The Secret of Panther Valley
A 13-year-old boy gets more than he's bargained for when he sets off to find a mythical panther rumoured to haunt his grandmother's rural property.
Staying at his grandmother’s farm with his cousin Coby, mystery-loving 13-year-old Seamus learns the local legend of a panther stalking the region. But his search for the truth turns to disaster when he finds himself lost in a secret valley hunted by a ruthless pair of men posing as documentary film-makers.
He will need all his resolve, wits and courage to get out of the
desperate situation he’s in, but in the process he
uncovers a secret hidden for decades, and discovers a most unexpected and enigmatic ally…
A 13-year-old boy gets more than he's bargained for when he sets off to find a mythical panther rumoured to haunt his grandmother's rural property.
Staying at his grandmother’s farm with his cousin Coby, mystery-loving 13-year-old Seamus learns the local legend of a panther stalking the region. But his search for the truth turns to disaster when he finds himself lost in a secret valley hunted by a ruthless pair of men posing as documentary film-makers.
He will need all his resolve, wits and courage to get out of the
desperate situation he’s in, but in the process he
uncovers a secret hidden for decades, and discovers a most unexpected and enigmatic ally…
PUBLISHER: Eagle Books (imprint of Christmas Press)
COMING APRIL/MAY 2026!
COMING APRIL/MAY 2026!
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Where did the idea for The Secret of Panther Valley come from?
Well, in a way, it's been growing as a story idea in my head for about twenty years - I just didn't realise it at first!
I grew up on farms that stretched for hundreds of acres, where I was always exploring the bush and creeks beyond our house and imagining adventures. I was fascinated by mysteries — especially the legend of the black panther said to roam the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, or the Thylacine Tiger in Tasmania. I remember googling 'unexplained mysteries' or looking up books of myths and legends all the time when I was a kid.
The Australian bush is such a vast, deep place, that stretches farther than we humans have probably explored. I often wondered what hidden creatures might be out there in the bush!
And then, when I was ten, I had a dream: I was standing at our back door, watching in shock as a panther crept past in front of me.
That image has stayed with me my whole life.
Sometimes I do wonder "Did I really dream that? Or did it actually happen?"
To tell the truth, I'm still not sure!
So that image of the panther going past me, and my love of mysery and the Australian bush, has simmered in my imagination for twenty years - and, surprisingly, it has now come to fruition in this book.
If you're a writer, you never know what a small moment or idea might turn in to - or how many years it will take to get there.
Where did the idea for The Secret of Panther Valley come from?
Well, in a way, it's been growing as a story idea in my head for about twenty years - I just didn't realise it at first!
I grew up on farms that stretched for hundreds of acres, where I was always exploring the bush and creeks beyond our house and imagining adventures. I was fascinated by mysteries — especially the legend of the black panther said to roam the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, or the Thylacine Tiger in Tasmania. I remember googling 'unexplained mysteries' or looking up books of myths and legends all the time when I was a kid.
The Australian bush is such a vast, deep place, that stretches farther than we humans have probably explored. I often wondered what hidden creatures might be out there in the bush!
And then, when I was ten, I had a dream: I was standing at our back door, watching in shock as a panther crept past in front of me.
That image has stayed with me my whole life.
Sometimes I do wonder "Did I really dream that? Or did it actually happen?"
To tell the truth, I'm still not sure!
So that image of the panther going past me, and my love of mysery and the Australian bush, has simmered in my imagination for twenty years - and, surprisingly, it has now come to fruition in this book.
If you're a writer, you never know what a small moment or idea might turn in to - or how many years it will take to get there.