Sue spent many summers in Falmouth as a child. There were carefree afternoons with her cousins on a wooden boat, making its way to Flushing, dangling fishing lines over the edge in the hope of catching Cornish mackerel. There were weeks of exploring beaches, rockpools, caves and cliffs, and one of her favourite secret pastimes was to squeeze through iron gates to catch a glimpse of the shell caves at the bottom of the Princess Pavilion gardens. Summers were full of adventure, salty fresh air and exciting stories told to her by her grandpa, Edward George.

Her family’s connection to Falmouth stems way back to 1865, when her great, great grandparents opened a bakery and confectioners on Market Street (now Uneeka), later continued by her great grandparents. In the late 1930s, her grandparents bought premises at 7 Arwenack Street, where they set up a bakery. During the Second World War, her grandfather was not only running his own bakery, but also working 8 hours a day at the Cooperative, baking bread for some of the 27,000 US soldiers amassing around Falmouth in preparation for the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach. The premises remain in the family today, though they are now home to The Cornish Bakery.

Fascinated by adventure, the marine world and Second World War history, Sue had the perfect recipe for a new book. With research support from Cornish Rockpools and the Rockpool Project, the story soon took shape.

The Shell Secret follows 11-year-old Alice Clark, who is on holiday in Cornwall following the loss of her sister in a tragic accident the summer before. On a mission to create a memorial for Poppy, Alice wants to spend the holiday scrabbling along the shoreline, searching for flat periwinkle shells. Forbidden from going to the beach alone, she begrudgingly makes a deal with Jasper, the annoying boy next door. This lands them in the middle of a Second World War murder mystery, uncovers a family secret and exposes a present-day crime.

Sue said: “ I became fascinated by the creatures that used to inhabit the shells I collected. This is why flat periwinkle shells are key to my story. As well as being a physical representation of Alice and Poppy's relationship, the shells are also a metaphor for the protective shell that we all develop around us. In a world where there is often a focus on indoor, family life, I wanted to show how energising and healing the coast can be and encourage children to explore and enjoy the wonders of the outdoors."

For more information, visit sypalmer.com or candy-jar.co.uk/books

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