Following Ivy Sparrows discoveries inThe Crooked Sixpence, the adventures continue in the second instalment of The Uncommoners trilogy,The Smoking Hourglass.

As soon as Ivy and her brother Seb set foot back in the mysterious underground city of Lundinor, they know that something has changed . . . Where before there were cobbled streets, now the squares and lanes between the citys enchanted shops are lush with spring blooms but something dark is stirring just below the surface, and uncommon traders are uneasy. Ivy and Seb have stumbled into a plot that could condemn every uncommoner to a disastrous fate . . . With the help of Valian, their extraordinary friend and some exceptional uncommon objects can Ivy and Seb put a stop to the sinister Dirges plans?

Jennifer Bell (Author) Londoner Jennifer Bell began working in childrens books as a specialist bookseller at Foyles, Charing Cross Road one of the worlds most famous bookstores. Here, she looked after the shops five not-so-deadly piranha fish as well as recommending childrens books to celebrities, royalty and even an astronaut! After having the privilege of listening to children talk about their favourite books for many years, she started writing one of her own. Jennifer came up with the idea ofThe Crooked Sixpencewhile packing for a holiday and wishing she could just disappear inside her suitcase and be there already. The magical world of Lundinor is inspired by sayings from traditional English nursery rhymes, and stories about the Cockney markets her grandparents used to visit. Karl James Mountford (Illustrator) Karl James Mountford has been drawing, painting and generally making a mess since he was a young nipper. This hasn't changed much as he's gotten older. Born in Germany and brought up in and around the UK, he now lives in the Midlands where his sketchbooks rarely get a day off.