The Elemental Detectives Award-winning author by Patrice Lawrence (author)

“A beautifully written book, bristling with magic … I loved it.” Cressida Cowell, Children’s Laureate & author of How to Train Your Dragon
A stunningly imagined, action-packed fantasy adventure for fans of Nevermoor, Neverwhere and Mortal Engines, from bestselling and award-winning author Patrice Lawrence.
Step into a London lit up by the Elemental spirits: the fiery Dragons, the airy Fumis, the watery Chads and the earthbound Magogs.
But humans have been causing chaos for centuries, trampling through the landscape trailing noise, mess and pollution. What if the Elements could slow down this new world… or stop it all together?
The revenge-fuelled Shepherdess, who moves between the everyday and the supernatural London worlds, is the perfect weapon. She brings a sleeping sickness down on the city with the destruction of society in her sights.
Marisee and Robert are the Elemental Detectives chasing the clues to avoid catastrophe: they must face the ghosts of Hyde Park, the monstrous coiled snake of the Serpentine, and a whole host of other fantastical creatures in their mission to stop the Shepherdess and prevent London slumbering for all eternity…

• Big, bold, future classic storytelling for a new generation.


• A London where magic sparks just beneath the surface – this book is set to ignite young imaginations.


• The page-turning, empowering, heart-racing first book in a major new series.

More praise for Elemental Detectives:
“Breathtaking, captivating, and magical. … I really couldn’t put it down”Reya, The Week Junior’s Summer of Reading 2023
“I loved reading about a re-imagining of London with so much invention and energy. The world-building is well…out of this world. Patrice Lawrence is amongst the greatest voices for young people writing today. I’m honoured to be a peer of hers.” – Alex Wheatle, author of Cane Warriors
“BRILLIANT… history and fantasy woven magnificently into a thrilling, magical adventure” – Sophie Anderson, author of The House with the Chicken Legs
“A fantastic adventure, packed with rich world building and stunning elemental magic.” – Peter Bunzl, author of Cogheart
“Wow – The Elemental Detectives is a cracking fantasy. Clever, inventive, and pacy, with wonderfully drawn characters and a breathless plot. I want to read more!” – Bali Rai, author of Mohinder’s War
“The Elemental Detectives is a rip roaring magical adventure… Patrice Lawrence has done a marvellous job of building an imaginative and creative mythology which lurks just under the city streets.” Catherine Johnson, author of Freedom
“The Elemental Detectives is a richly imagined, inventive and immersive fantasy adventure.” - L. Norry, author of Son of the Circus