Removed from her life in London, 12 year old Kathy is less than impressed when she and her mum move to Stagdale – a village that seems to be stuck in the past. But, as she finds out more about Stagdale’s history, Kathy discovers that this little village may be more sinister than it seems, in Frances Castle’s Stagdale: Parts 1 & 2!

Publisher: Clay Pipe Music
Writer: Frances Castle
Artist: Frances Castle
Price: £7.99/£9.99 + P&P from Frances’ website

Stagdale follows 12-year-old Kathy and her newly divorced mother, as they make the move from the bustling city of London to the small, quaint village of Stagdale. This is quite an adjustment: while London was full of life, Stagdale is, well, stagnant, and rather stuck in the past. Their old-fashioned cottage isn’t just dusty; it’s dark and dilapidated, with no TV signal and brown bath water (home sweet home, am I right?). Kathy isn’t impressed, and can’t imagine the boring Stagdale ever feeling like home, However, it soon appears that this ancient village may be hiding some sinister secrets…

As a lover of mysteries and ghost stories, Stagdale Parts 1&2 were right up my street. What starts off as a story about homesickness, adjustment and coming-of-age quickly transforms into a tale of mystery and intrigue! Part 1 focuses on the initial move of Kathy and her mother to their cottage – it becomes very clear very quickly that there is something a little off with Stagdale. Set in 1975, this small village seems stuck in the past with its strange antiquities and hierarchies. We soon meet Lord Ethelbert, Kathy & mum’s landlord, who is a self-proclaimed descendant of the famous ‘Saxon king’ (an interesting flex). Though he offers his welcome and assistance, there’s something rather cold and sinister in his facial expression which puts the reader’s back up. After settling in a little, Kathy meets a new friend named Joe, who has just finished a scuffle with two local bullies – the Bloat boys, who just so happen to be Kathy’s new neighbours.

There are several unsettling happenings that begin to arise – on their own they don’t seem particularly sinister, but put together, there’s definitely something going on. From the large crack which appears on the cottage’s window on their first night to the aloof sweetshop lady and her creepy silent dad who stands behind her ‘watching’ the customers, we begin to feel slightly uneasy. Whilst showing Kathy around Stagdale, Joe and Kathy take a look at the local museum. Joe explains to Kathy that there is an important missing artefact – the stag jewel – which was stolen by a German boy who used to inhabit Kathy’s house (which many still refer to as ‘his house’. It is believed that, since the jewel was stolen, the village has been in steady decline and slow decay. As if this wasn’t enough to send shivers down our spine, in the last few pages, we see the black silhouette of a ghostly boy against the window of Kathy’s house. Soon after, she finds his diary. We are intrigued to see where this is going…

Part 2 begins in 1938 Berlin and follows Max’s (the German boy!) escape from Germany and arrival in Stagdale. As the Nazi regime begins to take over Germany, Max and his family are forced into hiding, and dependent on the kindness of some caring German friends. Having been hidden in a wardrobe, banned from attending school and seeing many of their friends fleeing the country, Max’s parents decide he must leave for Britain – and as quickly as possible. Believing they will soon follow him, Max’s parents arrange for him to escape the country with only one suitcase and 10 francs in his pocket. Despite the interference of cruel Nazi’s attempting to steal any valuable possessions, Max eventually makes it. And is soon driven by his new guardians to, you guessed it, Stagdale…

Despite both issues only being around 20 pages, they genuinely felt full and interesting – there was more than enough story, and mystery to ponder to keep the reader interested. The art is also unique, with some beautifully crafted artwork throughout reminiscent of Raymond Briggs’ classic style. There’s a fun extra included for buyers, as an EP by Frances called ‘The Hardy Tree’ is included as a download, making a really unique addition! We are so excited to see where Frances will take this story in issue 3, and how the stories of Kathy and Max will inevitably intersect!