My new novel, The Mystery of Acorn Academy, published by Authors Reach, is now available for pre-order from Amazon.
A young adult adventure set in Cornwall, this is my second novel, and the first in my planned series of Cornish Mystery Adventures. My aim was to write a gripping adventure story, with likeable main characters and lots of intrigue, twists and turns – the sort of page-turning book I loved as a child. It’s aimed primarily at young adults (readers of ten and up), but could also be enjoyed by young-at-heart adults of any age.
The Mystery of Acorn Academy tells the story of fourteen-year-old Holly Champion, who, following a traumatic incident, is sent away from her Midlands home to an exclusive, secretive school in Cornwall, UK. Acorn Academy, a magnificent mansion by the sea, looks stunning – but why are the students so docile and obedient? Why does the school principal appear to dislike Holly so much? And what happened to the mysterious Lydia, who occupied Holly’s room before her? When Holly’s new friend Jess vanishes, her only ally is Jess’s aloof brother, Adam. Together they must risk their lives in a terrifying struggle, racing against time to rescue Jess and expose a shocking plot.
Many of my stories reflect my love of Cornwall, and this one features a fictional academy situated on a remote Cornish clifftop. For inspiration I drew on two real-life houses: National Trust property Antony House in Torpoint, and Tehidy Manor, near Redruth. The latter possibly has a family connection, in that it belonged to the Basset family (with one ‘t’) for hundreds of years. I like to imagine that they were ancestors of ours, although to judge by all the feasting and gambling that went on, maybe that isn’t something to aspire to! When the Basset family lost the mansion in the early 20th Century, the house was turned into a hospital for TB patients – a fact which also inspired a strand of my novel.
The Mystery of Acorn Academy will be published by Authors Reach on 25th March. The kindle version is available for pre-order on Amazon, and the paperback version is already on sale.
Buy from Amazon UK
or Amazon US
I’ve been working on this book for a long time, and I can’t wait for Holly’s story to be told! I’m really looking forward to sharing it with readers.
Find out more about my stories here:
Amazon.co.uk: Teresa Bassett: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle
Tree and Leaf 