What happens when the unluckiest boy in the world meets the greatest magical detective (who might also be a cat)?
Oakmoss Hornbeam knows he is very clumsy. In fact he’s just escaped certain death (lucky), although that did make him miss the school bus (unlucky), but also meant he made a new friend, a cat who knows a lot about magic.
Is Oakmoss simply very accident-prone, or is it possible someone has put him under a powerful ill-wishing spell? Because who on earth would want to harm a slightly undersized schoolboy?
Together with his new friend, Nightshade the cat, Oakmoss must delve into the darker side of magic and his own powerful, magical family as they attempt to discover if someone is really out to harm Oakmoss with magic. Who might want to? And why?