Dido Twite is waylaid by her father, the shady Abednego Twite, acting on instructions from his evil patron. Why is Dido so urgently needed in Wapping? Why are King Richard's friends all accidentally drowning in the Thames? How does hard-drinking Mrs Lily Bloodvessel figure in this intricate plot, with her cellar full of sleeping guttersnipes?

Another rollercoasting story by Joan Aiken, in which Dido's scheming Pa finally receives his comeuppance.

• The Cuckoo Tree (The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase Sequence)
• Limbo Lodge (The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase Sequence)
• The Stolen Lake (The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase Sequence)
• Night Birds On Nantucket (The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase Sequence)
• Midwinter Nightingale (The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase Sequence)