Ian Hunter has gone from sci-fi to spooky in his third book! Full of autumn vibes and seriously scary moments, The Shoe Creeper is a fantastic story about cross-generational relationships, dealing with change and making sense of traditional tales. This is a book that will have readers on edge, checking over their shoulders and thinking twice before going into the woods. Ethan’s Gran has always told him stories about the Shoe Creeper – a monster as deadly as vampires or werewolves. When children start to disappear, Ethan wonders if Gran’s stories could be true. Is the Shoe Creeper on the prowl again? Fans of The Haunting of Aveline Jones and The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good will enjoy this folklore horror for middle grade readers. Out now, this is one to read on dark autumn evenings when the wind is howling through the trees.

Author Ian Hunter reached out with details of his book, The Shoe Creeper and it sounded perfectly spooky and an ideal read for October. I chose to read this during the day as I was expecting some seriously spooky thrills and chills. I was right! The Shoe Creeper started as stories told to Ethan by his grandmother and they were terrifying! He doesn’t believe in them even though his Gran assures him it’s real. A monster that feeds on fear and smelly shoes is enough to make most children run to the bed and jump, avoiding anything hiding underneath. While Ethan is dealing with some important changes at home with his parents and his Gran, there is an attempted kidnapping in his town. Ethan begins to believe in the stories his Gran told. It gets quite tense and dark from this point and will have horror fans delighted! Mixed in throughout this exciting book are true moments of heart. Ethan is a brave boy facing up to both a monster and the acceptance of his Gran’s issues. He copes and stands up in mature and honest ways. A fantastic book for middle grade readers!

After reading The Shoe Creeper, I’ll never look at a stray shoe in the same way again! A superbly dark, spine-tingling horror adventure: a perfect spooky season treat! Twelve-year-old Ethan Halston has grown up on stories of The Shoe Creeper shared with him by his beloved gran. Of course, he doesn’t believe the stories despite his gran’s assurances that they are true. After all, there’s no way stories of a terrifying monster, who catches his victims by sniffing out their malodorous shoes, before feasting on their fear and taking their toes, can be real – can they? As Halloween nears, life is changing for Ethan. His gran is moving in as she is becoming increasingly confused due to her deteriorating memory; his parents’ arguments are increasing and worsening; and, his best friend, Sam, has a secret … When the local news reports that there has been an attempted kidnapping of a child in Ethan’s year, gran is convinced that the shoe creeper has returned and is seeking another victim … And so begins a deliciously dark, tension-filled and creepy adventure as Ethan finds himself in a battle to save Seaton from the monstrous machinations of a creature intent on leaving nothing behind but the shoe of his victim … Will Ethan and his friends be able to defeat this monster before it takes someone from the town? Could Ethan’s gran know more about why the shoe creeper has returned than she is willing to share with her grandson? I really enjoyed this horror adventure which definitely brings spine-tingling, scary moments, but there’s also plenty of warmth and hope, that makes it perfect for its middle-grade audience – and beyond. I loved the cliffhanger chapter endings that make it a ‘just-one-more-chapter’ book as well as some unexpected twists and turns that were just perfect! I really liked both Ethan and Sam who have a wonderfully, strong, supportive and caring friendship as they team up to attempt to defeat both bullies and the shoe creeper. Ethan is such a courageous young boy who fears what is happening to his gran more than facing the shoe creeper. Ethan has a lot of changes to cope with but shows real maturity and sensitivity when dealing with these and shows himself to be kind-hearted and empathetic towards others who are also facing change. A chilling, creepy read, with family and friendship at its heart, perfect for spooky season and young readers of 9+.