Solomon's Magpie

With Solomon's Magpie Robert Crompton returns to his favourite haunts in Cheshire to disentangle a story told by Solomon Whitaker, boatman, basket-maker and brewer. Solomon heard the tale from his mother and he went to the trouble of learning to read and write so that he could set it down.

Generations later, fifteen-year-old Judy Whitaker must try to create a readable version of the story for her family. But there's a problem - a large portion of it is missing, and it is clearly the most important part. Supported by her unlikely friendships with Twirl and Tracey, Judy fills in the gaps herself. Nobody believes her, however, because she is a compulsive spinner of yarns and teller of tall tales.

Nobody will be sure of what happened unless the missing pages are found - and with them Solomon's Magpie.