Charis Cotter’s latest spooky novel will be released on May 13, 2025. The Mystery of the Haunted Dance Hall, published by Tundra Books (Penguin Random House Canada) takes place in 1960 at a girls’ bird-watching camp in the northern wilderness. Bee Griffin doesn’t want to go to camp, and when she gets there, all her misgivings prove true: her tentmates make fun of her, the woods are creepy, and she’s lousy at canoeing, swimming, and bird watching. She is troubled by faint, faraway music that she can’t explain. When she meets Zippy, a seasoned camper with little respect for authority, they set out to solve a mystery that has baffled the camp staff. They discover an enchanted lake and some very dark secrets. The story was inspired by Charis’ childhood summers at an Ontario summer camp and her favourite fairy tale, “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” by the brothers Grimm. 

Book launch and reading: Tuesday, May 13 at 6 pm, AC Hunter Children's Public Library, St. John's, NL. S'mores, prizes, books for sale!.