Jim Cockin
Author
Jim Cockin worked for fifteen years as a television journalist at ITV, the BBC and Sky Sports. In his time as a broadcaster he covered everything from Premier League football to fires, floods and the Suffolk Show. He also produced documentaries for Sky Arts and has many years’ experience working in the communications industry. Ghost Tide is his first novel and in 2025 it won the Mal Peet prize at the East Anglian Book Awards for the best children’s book of the year.
You can discover more about the story behind the book on this site as well as finding contact details for author visits. You can also order copies of Ghost Tide direct from the publisher.
"They call them the ghost tides round here. Big winter storms that unearth things that were buried long ago. Things that are best left undisturbed…”
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When fourteen-year old Charlie Mills finds an ancient brass box on a remote East Anglian beach in the week before Christmas, he sets in motion a chilling series of events. He must join forces with his cousin Ariel to battle enemies both real and supernatural in order to solve the mystery of the ‘box of souls’ and re-capture a violent ghostly presence wreaking havoc around the town.
Inspired by the wild Suffolk coast, Ghost Tide is a timelghost story with a modern-day twist.
‘Perfect for fans of Malamander -gripped me with an icy finger from the first page.’ Catherine Bruton, author
“A really good read!’ BBC Radio Suffolk
‘Well drawn characters and a gripping storyline involving shipwrecks, magical artefacts and malevolent spirits - basically, everything you want in a spooky MG read.’ Phil Hickes, author
‘A superbly atmospheric and creepy ghost story set on the Suffolk coast. The tension builds relentlessly throughout the book. Perfect for the Year 6 bookshelf. Highly recommended for fans of Aveline Jones’ John Biddle, Reading for Pleasure
