Manchester Book Award. 24 books. 1 winner. You decide.

THE PICKLE KING by REBECCA PROMITZER

Bea lives in Elbow, where it rains all summer. Most people leave to go somewhere sunny, but there are always a few kids left behind.

Already bored on the second day of the holidays, her friend Sam turns up at her house and drags her through the rain to see a discover he’s made in a creepy, derelict house – a dead man.

A mystery unfolds in front of their eyes, and with her gang of misfit friends, Bea must uncover the clues to find the answers. But they’re being watched and the more they discover, the more dangerous it becomes.