Darkus can't believe it when a huge insect drops out of the trouserleg of his horrible new neighbour. It's a giant beetle - andit seems to want to communicate. But how can a boy be friends witha beetle? And what does a beetle have to do with the disappearanceof his dad and the arrival of Lucretia Cutter, with her tastefor creepy jewellery?

Darkus's dad has disappeared - but his new friend, a giant beetle called Baxter, is some consolation. Together boy and beetle set out to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. The first in a darkly funny debut trilogy, featuring exotic beetles, a daring quest, bold male and female characters and a truly venomous villain.