I bought a copy of Darren Shan’s Zom-B: City (the third book in the Zom-B series) in the supermarket on Thursday and the girl at the checkout looked at it closely and asked, “Is this for you?”

I told her that it was but after I’d read it I’d be taking it into school and, yes, it was about zombies.

It turned out it wasn’t the zombies that bothered her but the clown on the front because she, in common with a surprising number of people, can’t stand clowns.

For those that have been following the series so far, the clown on the front cover is actually Mr Dowling and he certainly isn’t going to win the hearts and minds of anyone who already has a fear of clowns.

B is on her own in the streets of London. First thing on the agenda is to hit the shops for new clothes, a hat and some sunglasses, then she makes her way home.

During the course of the novel, she is pestered by zombies, shot at (several times) and even run over. As always the book ends on a cliff-hanger.

As I have said before, these books are perfect for reluctant readers – both boys and girls – who enjoy horror stories.