Fear Files: Hide and Seek by Christopher Edge

Fear Files: Hide and Seek is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled race through the dark side of childhood games. Chaotic and terrifying, the nightmare of being chased and the unknown around every corner will have readers flying through the pages.

Fans of Dan Smith’s The Nighthouse Files: The Deadsoul Project published with Barrington Stoke will love this exploration of the “Darkive” – a database of the strange and unexplained. Mixing the retelling of a memory with extracts from official files, readers retrace a bizarre and truly creepy experience. In this edition, confidential files have been leaked. Rated at Level 4 (Beyond Fear), they tell the story of Adam Flynn who was camping with a friend when a game of hide-and-seek went very wrong.

When Adam and his friend Sol come across an abandoned “ghost” village, Adam suggests a game. Sol doesn’t really want to play – he’s too scared – but reluctantly agrees. Suddenly, unusual statues, strange children in a multitude of school uniforms and the eerie voice of the “Itter” fill Adam’s consciousness. An innocent game takes on a nasty form. All Adam knows is he needs to find Sol and get out of there before the “Itter” finds him. Every turn reveals a new, horrifying location and a different version of hide-and-seek. The game is never-ending and there seems to be no escape. Is it his imagination, a dream, a trick or a truly terrifying reality.

Fear Files: Hide and Seek is not a book for the faint-hearted. It’s ideal for those more mature upper middle grade readers who are longing for something fresh and unique. They’ll never look at their childhood games the same way again!

Fear Files: Hide and Seek must be paired with Christopher Edge’s other game-based books. Modern, captivating and perfect for tech-savvy kids, these are must-haves for Year 5-9 bookshelves.

Escape Room by Christopher Edge

Escape Room: Game Zero by Christopher Edge

A huge thank you to Walker Books and NetGalleyUK for an early read of this gripping book! It will be publilshed on 25th September 2025.

The Deadsoul Project by Dan Smith

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