I am delighted to share a Q&A with Robin todayĀ ~ thanks toĀ Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.
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Genre: Literary Mystery Thriller
Publication Date: October 15, 2026
Estimated Page Count: 320
Standalone Novel
Youāve written more than twenty-five books for children. Why write an adult novel now?
I wanted to let rip, talk about uncertainty, family, conflict and how people of all ages cope when the world feels unstable. Childrenās books have an understandable requirement for holding back: on violence, sexual content and are perhaps less nuanced because younger minds crave clarity.
But, after 30 years, I still tend to view a story through a childās eyes. Itās a force of habit, I suppose, but I also see it as an original-ish viewpoint for an adult novel.
What surprised me initially, then didnāt so much on reflection, was that the character who saw those things most clearly wasn’t one of the adults. It was a seven-year-old girl.
So, although Dreadnought is a mystery thriller for adults, it still grew out of the same fascination I’ve always had with how children see the world.
So, you chose to tell the story partly through the eyes of an seven-year-old, but also gave her the key?
Absolutely, because children are often the least invested in maintaining comfortable illusions.
Adults become very good at explaining things away, whilst children tend to ask uncomfortable questions and they often feel when things are off first.
Not because they’re wiser, but because they’re paying attention to different things. And perhaps theyāre less distracted because they donāt have to worry about gas bills or tax returns.
Are children more resilient than we give them credit for?
To a degree. Children have nearly always grown up in uncertain times.
What matters is helping them understand that uncertainty is part of life and that families, communities and relationships are what help us navigate it.
There’s a strong intergenerational theme in the novel.
One of the aims of writing the book was exploring how different generations react to the same events. So, in Dreadnought, James, the grandfather, tends to look backwards and fret. Olivia, the mother, and Charlie, the father, both try to manage everything by containment.
The children simply try to understand what’s happening on an emotional level and deal with it in the same way.
Why set the novel in Yorkshire?
The Yorkshire coast has a wonderful dual personality. Sea and land are at odds, but they are also co-dependent when it comes to giving that coast itās beauty and sense of danger, at times.
On a sunny day it’s one of the most beautiful places in Britain.
But it can also feel isolated, mysterious and ancient.
It seemed the perfect setting for a story where threat and buried secrets literally emerge from the landscape.
Despite the darker themes, the book feels hopeful.
That was very important to me, because I think there is already enough people despairing in the world right now.
What interests me is not whether people face difficult circumstances, but how they find courage, kindness and connection despite those circumstances.
In the end, Dreadnought is really a story about family loyalty, truth and hope.
What do you hope readers take away from the book?
That honesty matters.
Book blurb:
A child sees things sheās sure donāt exist. The adults call it trauma. Theyāre both wrong.
On a remote Yorkshire headland known as Dreadnought, seven-year-old Cass Delaval begins to glimpse figures and fragments tied to a past that refuses to stay buried.
As the world edges toward conflict, Cass is drawn into a family mystery stretching back to the Second World War: a missing boy, a hidden weapon, and a family secret.
Because whatever has lain dormant on Dreadnought goes deep into our past ā¦ and it isnāt finished with us yet.
Dreadnought is a story of loyalty and hope, where the courage of one small girl may be our last defence.
Purchase Link – https://amzn.eu/d/0iKBv9i1
Author Bio ā
Robin Bennett is an author and entrepreneur who has written over twenty-five books for children. He has also written books on the swashbuckling world of business: How to Make a Good Living Running Your Own Business, Kicking the Property Ladder and Start up Smart, all published by Harriman House.
In 2024 Cracking was shortlisted for a Week Junior Book Award and Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year for Children. His YA novel ‘XII’ was shortlised for a British Book Award in 2023 and his very popular Monster Max Series is a Book Trust pick and won Coventry Inspiration Book Awards in 2022. Picus the Thief, won the Writer’s News Indie Published Book of the Year Award in 2012.
When Robin grew up he thought he wanted to be a cavalry officer until everyone else realised that putting him in charge of a tank was a very bad idea. He then became an assistant gravedigger in London. After that he had a career frantically starting businesses (everything from dog-sitting to cigars, tuition to translation)… until finally settling down to write improbable stories to keep his children from killing each other on long car journeys.
When not writing or starting companies, Robin plays most sports. Poorly.
Social Media Links ā
https://www.instagram.com/robinbennettauthor
