Deep Dark
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Simon & Schuster Ltd
Published:27th Mar '25
Should be back in stock very soon

‘Zohra Nabi has clearly done her research. Deep Dark dives into history to enthralling effect. The street life of the time, particularly London’s lost economy of patterers and ballad-sellers, shouting out the latest songs and stories, is brought into raucous, vivid colour … Outstanding.’ –The Times Children's Book of the Week
The dark was deep; it opened like a cavernous mouth and swallowed the boy whole.
Cassia Thorne leads a double life. By day, she sells ballads at Bartholomew Fair. By night she spends her evenings locked up in Fleet Prison. Cassia has plans of escaping both of these lives. But this year there are rumours of children being snatched off of the streets of London and no one willing to help.
So Cassia decides to take matters into her own hands; with the help of a young pickpocket, Teo and her friend Felix, Cassia starts to investigate the disappearances. She soon discovers a sinister conspiracy at the heart of the city - mysterious men in blue coats and whispers of a beast that lives in the deep dark tunnels below the city. Can Cassia get to the bottom of the mystery and rescue the missing children before it's too late?
Join Cassia and her friends on a spine-tingling supernatural adventure through the streets of London!
This is a breathtaking new direction from a rising star and the author of The Kingdom Over the Sea, a Waterstone's Children's Book of month.
Praise for Deep Dark:
'This book is stunning – Zohra Nabi writes like a dream and has achieved the impossible by conjuring up a living, breathing Victorian London right before my eyes. I felt like I was right there with Cassia while reading it, magic sparkling around us.' – Natasha Hastings, author of The Miraculous Sweetmakers
‘A spine-tingling, Dickensian adventure.’ – The Bookseller
'Meticulously researched and sparklingly written, with an irresistible heroine.' – The Guardian
‘An atmospheric adventure with a wonderfully engaging heroine – this richly evocative story will sweep you away to the streets of 19th century London.’ – Katherine Woodfine, author of The Clockwork Sparrow
Zohra Nabi has clearly done her research. Deep Dark dives into history to enthralling effect. The street life of the time, particularly London’s lost economy of patterers and ballad-sellers, shouting out the latest songs and stories, is brought into raucous, vivid colour … Outstanding. -- Lucy Bannerman * The Times *
Nabi’s book is an assured mix of impeccably researched reality. -- Kitty Empire * The Observer *
'Meticulously researched and sparklingly written, with an irresistible heroine.' -- Imogen Russell Williams * Guardian *
'This book is stunning - Zohra Nabi writes like a dream and has achieved the impossible by conjuring up a living, breathing Victorian London right before my eyes. I felt like I was right there with Cassia while reading it, magic sparkling around us.' -- Natasha Hastings
'An atmospheric adventure with a wonderfully engaging heroine - this richly evocative story will sweep you away to the streets of 19th century London.' -- Katherine Woodfine
With characters that jump off the page, a meticulously researched Victorian London and a beautifully plotted mystery, Deep Dark has to be Zohra's best book yet. -- A.F. Steadman
'An extraordinarily thrilling, fantastical adventure through London with a monstrous twist! Truly unputdownable!' -- Lizzie Huxley-Jones
'A deeply atmospheric and magical mystery, filled with all the sights and sounds of Victorian London.' -- Pari Thomson
'Spellbinding.' -- Aisha Bushby
'Enchanting, evocative, and endlessly exciting, I feel in love with Cassia as I was whisked away to Victorian London. Nabi is a natural storyteller, her writing both effortless and beautiful.' -- Hiba Noor Khan
ISBN: 9781398532922
Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 21mm
Weight: unknown
336 pages