The House in Cornwall by Noel Streatfield, introduced by Lucy Mangan

The House in Cornwall is a forgotten children’s classic, first published in 1939 as a serialised story in The Girl’s Own Paper – a thrilling mystery/adventure, written in typical Streatfeild style.

But unlike other similar novels of the era, this book is fast-paced and full of suspense, intrigue and drama – with the added delight that girls are as key to the plot as the boys.

It tells the story of one summer holiday in the life of the four Chandler children, who have been shipped off to stay with an uncle in Tregon Hall – a grand old house in Cornwall.
Uncle Murdock, of course, turns out to be neither kindly nor eccentric, and when the siblings discover that they are prisoners in their seaside home, and hear the unmistakable sobs of a crying child at night, adventures ensue...

With danger, secrets and revolution, this book is a great thriller for children aged 8 and up – and older readers too! It is vintage in style, yet easy to read and a real page-turner, even 85 years after it was first published.

To showcase this wonderful book, we commissioned the writer and acclaimed Guardian journalist Lucy Mangan to pen a new introduction – she is a longtime fan of Noel Streatfeild and has re-examined this book in light of the author’s other works.