A beautifully crafted fantastical mystery from Philippa Pearce, one of the twentieth century's greatest children's novelists, with beautiful illustrations by Helen Craig. A mysterious stranger called Mr Finder offers to help Till find his dog, and they interview various witnesses including a heron, a mole, a riddling cat - and Miss Mousey, whose sketch of a peaceful riverbank offers a vital clue.

The quest to find Bess is full of magic but Till begins to mistrust his supposed ally Mr Finder - until at last he realizes the truth, and they track down the real culprit, a finder who likes to keep what he finds.

At the end of this enchanting story Till is reunited with his beloved Bess and a new book - of the story - will be born.