The Case of the Watching Boy

It’s one thing to be interested in history—it’s another to thing to make it

Andrew Tillet is just looking out for a younger classmate when he gets pulled into a heroic scheme—a mission to return an abducted boy to his heartbroken mother. Andrew and his friend Christopher carry out their mission perfectly, but Andrew has curious mixed feelings about several details.
 
The next day, he’s still thinking things over when police arrive at school with news that a local child has been kidnapped, and suddenly it’s clear there’s been a terrible mistake. Andrew, Christopher, Sara, Inspector Peter Wyatt, and even Verna Tillet will put their heads together to follow the trail all the way back to London’s highest social circles, to reunite a child with his real mother . . . and maybe save a country or two while they’re at it. 

Born in New York City, Robert Newman (1909–1988) was among the pioneers of early radio and was chief writer for the Inner Sanctum Mysteries and Murder at Midnight—forerunners of The Twilight Zone that remain cult favorites to this day. In 1944 Newman was put in charge of the radio campaign to reelect Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was also one of the founding members of the Radio Writers Guild, which became the Writers Guild of America.

In 1973 Newman began writing books for children, most notably the Andrew Tillet, Sara Wiggins & Inspector Wyatt mysteries. The series takes place in Victorian London and follows the adventures of two teenage amateur detectives who begin as Baker Street Irregulars. Newman has also written books of fantasy, among them Merlin’s Mistake and The Testing of Tertius. His books based on myths and folklore include Grettirthe Strong, and he has published two adult novels.

Newman was married to the writer Dorothy Crayder. Their daughter, Hila Feil, has also published novels for children and young adults. Newman lived his last days in Stonington, Connecticut.