Granny

Anthony Horowitz is on top form in this deliciously funny tale of his ghastly Granny.  12-year-old Joe Warden is the narrator, a poor little rich boy who is virtually a prisoner in the vast family mansion, pretty much ignored by his equally dreadful parents.  Granny is the real monster, a self-centred drama queen who is as physically repulsive as she is unlovable.  She also has her own wicked plan, to be executed with the help of a gaggle of granny co-conspirators, which Joe must try to thwart if he is not to go up in a puff of smoke.  The ending is as outrageous as the story, and all the more enjoyable for Anthony Horowitz’s introductory explanation that it is all based (more or less) on real facts and people and his own childhood.  ‘Granny is a fairly accurate portrait of my grandmother.  She was a truly horrible woman.  I decided to write about her when I was at her funeral – a very happy day.’  Tony Ross’s atmospheric illustrations perfectly match the humour of the text.