The Thief Lord

The magical multi-award-winning modern classic from master storyteller and New York Times-bestselling author, Cornelia Funke.

''A completely delicious read.'' THE OBSERVER

Winter has come early to Venice.

Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema.

On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys'' new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past - a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself ...