Oranges and Lemons

Oranges and Lemons is a debut novel from Paula F. Andrews.

Jessifer Jordan is an outgoing teenage girl. She is known for being a loyal friend and always open and she has a love of acting.

When Adeline, a friendly but ghostly girl from the Victorian era makes an appearance in her life, naturally Jessifer confides in her best friend. But when it becomes obvious that her best friend doesn't believe her, Jess decides that secrecy is the way forward.

Before Adeline came into her life, Jess had been outgoing and sociable, but now she had turned into a far more serious girl, cutting herself off from others as she tries to establish exactly what it is that her ghostly friend wants.

Jess finds herself taken back to the 1860s where she meets with a medical doctor who seems to be of a somewhat mercurial nature and who has a somewhat obsessive relationship with the potentially fatal drug morphine. 

Jess slips between the time of Adeline and her own time, and as she does, she begins to understand that Adeline is bring back memories of Jess' own deceased sister. Which means that her own, hidden, grief begins to reassert itself.

Can the help of her own and wise great aunt Ruby help her? Will she be able to confound the maniacal doctor? And what about the mysterious cat? What does the cat have to do with what is happening?

And what of the Victorian ghost child, Adeline? What does she really want? And can Jess help her achieve it?

With this novel, aimed at children, but enjoyable by adults, too, Paula F. Andrews has hit the ground running and I will state that Paula F. Yates is an author to watch for in the future.

It's published by Matador at £8.99