Author: Howard, Martin

For National Curriculum Key Stage 2

Published on 25 September 2025 by Nosy Crow Ltd in the United Kingdom as part of ‘the Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull’ series.

Paperback | 304 pages
197 x 129 x 27 | 268g

The second 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!Mallory is getting to grips with her new powers and her new talkative friend, Maggoty. But when Maggoty sees a wig in Les Wigs shop, he just won’t shut up about it! It’s expensive, and no one seems able to pay Mallory properly for her cosmic services.

So her Aunt Lilith takes matters into her own hands, but in her quest to increase her own supernatural skills, she accidentally summons a Nightmare. It, inevitably, goes HORRIBLY wrong and Mallory must take a perilous journey into the bowels of Carrion Castle in search of the solution to Aunt Lillith’s problem… But it’s only when a bony fella with a scythe turns up (that’s Death – himself! – by the way) that she knows she and Maggoty are in for some terrifying fun and games!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)Praise for Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull:’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