Robert Twistleton, Bert to his friends, is an eleven-year-old boy whose family has run the Baloddan Hotel, a bleak Victorian edifice incongruously built on a windswept Cornish headland, for over a hundred years.

Bert is a quiet, unassuming boy who is all set to enjoy the uneventful summer holidays, until the day he discovers his grandmother has been sucked down the toilet and replaced with a slick of slime across the bathroom floor. SOMETHING has taken her.

Bert decides to investigate. With his friend Ruby he explores deep beneath the hotel, through underground tunnels, secret passages and hidden rooms. He discovers that people have been disappearing for years, and that matters will come to a head in only a few days' time at the total eclipse of the sun. Bert suspects that some of the locals know what's going on, although he isn't sure who. Could it be the shuffling shop keeper? Or the hook-nosed vicar? Or even his own grandfather?

Pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, but time is running out fast ...

This book is part of a book series called The Hotel Chronicles .

There are 208 pages in this book. This book was published 2003 by Hachette Children's Group .

Andy Cutbill was born near London in 1972. He read Art at university and then did post-graduate studies in Art Direction. After several years writing television commercials, he is now part of a London-based media company which originates new concepts in children's animation and books. In conjuction with Cosgrove Hall Films, Andy has created and developed the award-winning animated television series, Albie, for CITV.