Joey is a coster boy in the East End of London selling oranges from his basket to make a living. He feels different from the other barrow boys as he knows that there is a mystery in his past. People say his real father was a lord. The mystery deepens when a man is murdered and Joey becomes the chief suspect. He goes into hiding, but is determined to find out the truth both about the murder and about his father.
Set in the first half of the nineteenth century, this is a beautifully-researched and atmospherically-written historical thriller.
* Alison Prince was joint winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award with "The Sherwood Hero".
