Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2023
ONE OF THE THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 2023

The first book in the 'criminally good' Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights.

"So this is really a school for criminals." It was meant as a question, though it came out more as an accusation.

"We are so much more than that," Caspian said, sitting in a plush leather chair and gesturing for Gabriel to sit in a similar one across the table. "We are a home for the forgotten, a sanctuary for the lost and ... yes, a training ground for the greatest crooks of the future."


13-year-old Gabriel is a brilliant pickpocket, a skill which he uses to keep his often empty belly not quite so empty. And then one day, he's caught.

But instead of being arrested, he is invited by the mysterious Caspian Crook to attend Crookhaven - a school for thieves. At Crookhaven, students are trained in lock-picking, forgery and 'crim-nastics', all with the intention of doing good out in the world, by conning the bad and giving back to the innocent.

But ... can you ever really trust a thief?

With a school wide competition to be crowned Top Crook and many mysteries to uncover, Gabriel's first year at Crookhaven will be one to remember...

An irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.


The Forgotten Maze

by J.J. Arcanjo

Published 17 August 2023

An irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.

It's Gabriel's second year at Crookhaven School for Thieves. And with a tricky Break-In challenge to the teacher's section of the library to attempt, plus a new class called Reclamation, his Miscreant year is already off to a busy start.

Then Gabriel and his friends learn about Maravel's Maze. Hidden deep beneath the lake, forgotten about by the school, it's a labyrinth of obstacles. Each tests a crook-related skill - and all are nearly impossible.

But the impossible has never stopped Gabriel's crew before, especially not when there's something at the heart of the maze that they all desperately want...

The second book in the 'criminally good' Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights.


The Island Heist

by J.J. Arcanjo

Published 20 June 2024

The third book in the irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.

It's Gabriel's third year at Crookhaven School for Thieves. Along with the usual Break-In challenge - this year to Reclamation island - and difficult new classes like Signs & Signals, Gabriel and his friends have another goal: taking down the Nameless.

The Nameless are the very worst type of criminals - they steal, trick and kidnap for their own benefit, rather than to do good in the world. Each member of Gabriel's crew has a very personal reason for wanting to take the Nameless down - but what can a group of underage school children do compared to the most powerful crew of the underworld?

Luckily, there might be something hidden at Crookhaven that could help them. But first they have to find it...

The third book in the 'criminally good' Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights.


The Impossible Fortress

by J.J. Arcanjo

Published 30 January 2025

An irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.

It's Gabriel's fourth year at Crookhaven School for Thieves, and it's the most challenging one yet. Along with mastering a new class - Lay of the Land - Upper Delinquents are supposed to start thinking about life after Crookhaven. Their schoolwork is beginning to have real world implications, and this year's Break-In challenge is set in an external location known to be impenetrable - the Impossible Fortress.

But the world outside their school grounds can be a dark and dangerous place. And with the most powerful crew in the underworld, infamously known as the Nameless, out to get Gabriel and his friends, the stakes have never been higher.

The crew need to put everything they've learned so far to the test outside of Crookhaven's gates. But there may be something lurking within those gates that the crew should be wary of too...

The fourth book in the 'criminally good' Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights.


Crookhaven 5

by J.J. Arcanjo

Published 14 August 2025

An irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.

It's Gabriel's fifth and final year at Crookhaven School for Thieves, and the crew have only one thing on their minds. This year, they must take down Gabriel's parents - the infamous leaders of the criminal organisation, the Nameless - once and for all.

How will the crew balance this goal alongside their last year of studies, which includes a new class called Groundwork, and the most difficult Break-in to date: infiltrating Crookhaven itself?

Most importantly, can they find a way to lure two of the Underworld's most notorious villains out of the shadows, without anyone getting hurt...?

The final book in the 'criminally good' Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights.