The Haunting of Hindmarsh Hall

by Kate Gordon

In the small town of Table Cape Bay, Rocko Jarvis is the least cool kid there is, while his 15-year-old sister Pen is the exact opposite. With his best friend Cosmo he has tried everything to turn that around. A movie club, a Chinese Checkers club, a Lego club – even a pink polo shirt club. In a last-ditch effort to attract somebody – anybody – to join them, they decide to launch a Scrabble Club. At the ‘launch event’—which involves the two boys sitting at a table in the local café next to a handmade sign, hoping someone will show interest—they are shocked to the core when Mingus Reid turns up. What on earth could the second coolest kid in town want with them? Mingus, Rocko and Cosmo soon discover they are all keen fans of the Trio of Sleuths books. It’s a shame there aren’t any mysteries in a quiet little place like Table Cape Bay, otherwise they could become detectives instead of Scrabble players. A tired looking man takes up residence at their club table and starts madly typing, before introducing himself as PD Watkins. The renowned author is staying at Hindmarsh Hall—referred to by the locals as ‘the haunted house on the hill’—to write his next book, and overhears the boys talking in the café. Watkins is a frightened man. Instead of the quiet writing retreat he anticipated, he has barely been able to work or sleep. There have been weird noises, things rearranged, strange messages carved on the walls … how is he supposed to write another bestseller with all of that going on? The boys vow to help him uncover what is going on—he is one of their favourite authors after all! They soon discover that there is a lot more going on at Hindmarsh Hall than they ever imagined ... As they unravel the mystery of who is scaring Watkins—and why—The Secret Detectives Club is born. It won’t be long before they have more mysteries than they can handle … The first in a fun new detective series from award-winning author, Kate Gordon, perfect for fans of adventurous detective stories like The Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators, Nancy Drew or Scooby Doo!

144 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2025

About the author

Kate Gordon grew up in a small town by the sea in Tasmania. She is the author of numerous award-winning picture-books and novels for younger readers, including Aster’s Good, Right Things, published by Yellow Brick Books in November, 2020, which won the CBCA Book of the Year for younger readers in 2021, and was shortlisted in the Tasmanian Literary Awards in 2022. The companion novels, Xavier in the Meantime and Indigo in the Storm were published in 2021 and 2023. Whalesong was published by Yellow Brick Books in 2022, following Kate’s residency at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania. Kate continues to write novels and picture books from a cottage overlooking the river and the mountain on the Eastern Shore of Hobart. She has two daughters, an elderly cat and a very silly labradoodle.

Reviews

[Middle Grade Musings · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In my opinion, it’s the living you have to look out for.”

A new series with young detectives, mystery & sub 150 pages. I think Kate Gordon might be onto something with The Secret Detectives Club & I might’ve found another book perfect for the challenging jump from junior fiction to middle fiction.

Uncool Rocko lives in the small town of Table Cape with his artsy mum & popular sister Pen. After being bullied at his old school, Rocko is trying to turn his popularity around with a range of clubs that only ever have 2 members, Rocko & his best friend Cosmo. That is until their Scrabble Club attracts one of the coolest kids in town, Mingus Reid. At their first club meeting, the 3 boys discover their shared interest in mystery novels & bemoan the fact no mysteries lie in Table Cape. That’s when eavesdropping famous author PD Watkins, in town writing his new novel, shares with them a mystery he’d like help solving. Staying at Hindmarsh Hall, Watkins can’t sleep as he is being terrorised by weird noises, rearranged items & strange messages carved on the walls. Now it’s up to the 3 boys to help Watkins solve this frightening case. Will they unravel the set of clues & ease Watkins concerns or will the horrors of Hindmarsh Hall be too much for our young detectives to handle?

Well, this one I will definitely be promoting to my students, such an easy read with the short chapters & a captivating whodunnit plot. Students will be hooked by the fast paced storyline & element of spookiness that looms throughout. But it’s not just a story about the mystery at Hindmarsh Hall, it’s a tale of Rocko & his relatable journey to rebuild himself after experiencing bullying. His internal battles of anxiety, confidence & self worth will resonate with younger readers who also feel that little bit different.

Congratulations Kate on the perfect series for a primary school reader!

[Brenton Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Haunting of Hindmarsh Hall is the first book in the new series by one of my ultimate favourite writers Kate Gordon. The series title is The Secret Detective Club - and apparently, I hear, we will be treated to at least another five books. It's about a group of boys who are desperate to start a club - any club - when they suddenly find themselves in a mystery-solving club. Their first case is helping out a reclusive, mysterious author staying in town at Hindmarsh Hall - as it seems a ghostly problem is stopping him from writing his latest manuscript. This series is so, so perfect for kids who love mysteries - and who doesn't love mysteries? When I was 8-12 I would have eaten this book up for breakfast and checked the bookshops constantly for the next book in the series (fans, never fear - the second book is coming this year!). It is very Hardy Boys meets Nancy Drew meets Stranger Things meets Scooby Doo meets Trixie Belden with small-town vibes, lots of bookish references, a sweet and nice relationship between siblings, and, best of all, a gripping, spooky mystery (but never too frightening) that makes me want to read The Haunting of Hindmarsh Hall over and over again until Book 2 is released. In fact, that is what I may very well do.... The Haunting of Hindmarsh Hall is written by Kate Gordon, illustrated by Tamlyn Teow and proudly published by Riveted Press. I LOVE this book and cannot wait for more.