This prequel to the bestselling The Grandest Bookshop in the World is a magical journey into late 19th-century Melbourne.

Twelve-year-old Billy, the eldest in a large family, must leave school and get a job to help pay the bills. Rather than follow his father into the local nail-making factory, he aspires to work for Mr Cole, who runs a bookshop in the bustling stalls of Paddy’s Market.

Paddy’s Market brings Billy into contact with many intriguing characters, but most foreboding is the Obscurosmith, a magician who can never tell a lie, but takes more than the owner wishes to give when striking a bargain. Using his own burgeoning magical powers, and the help of new friend Kezia, Billy must battle with the Obscurosmith in a duel of riddles to protect the market and his friends within.

A beguiling mix of historical fact and fiction, this story reads beautifully as a standalone, but will also be loved by readers of the previous book. Ages 10 and up will be utterly engrossed in this thrilling adventure.

Angela Crocombe is a senior buyer at Readings