA reader who loves horror, gothic dark secrets, ghostly characters plus mysterious and menacing ravens, then Don’t Let Them Leave by South Australian author Mike Lucas is definitely a must-read new release. This sinister blend of supernatural menace and buried secrets will stay with you long after the last page is read.

Set in North Cornwall, this chilling and brilliantly written novel opens with a disturbing prologue from 1855, setting the scene for the fate that will later befall three young characters in 1930. Charlotte, Jack and Emily have been left orphaned after a car accident claimed the life of their beloved parents. Thrown into a bewildering situation, the children are taken from their family home and thrust into the guardianship of their never met grandmother on the remote and treacherous Black Island.

All is not as it appears and narrator Charlotte, the eldest, tells the story of events through her eyes as the siblings try to make sense of their new life on Black Island. After a series of strange and frightening happenings, Charlotte leaves the island for a few hours and meets Barnaby whom the children befriended on the train journey from their home. It is at the estate where Barnaby works that Charlotte meets the local landowner who tells her the story of what happened 600 years ago to the children of the town. With ravens guarding the castle, a grandmother not quite what she seems along with an evil cat, the three children are thrust into a dire situation and must use their wits to escape from a place in which deep secrets are buried and where they are not allowed to leave.

Mike Lucas, author of Teen/YA novels What We All Saw and One By One They Disappear, once again captures the atmosphere of suspense, fear, and danger with meticulous prowess. His three young protagonists are strong, relatable, and resilient, each trying to navigate the terrifying situation they have found themselves in, with young Jack harbouring a devastating secret. Watching them face the challenges of their escalating and seemingly hopeless situation is a masterclass in tension and compelling storytelling.

A fabulous read. Highly recommended.

Themes: Horror, Mystery, Secrets, Family, Danger, Ghosts.

Kathryn Beilby