"The same week our fowls were stolen, Daphne Moran had her throat cut." It was once the most famous opening line in New Zealand literature, and the resurrection of Morrieson's lost masterpiece - equal parts Boys' Own adventure, psychological thriller and family farce - is long overdue.
Fourteen-year-old Neddy Poindexter and his mate Les thwart the chook-rustlers, but things turn sinister when Hubert Salter stalks into Klynham. With a sex killer on the loose, Neddy is in deep fear for the safety of his sister.