Genesis

What if a teenage boy washed up on the banks of the River Thames, soaked to the skin and unable to explain who he is?

What if the only clue to the boy's identity is a sketch he made of a strange symbol?

Who would help him? Who would hunt him?

Who is River Boy?

When a mystery teenage boy emerges from the River Thames drenched, distressed and unable to remember anything about himself, he becomes the focus of worldwide media speculation. Unable to communicate, the River Boy is given paper and a pencil and begins to scribble. Soon a symbol emerges, but the boy has no idea why he has drawn it even thought it's the only clue to the mystery of his identity...

As the boy begins to build a new life under a new name, the hunt for his real identity begins.
A hunt which will lead him on a dangerous QUEST that he has only one year to complete ...

Introducing the first in a thrilling new series packed with adventure: this book has an illustrated narrative running through it, helping readers to solve the mystery alongside the characters in the story.

Helen Dennis was born in Brighton and was a teacher for twenty years. Her writing draws on huge universal questions, and River of Ink was inspired by the question: is it good to want to live forever?

Helen worked as a student at two schools for deaf children as well as Brighton Deaf Centre: one of the main characters in River of Ink is a deaf boy who uses BSL, and it is important to her that his character is strong, funny and integral to the plot and emotional arc of the story.

Helen now writes full time but enjoys making school visits, where she runs code-cracking and creative writing sessions. Previous books include the Secret Breakers series, written under the name H L Dennis, book three of which was nominated for the Carnegie Award.