Book 1 in the SHADOWS OF THE PAST series - time travel adventure stories for Middle Grade readers. Three 10-year-old children, one Tonkinese cat, four golden owl charms, an old book, and a special key that unlocks the secrets of the Shadows of the Past. The stage is set for a thrilling ride through the pages of history…

10-year-old twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, together with best friend Charlie and their Tonkinese cat Max are on a quest to find the twins’ missing parents who are lost somewhere in the mists of time. Their second journey into the past takes them to ancient Crete where the Minotaur, a monster that feeds on human flesh, lurks in its labyrinth beneath the palace of Knossos. A perilous adventure awaits the young time-travellers…

The Trojan War is just a game for the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, but it’s no laughing matter for three young time-travellers and their Tonkinese cat when they find themselves in Troy, right in the middle of the deadly conflict. Can the young visitors persuade the Trojans to reject the Greeks’ gift of the Wooden Horse, or will it prove impossible to change the course of history?

Maximus Lancelot the Tonkinese cat is terrified of Egyptian mummies, so he’s a bag of nerves when he travels back in time to ancient Egypt with his owners, twins Jemima and Joe, and their best friend Charlie. As they continue their search for the twins’ missing parents who are trapped somewhere in the past, the young time-travellers arrive at the court of Tutankhamun where they uncover a plot to assassinate the young Pharaoh. Danger lurks around every corner…

As they continue the hunt for their missing parents who are lost somewhere in the pages of history, twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot embark on their fifth time-travelling journey into the past, accompanied by best friend Charlie, and Max their Tonkinese cat. Their destination is the Roman town of Pompeii which lies in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, a volcano on the verge of a devastating eruption.

“A Lion from the future will come to save the Bear, Accompanied by children, three – one dark, the others fair…” Who are the Lion and the Bear mentioned in this ancient prophecy? The answer lies in the mythical kingdom of Camelot. Another thrilling adventure awaits time-travelling twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, their best friend Charlie, and Tonkinese cat Max, when they journey into the past to uncover the truth behind the legend of King Arthur.

Still searching for their missing parents who are lost somewhere in the past, twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot journey back in time to the year 1066, together with best friend Charlie and their cat Max. In an adventure fraught with danger, the young time-travellers attempt to change the course of history when they help King Harold in the run-up to the fateful Battle of Hastings.

Twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, their best friend Charlie, and Tonkinese cat Max, journey back in time to the year 1483 on a daring mission to rescue two young princes who have been locked up in the Tower of London by their uncle, King Richard III. Is this a task too far for the time-travelling quartet? Will their plan succeed, or must they risk their own lives to save the two boys?

In 1588, a foreign plot to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth the First is brewing. At this crucial moment in English history, four visitors from the future arrive in Elizabethan London. Twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, together with best friend Charlie and their Tonkinese cat Max, continue the hunt for their missing parents who are lost somewhere in the past, but soon find themselves tangled in a web of conspiracy. Can the young time-travellers unravel the mystery of the Tudor Rose?

A second solo adventure awaits Max the time-travelling Tonkinese cat in this short tale. Invited to accompany a well-known figure on a whirlwind trip into the past, Max sets off on a mission to hunt for something very precious to his owners, twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, and that’s their missing parents. Along the way, his search reveals tantalising clues to the mystery and also to the books that are still to come in the SHADOWS OF THE PAST series.

Max the Tonkinese cat disappears on a solo adventure, without his three human time-travelling companions, when he’s dragged into the past by an evil magician who has chosen him to carry out a special task. Lost and alone, the poor cat fears he may never be able to return to the present and all he holds dear. Can he find his way back, or will he be condemned to remain forever in a distant time and place, far from home?

Max the Tonkinese cat has a third solo adventure in this seasonal tale. When the feline hero is trapped in the attic one night, he gets more than he bargained for. Will he escape the clutches of the Christmas fairy, a Nutcracker soldier, and three bad-tempered French hens in time to enjoy a holiday with his family? One thing’s for sure – the Twelve Days of Christmas will never seem quite the same again.

When Max the talking Tonkinese cat is snatched from his home in the middle of the night, he’s in for a shock. Spirited away to a secret location, in the company of other animals he’s never met before, he is subjected to exhausting physical exercises and tough endurance tests – a true nightmare for the comfort-loving feline. But who are the shadowy figures in charge and why has he been taken to their training camp? Will Max discover the truth about his mysterious undercover adventure?

In his 5th solo mini-adventure, Max the Tonkinese cat, the feline hero of the SHADOWS OF THE PAST series is transported back in time to the mid-17th century. Max doesn’t understand how this has happened, but he soon recognises his surroundings and realises it isn't the first time he’s been to this place. Why has he been brought to this tumbledown cottage in the middle of nowhere? All is about to be revealed…

Three young time-travellers and their Tonkinese cat, Max, find themselves in great danger when they are transported back to the village of Mistley Thorn in the year 1646. It’s only a matter of time before they fall into the hands of Matthew Hopkins, otherwise known as the Witchfinder General.

The rightful King of England is on the run. With a price on his head and in the gravest of danger, Charles Stuart is desperate to flee the country. A rich reward has been offered for his capture and everyone is on the lookout for the young man. Nowhere is safe. Who will help him? Never fear – the Guardians of Time have a Special Agent lined up for the job … but he just so happens to be a cat!

In 1666, as London recovers from a deadly plague, an even bigger disaster is about to strike the old medieval city with its wooden buildings and narrow streets. A small spark is all it takes for the whole place to go up in flames, but is this a simple accident or a deliberate act of sabotage? Just days before the Great Fire will break out, three time-travelling children and their talking cat land on the doorstep of one of the most famous figures of the 17th century. Can they change the course of history? Time is running out…

Companion to the SHADOWS OF THE PAST series In his private diary, Maximus Lancelot the talking Tonkinese cat shares his innermost thoughts about his life and his time-travelling adventures. To accompany the Shadows of the Past series, these tales of Max’s exploits, told in his own words, allow us a privileged peep into the mind of this unique feline.

In this gripping adventure packed with mystery, danger and ancient magic, twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, their best friend Charlie and remarkable cat Max, find themselves in the scorching Rub’ Al Khali desert, also known as the Empty Quarter. Legends speak of a lost city buried beneath the sands, but it holds a dark secret. Can the young time-travellers unlock the truth before it’s too late or will the desert’s secrets remain hidden forever?

When the Guardians of Time send Max the Tonkinese cat on another “solo” mission, he’s not alone – an unexpected companion joins him for this special adventure. After landing in the misty Scottish Highlands of 1746, the duo encounter Bonnie Prince Charlie – a royal fugitive fighting to reclaim the throne – and, with the fateful Battle of Culloden looming, they agree to help him. Join them for a heart-pounding race through time in this surprising tale of bravery and friendship.

When a ship from the Caribbean arrives in 18th-century Bristol, a young slave boy seizes his chance to escape. As Cuffey flees through the docks he meets three children and their cat who are far from home in more ways than one. They haven’t come from another country, but another time – the 21st century. Together, the young time-travellers and the runaway slave embark on a journey that takes them across the country to London… and the start of a gripping adventure.