The Death of Yorik Mortwell

Inspired by the artwork of Edward Gorey, Windblowne author Stephen Messer delivers a mock-Gothic tale about poor Yorik (alas!), who meets an untimely demise—in Chapter One.

Worry not, Dear Reader, for Yorik returns in ghostly form, intent on revenge. In the course of his hauntings of venerable Ravenby Manor, Yorik discovers that all sorts of otherworldy creatures inhabit the manor grounds, and that he has a part to play in saving not only his orphan sister, but also the manor and everyone in it.

For every young reader who enjoyed the dour delights of A Series of Unfortunate Events, here is Stephen Messer's playful homage to the poor orphans of Charles Dickens, the bleak poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, and the exaggerated characters of Roald Dahl—brought to macabre life by illustrator Gris Grimly.