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Spindlewood
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Spindlewood

By: Freddie Kölsch
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Pre-order for $27.50

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About this listen

Brought to you by Puffin.

The first book in a gripping new series, perfect for fans of The Swifts, Murder Most Unladylike, Lockwood and Co and Wednesday.

Lilac Black does not believe in ghosts. So she’s rather surprised to learn she comes from a long line of gifted Seers, all of whom attended Spindlewood: a top-secret boarding school for children with the power to see, hear and communicate with spirits.

And now, Lilac has an invitation to Spindlewood herself. The only problem? There's been a huge misunderstanding. Lilac does not have the gift.

Reluctant to disappoint her proud uncles, and curious to see this mysterious school for herself, she decides to play along. But as Lilac’s web of lies becomes more tangled, one thing is clear: there is something wrong at Spindlewood. Something ancient and sinister, hidden beneath the library. Something connected to the long-ago disappearance of Lilac's parents.

Something waiting for her...

'Spectacularly spooky . . . Full of warmth and humour, but threaded with delicious darkness' Philippa Leathley

'Percy Jackson meets Wednesday, with a huge dollop of originality on top' Thomas Taylor

© Freddie Kölsch 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Ghosts Literature & Fiction Mysteries Mystery & Suspense Scary Stories

Critic Reviews

Clever and highly engaging . . . Think Percy Jackson meets Wednesday, with a huge dollop of originality on top (Thomas Taylor, author of Malamander)
A spectacularly spooky tale, I devoured Spindlewood and adored determined and clever main character Lilac Black from the first chapter. Full of warmth and humour but threaded with delicious darkness, it's a compulsive read and had me dying for a sequel as soon as I reached the last page (Philippa Leathley, author of Inkbound)
Spooky, mysterious and utterly charming. Lilac Black will more than fill the Wednesday-shaped hole in your life (Clare Harlow, author of Tidemagic)
Freddie Kölsch takes the magical boarding-school story and gives it a fresh twist: what if you were accepted into a school of magic, but were the only person there with no powers? With warm, unforgettable characters – especially Uncles Bell and Beau – assured world-building and a truly monstrous villain, Spindlewood blends traditional and contemporary magic in a story of outsiderdom, first love and staying true to yourself (Iqbal Hussain, author of The Night I Borrowed Time)
It's hard to put your finger on the difference between a very good and a great book, but you know it when you see it. Spindlewood is a great book (Russell Franklin, author of The House of Dusk)
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