Letty and the Mystery of the Word Thieves

<LONDON, 1775<Safe in their home city, and in the care of an enthusiastic young guardian named Hera Goodchild, Letty is happy to stay behind. With their trusty butler Fortnum to look out for her and cook Nell to make delicious food, surely the time without Pa would simply fly by?
But despite her very best intentions not to stir up any trouble, Letty soon finds herself embroiled in a thrilling new mystery. There are secret notes in newspapers exchanged with an enigmatic frenemy, puzzling clues in dictionaries that lead Letty on a whirlwind treasure trail around 18th century London, and - nearly - a murder . . .
In her continued search for truth, can Letty use her deductive skills to unravel the mystery of the word thieves?
An exciting, middle-grade adventure from debut talent, Penny Boxall; perfect for fans of Netflix''s plucky ENOLA HOLMES, the humour of Hana Tooke''s THE UNADOPTABLES, and the caper of Katherine Rundell''s ROOFTOPPERS.
<>

About the author

Penny Boxall writes middle-grade fiction.

She’s fascinated by all things 18th-century. In her museums jobs she’s helped look after William Wordsworth’s spectacles at Dove Cottage, Laurence Sterne’s porcelain cow at Shandy Hall, Mughal miniatures at the Ashmolean, and the Queen’s tapestries.

She has an MA in Creative Writing from UEA and has published three poetry collections, including Ship of the Line (which won Scotland’s largest poetry prize). She’s held residencies at an Oxford college, a Scottish castle, a Swiss chateau, and a shipping container near Loch Long.

She grew up in Aberdeenshire and now lives in York. She can often be found wuthering about on the moors.

Product details

• Authors: Penny Boxall, Boxall Penny
• Publisher: Puffin UK
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 8 to 12
• Product format: Paperback
• Release: 05.02.2026
• EAN: 9780241657478
• ISBN: 978-0-241-65747-8
• No. of pages: 368
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 35 mm
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books; JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General, London, Greater London, JUVENILE FICTION / Historical / General, JUVENILE FICTION / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Historical fiction (Children's / Teenage), Children’s / Teenage fiction: Historical fiction, Crime & mystery fiction (Children's / Teenage), Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Adventure stories (Children's / Teenage), Children’s / Teenage fiction: Crime and mystery fiction, Interest age: from c 8 years, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories