With Joe and Odi lost at sea, Miles keeps grief at bay by playing the market. Will he ever be as big a tycoon as his mentor, Alazon Smyle? Will Alice continue to Wow the A list or is she disillusioned by the high life? Can the hapless Captain Catastrophe ever find his way to Australia? And will the mysterious Bevis prove to be friend or foe to the Hadwin family?

Meanwhile, as the evil Elymas draws close to achieving his goal, and the vengeful Sister Prism remains hot on the heels of the children, Captain Catastrophe and his two young friends weigh anchor by an idyllic palm-fringed island - only to find the darkness lurking even here.

Packed with intrigue, travel and adventure, this third and final book in The Runaway Children series takes the reader from the South Pacific to the heart of Westminster before arriving at Fernlee Forest and the Derbyshire Peaks. Here, on top of the Shivering Mountain, one little boy faces his nemesis in a thrilling climax.