Sixteen-year-old Shelley and her mother move to Honeysuckle Cottage in the middle of the countryside, fleeing their fears and anxieties and hoping to put behind them years of suffering at the hands of others. Shelley has endured terrible bullying from the girls who used to be her friends; and her mother has been left reeling following a divorce from her selfish, demanding husband. For Shelley and her mother are ’mice’, timid, nervous and obliging. And for a while, in their cottage-haven, the women flourish. But one night their fragile peace is shattered when Shelley wakes to hear a creak on the stairs. Someone has broken into the house.
In the shocking, chilling events that follow, Shelley's world is turned on its head, as the women find themselves tested as never before. And as their lives spiral out of control, the tension reaches fever pitch. Shelley begins to wonder; if she and her mother are not mice after all, then what are they?
There are few readers who will not be involved by the steady, adroitly orchestrated tension in this visceral first novel.
~ BARRY FORSHAW, Express UK.
Books Gordon has written for children include The Runaway Circus (Lothian, Australia, 2005); Nog the Nag Bird (Lothian, Australia, 2006) and Alecto, a graphic novel (King Tractor Press, USA, 2006).
The Sydney's Child June 2006 edition review of Nog the Nag Bird said:
This is a simple moral tale for children but, despite the title, it's not about nagging. Nog the Nag Bird is about accepting yourself for who you are... The message of self-acceptance might seem a bit premature for preschoolers, but with the cult of appearance being targeted at younger and younger children, it might not hurt for this positive message to be preached early, and Reece's playful illustrations put the theme across with fun and humour. Recommended for ages 3 to 6.
Gordon also wrote Count Oblonsky and Petrov in The Case of the Red Skull for Macmillan Madrid. Count Oblonsky is 19th Century Russia’s greatest detective, even Sherlock Holmes writes to him for advice!
For more information about Gordon, see his web site at gordonreece.com.