Dicing with Death

By Beth Chambers

Max used to be an ordinary boy... until he offered himself up to Death in the place of his little sister, and somehow ended up as Death's assistant! Life in the Underworld isn't all bad though, despite housekeeper Liah's abysmal cooking.

Above ground, someone has worked out how to bring the dead back to life, with potentially universe-destroying consequences. Can Max and Liah stop the culprit in time? Or will Max get a lot more than he bargained for?

A darkly comic fantasy adventure in the Black Cats series: short, gripping stories for newly confident readers aged 8-12.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Aug 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781408180426

Beth Chambers

From a very young age Beth Chambers knew she wanted to be an author. She grew up in South Wales where, when she wasn't climbing trees and building dens, she could be found scribbling on pieces of paper. Some years later Beth has had just under thirty books published for children, all written under pseudonyms. When she can manage to tear herself away from her computer she assesses people for Specific Learning Difficulties at the University of Glamorgan in Wales close to where she lives. This is her second title for A & C Black.

Book preview

���1^book_preview_excerpt.html�X���6���{�a;x��� �%�%�)R!)����������{EJ�� 9�ƴD�U�^����p�<|�_�1^ݿj�_�����c��ý��ݠ�l��ś���_m�^������<����߿�G�W��h�h�;%�����W�X���{���9;��M�`НʃQ��x���o�U�tJ/Ӡ3Z߫δ�1N9�Ÿݾl�C��b�!.z=�
��0�A����۬&������c���؜T8Âs ��u��;�F%�4l���p�7>�U�ce_g�!+�{0��'������g��Ĥt�'6b�^} �]�������Ӷ:#�͌�l[������>�!�Іqr&x�=�B֩�PD�N}��~Ѫ�!8���Q �� ��F���\��CL�Q��s/��,0��� 5B0j4Ϙ��������������u��L���2.P߿�Kٌ ��>6���M�DX�B",�7[��a��@a���\�^���(y���$^!G!d��#�I$p� [w��V��r�>о>� �7���"����6p��*!n*�ƒ�䍾К�%{�7�[,�Qg.��LN� ��QZO�v��]q�l�����}SboQ|�.3r��oK�Ws��S�i���E����u YN&5�:�n�z7D��Hxg�⚛7L|��@I��H�IF�o��8��Z�,q��c�"�U���a�c��_O�x �ј5�d�����*:��
��i��%��= �
`/w���$IiP�7�o/���x!��81`\�����p�N� Nv��B���C""}$�<�&�A��!�L�`�
G��g�b)ė&{1�b4�Ո=k*�X�w��v&c.q�6� V
{�k+ҷ��qV�"�- O��S4)�p4�պ�(�����V;��I��|��z"x^��i 5/�`�)挃1�Q��,,�ԓ�h� !K�6�&�3���} �#Kz�<��Z�h
��*��D�W�K� b�ZYٓ�X�hw�^^���Fs���A�� ���`c&@�X�p�Xr%yb4^o�V�z���G
㉋*5 ��Z��Gْ�PAI��� t"`�o9\�`�'Ts�[�@�ї�/�g�P�1��^(PF� �[�Wk�}8+ܮ�%�5�`��U"� k���7���v��6fO���ԉ.�>���`U��0�]w��I�I9�v�g��2��ю��.�=p��y���-�Z��~�^l5� �l��kgҩ�)m�9�I�y�F�������[��7��` �IH�Ʊ�_���T�
q(%�p���ҨB!27Ip�y^��Xh� :0e�t;1�ٙfY���4vt%+淹(&VkJ����zeV1 ,���(��Q�U�sf��6Q�?�/��-��� i�VJ�{6�P����_~����8��nK����Ȟl߯lc1O��A�g��g�:����;��J���ꄎ+�(�L�Wwh/�Ц'q��tH��ׇ�eOA���Y�=
`����Tz0\`���Oh����U���FGFZ�L�B�����Zԥ��=�#�G�Jju��E �9�� �'�NG�O�<�(8`D O�"0���xH��7 A�����SD���wrY�ƚrư�P�(&�l�,�9�����m�Eb�����j>��Pk��/t�hh�E�Dt*r���D������ ����Q��#*~�6�Β� 659R̀�/�3pbjͦ ��7�kG$F
�b9�|�m�¶$r�~ �"�z,�Lܖ��6jEd��o���6�׾h�+�j�}�I��Ц�ܡ?s�,E"j^AW!!
EE8s�U0s;?B��˳�u �T�V�$�)����G�����jN���>cx{>?���F���&� ��8�|.�݉�AE� 8
&�iC��K�2g�"&=�8��V4I�蘎D�w��ǂ?UuP�f\��3��E.5m��ʸ%�a.E[��g�(r���Tam��X.��c��(D��x����!���:c$!�8ٰn���ȋ,f����u¨Z�61JXa���v����S��l
�N�h�c�\І��K�4!E���iX�q�!�cθ&�Β��K�%�%��"���5�G�o��&"�:����<�!b&��y��������_��87�&p0OvIFL_9�Ou��d�:�=(i2e| �kw |�y�D�J{�.�o�>Y�Ii�"�_�-�b*78?j��ݡ��$#�� ��3�|{-}N~��u�x�� Ed0�y7Rh�v�*��Tyc�sq�;�c0�(bŸuI�+H�q5��a@ �^�L���Ζ1�!W�.�f*|��-B�b �i��X�"�����]q�}c)%)�S�S#
ⅉ�ّ���'M|�-���N&h�r� �b,V��iڧ�V���8��Na�-�S.`0�7��"*.v�X��m)mWG�y��aZ(b���9��`n���}��"���Dr!��F���m��"���� ��������1�I����d�&,e���ß��ec\[�׌���Aؿ,�b��:��M�^���3�M�)�=�>x�7r�l�vâ,z�(3F���H��?�p�Gۭ�ֆ|(��[x��)���@2�!qzy;B���=��&�M^�E����ٰ �d!7�BbǬ�E(76�@�ZX�����J������Ћs