Staying Up

Brian is a Barfax Town football supporter; Debbie is his middle-class girlfriend whose parents are highly suspicious of him. Brian briefly aspires to be a member of The Ointment, the hooligan element of the Barfax Town's supporters. After brief forays into drunkenness and vandalism, he abandons the idea. When two local girls are lured away and killed, no-one suspects Royston Ambler, son of the team's chairman. But when Debbie accepts a lift with him she discovers the truth - almost too late. Swindell's clear style, recongisable characters and determination to raise issues important to young people, make this a book to recommend to 3rd years upwards - particularly (but not exclusively) reluctant readers.