A storm-locked Highland hotel on the Scottish moors at dusk
Debut Novel · Ages 8–14 · Mystery

The Moorland
Mystery.

Trapped in a storm-locked hotel on the Scottish moors, two best friends must find a killer before the killer finds them — with only a stray cat, a stubborn Highland pony, and each other to rely on.

Written at age 13A novel by Martha Kidston
Click to Reveal the Storm
Two friends approach the Highland Stormwatch Hotel at dusk
Case File 001
The Book

A murder, a storm,
and nowhere to run.

Two best friends. One locked hotel room. A knock at the door that changes everything.

Cut off by a raging storm with no signal and no way out, the guests of the Highland Stormwatch Hotel find themselves trapped. Somewhere among them is a killer.

Trust is a luxury they no longer have. With a growing list of suspects, they must piece together the truth before the storm—or the killer—strikes again.

Highland Stormwatch HotelLocked-room mysteryAges 8–14
Martha Kidston, thirteen-year-old author of The Moorland Mystery
The Author
Written at age13

Meet Martha Kidston.

“Love the Earth, climb trees, be yourself, be creative — the only limit is your own imagination.”

Martha is thirteen years old and lives in Cambridge, UK with her parents and little sister. The Moorland Mystery is her debut novel.

A lifelong lover of crime fiction and the natural world, she set out to write the kind of mystery she wanted to read herself — fast-paced, atmospheric, full of humour, and unafraid to trust young readers with a real puzzle. She doesn't have any pets of her own, which didn't stop her imagining unforgettable characters into the story.

The Cast

Who you’ll be following.

Two girls, one cat with a detective’s instincts, and a hotel full of people who all have something to hide.

Falcon Greene
01
The Detective

Falcon Greene

Notices what everyone else misses — objects, angles, the things people don't say. She prefers the thrill of the chase to the safety of sitting still.

Finn Carlton
02
THE PARTNER IN CRIME

Finn Carlton

Reads people, not just clues. She is the one who has to decide how far she's willing to follow the shadows.

Purrlock Holmes
03
The Third Detective

Purrlock Holmes

Borrowed in spirit from a cat Martha met at an animal shelter.

Inside the Story

The moor doesn’t forgive mistakes.

A glimpse of the world — from the illustrated pages of the book.

Falcon and Finn peeping round the corner
Falcon and Finn peeping round the corner
Storm, on the western ridge.
Storm, on the western ridge.
Falcon's notes, room 6.
Falcon's notes, room 6.
Horse on top of a hill
Horse on top of a hill
Classified

The case doesn’t end at the last page.

Hidden inside the book is a QR code that unlocks a real investigation online. Only readers who finish the book have everything they need to close the case.

Enter the Investigation →
Where to Buy

Get The Moorland Mystery.

Available in paperback and eBook.

For Schools & Librarians

Bring the case into the classroom.

Free discussion guide, printable hotel floor-plan puzzle, and a class-wide entry point into the online investigation — built for readers aged 8–14.

Request the Schools Pack →
For Press

Press & review copies.

A 13-year-old debut novelist, illustrated throughout, with a real-world companion investigation. Get in touch for interviews, review copies, and press assets.

Contact for Press →
Follow the Case

Updates from Martha.

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