Reluctant Readers Beware: Read an extract from The Haven by Simon Lelic

The action starts on the very first page of new series, The Haven and doesn’t stop until the last. Abducted in the middle of the night, 13-year-old Ollie Turner and his guardian Nancy, wake up in pain on a cold, hard floor.

They don’t know where they are, and they have no idea what is going to happen next, but they are positive that it won’t be good. After Nancy pleads with Ollie to make a run for it, he finds himself careering down narrow hallways in a warehouse. He doesn’t know where he’s going until he unexpectedly runs into an older boy – Dodge.

In no time at all Ollie has been taken into the inner sanctuary of The Haven a place where kids who have nowhere else to go – the homeless, refugees, orphans – take refuge. This secret underground organisation, led by Dodge, Flea, Sol and Lily, only looks after the interests of kids – no adults allowed – particularly in a world where they are often mistreated. They look after each other and educate the next child to enter The Haven.

After the introductions it soon becomes apparent that the group are on a mission to find a number of kids that have recently gone missing. When they come up against Danny Hunter – head of the Razor Gang – Ollie manages to save the day, but they only have 24 hours to find a very important missing child – Danny’s son Harvey.

Can Ollie and the other kids fromThe Haven mange to find Harvey and the other missing kids. What does the infamous Maddy Sikes have to do with it and can Ollie manage to face the sewer tunnels and rats?

Read our full review | Purchase a copy of The Haven by Simon Lelic

Simon Lelic is a writer of crime and thriller novels for adults – winner of the Betty Trask Award, shortlisted for the CWA Dagger Awards and the Galaxy National Book Awards. He lives in Brighton with his wife and three children. Other than his family, reading is Simon’s biggest passion. He also holds a black belt in karate, in which he trains daily. You can follow him on Twitter @Simon_Lelic.

Simon Lelic

Simon Lelic is a writer of crime and thriller novels for adults - winner of the Betty Trask Award, shortlisted for the CWA Dagger Awards and the Galaxy National Book Awards. He lives in Brighton with his wife and three children. Other than his family, reading is Simon's biggest passion. He also holds a black belt in karate, in which he trains daily.You can follow him on Twitter @Simon_Lelic.