The Dead Fathers Club

Eleven-year-old Philip Noble has a big problem. It all begins when his dad, who has been killed in a road accident, appears as a bloodstained ghost at his own funeral, and introduces Philip to the Dead Fathers Club. The Dead Fathers Club are ghosts of dads in Newark who gather near the bottle banks outside the Nobles' pub. Philip learns the truth about ghosts: the only people who end up ghosts are murdered. He has to get revenge for his dad's murder by killing the murderer, his dad's brother, Uncle Alan. If he doesn't succeed in killing his uncle before his dad's birthday, just ten weeks away, his dad's spirit will never rest and he will always suffer the Terrors. So begins Philip's quest to avenge his dad and to save his mum from the greasy clutches of Uncle Alan, who seems intent on taking his dad's place in their lives. As Uncle Alan moves into the pub, Philip arms himself with weapons pilfered from the school chemistry cupboard, and attempts to carry out his father's relentless demands. But, things keep distracting him. Leah for a start - the gorgeous daughter of Alan's Bible-bashing business partner, Mr Polonius. And can Philip trust the ghost? The No Time before the Terrors take permanent hold is running out and when the moment comes to act, Philip finds himself hurtling towards disaster. Just as Matt Haig's acclaimed first novel, "The Last Family in England", was a brilliant reworking of Henry IV Part 1, with dogs in the major roles, so "The Dead Fathers Club" gives more than a nod towards "Hamlet". Hilariously funny, it is full of poignant insights into the strange workings of the world seen through the eyes of a child.