After Pia’s grandmother dies in a freak accident, the neighbors in her little German hometown of Bad Münstereifel glance at Pia with wary eyes. But then something else captures the community’s attention: the vanishing of Katharina Linden. Katharina was last seen at a parade, dressed as Snow White. Then, like a character in a Grimm’s fairy tale, she disappeared. Ten-year-old Pia and her only friend, the unpopular StinkStefan, suspect that Katharina has been spirited away by the supernatural. Their investigation is inspired by such local legends as that of Unshockable Hans, visited by witches in the form of cats, or of the knight whose son is doomed to hunt forever. Then another girl vanishes, and Pia is plunged into a new and unnerving place, one far away from fairy tales—and perilously close to adulthood.
Helen Grant Book order (chronological)
Helen Grant crafts compelling young adult novels that delve into the unsettling realms of supernatural horror and urban mystery. Her writing is characterized by a palpable atmosphere, drawing readers into narratives steeped in suspense and shadowy secrets. She skillfully weaves together elements of the uncanny and psychological tension, exploring the boundaries of fear. Grant's distinctive voice lies in her ability to unearth the hidden anxieties lurking beneath the surface of the ordinary.
The Glass Demon
- 416 pages
- 15 hours of reading
Grant, Helen
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
On the day Katharina Linden disappears, Pia is the last person to see her. Terror is spreading through the town. How could a ten-year-old girl vanish in a place where everybody knows everybody else? Pia is determined to find out what happened to Katharina. But then the next girl disappears...