When Abigail, Morton, Ruth and her dog go sledging one snowy day in their sleepy village, they wander off into the forest to find the cottage of the notorious recluse, Bentley. After an encounter with the unpleasant gamekeeper Vargis, they continue through a worsening blizzard to the cottage, where they are forced to take shelter. Bentley returns and the children are scared, but they soon grow to trust the elderly man, who tells them the story of Ivan and Gertrude Murdac, outcasts who lived at Blackdaw Cottage years earlier. Meanwhile, the children's parents wait for them, miles away, worried at the fate of their offspring in such horrendous conditions. Day turns to night, night turns to day, and everyone finds that the snow has changed some things forever.... A novel for teenages, Blackdaw Cottage will keep the reader hooked as they follow the story of the Murdacs and the fate of the three young children and a dog. Author Philip has been inspired by a number of authors, including classic writers the Brontës, Charles Dickens and George Eliot amongst others. He is a particular fan of V S Naipaul, whose book The Enigma of Arrival he studied for his MA.