'Go and play by the river,' they said.

'Make friends. Build memories. Wade in cool waters. Embrace the hallowed sun above. Feel its golden rays against your skin.'
'It's an enchanted place,' they said. 'Nothing but peace and joy, here.'

Deep in the North Yorkshire Dales, set under endless skies, a stream flows down from the hills into the Vale of Mowbray. Here, countless generations of children innocently played in a shallow beck. A magical, mysterious place. For those growing up in the surrounding villages, life was rich, and wholesome. No responsibilities, no cares; only delight.

Because life is richer and fuller, when viewed through rose-tinted spectacles, under a halcyon cap. Parents carefully conceal and wrap their nostalgia, passing it down as a precious gift, sealed with the promise of abundance. A treasure trove for the expectant, innocent mind.

But in 1984, five kids discover that enchanted doesn't mean good; that adults lie, forget, or choose to ignore. And that when you unearth truth, its consequences can be dire.

Forty years on from their friend's inexplicable disappearance, the river calls to them all once again, reaching out through their pain, remorse, relationships... and success. The river is preparing. The river is ready to take.

And they'll be forced to either return and confront their past, or repeat and facilitate the same torment for generations to come.

James is an author, a proud father, and a big fan of the underdog. He's the author of the Shelly Clover series, The Children at the River's End, and Mr Buechner's Christmas on Shrieker Pass.