Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in... The Castle of Horrors

Author: Martin Howard

For National Curriculum Key Stage 2

Published on 10 September 2026 by Nosy Crow Ltd in the United Kingdom as part of 'the Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull' series.

Paperback | 304 pages
127 x 198 x 26 | 266g

The third in a spooky and hilarious new series about a talkative skull and a necromancer-in-training. Full of brilliant illustrations!Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Wednesday.

Mallory Vayle and her talkative skull, Maggoty, star in another fabulous adventure!When Mallory is invited to see Madame Majika deVinckel's magic show, she rolls her eyes... Majika is bound to be a fraud, pretending to have powers she can't possibly have. But Majika appears to be the real deal, and she has good headdresses so of course Maggoty is an immediate fan.

Majika has a proposition for Mallory: help her open the Chest of Secrets and steal its contents, and in return she will help Mallory speak to her dead parents.

But can Mallory trust Majika? And what will happen if she steals what's inside the chest...

With proper laughs and proper scares, this series is not only the perfect Halloween treat but a side-splitting and spine-tingling year-round read.

Have you read the spooktastic...

Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull (Waterstones Children's Book of the Month, October 2024)Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in... The Beast from BeneathPraise for Mallory and Maggoty:'Effortlessly blends outrageous humour and genuine creepiness' - The Guardian'Skullduggery pleasant meets A Series of Unfortunate Events. Do not miss! Spooky AND funny, a killer combo!' - Louie Stowell