Tim Barnett is plagued by a nightmare involving an old man, a dog and a golden urn. He discovers that the urn is cursed and that until it is recovered, his great, great grandfather will be trapped in "a cycle of rebirth".

Billy O'Connor desperately wants to be good at something. Then something weird happens and almost overnight, Bumbling Billy acquires talents that make him the coolest boy in school. Do these spookily acquired talents bring Billy happiness, or does popularity come at a price?

In his aunt's attic Sam Pendlebury finds finds a diary in which his grandfather, a convicted murderer, professes his innocence. There's a watch, too, with a weird inscription suggesting that his grandfather has gone back in Time to prove his innocence.

Zach visits Shady Glades Rest Home where he meets the mysterious Mr Cathcart, who's suffering from amnesia. Who is Mr Cathcart? Can Zach and his friends unlock the secrets of this old man's past? What dangers may lurk there?

There's a new boy at Josiah Batty Grammar who, at first, Zach Brinkley and his friends can't stand. Although Raoul improves on acquaintance, it isn't long before Zach discovers that befriending him is dangerous.