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Salt
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Salt (edit title/settings)

by Helen Laycock (Author) (edit contributors)

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For Toby, a holiday at Pirate’s Cove is nothing like he expected it to be… With the help of Hattie, a strange local girl, her dog Scamp and Rufus, the intelligent rat, the secrets of Salt Guesthouse are unravelled. Why are there mysterious beach fires and eerie singing at night? What is... read more

Summary edit see section history

‘Salt’ is a book of fiction suitable for readers from 7 to 11 and consists of approximately 26 000 words.

It is set in the seaside town of Pirates’ Cove where Toby is spending a holiday with his elderly relative, Great Aunt Win and her pet rat, Rufus. Salt Guesthouse, where they are... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

‘Salt’ is a book of fiction suitable for readers from 7 to 11 and consists of approximately 26 000 words.

It is set in the seaside town of Pirates’ Cove where Toby is spending a holiday with his elderly relative, Great Aunt Win and her pet rat, Rufus. Salt Guesthouse, where they are staying, has a strong maritime theme in memory of Mrs Salt’s dead husband, Paddy, a sailor who died at sea. One of the nautical mementoes is housed in a locked cabinet for which the key has long been missing. It is a mysterious plate which, supposedly, carries a curse. One night the plate goes missing, though there is no damage to the cabinet.

Resident at the guesthouse is the elderly Mr Tinegar, also an ex-sailor. Toby becomes a regular visitor of his, fascinated by his telescope through which he can see ‘The Blue Rock’, the cliffs and beyond. It is from him that Toby learns about the local legend of Mary-Anne, which explains the strange singing Toby hears at night. But this does not account for the beach fires, music and dancing that Toby has witnessed.

During their stay, Aunt Win has an accident which confines her to the guesthouse. Toby, is, therefore, allowed to explore Pirates’ Cove by himself.

Toby is befriended by a strange little girl, Hattie. She has an uncanny relationship with animals and appears to possess inexplicable insights. Toby knows nothing of her background, other than that she does not go to school. She is always alone, save for her dog, Scamp.

The children discover a long-forgotten door at the back of Mrs Salt’s cellar and find that behind it lies a series of tunnels that ultimately lead to the caves at the foot of the cliffs. It is here that they overhear the grave forebodings of a strange fortune teller in respect of Boris, a scarred, unshaven ruffian. They later discover that this rough Boris has opened up an antiques shop in the town called ‘Cobwebs’.

Events take a strange turn when Mary-Anne is spotted in the town, as well as a friend of Mr Tinegar whom he understood to be dead. The children’s involvement in unravelling events gets them captured and they are kept in the caves with an outcast community who are involved in a ruthless money-making scheme. One by one the story’s twists unfold. There are life-changing surprises in store for both Mrs Salt and Hattie.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Toby: A young boy on holiday with his elderly aunt
  • Hattie: A mysterious girl with dark hair and green eyes who has a strange understanding of animals and knows things without being told
  • Great Aunt Win: An eccentric old spinster who injures her leg and is confined to Salt Guesthouse. She has a very clver pet rat called Rufus.
  • Mr Tinegar: Mr Tinegar is an old man that lives in the attic room od Salt Guesthouse.
  • Mrs Salt: The flustered owner of Salt guesthouse. Mrs Salt is a widow.
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First Sentence edit see section history

The letterbox clattered and Toby ran to the front door, leaving his unfinished breakfast on the kitchen table. He rifled through the post as he made his way back to the kitchen – brown envelope addressed to his father, white envelope addressed to both his parents, another white envelope addressed to his mother and a pink envelope addressed to...him!

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Helen Laycock (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
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Notes for Parents edit see section history

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This book is suitable for readers from 7 - 12

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