What If The Da Vinci Code Met Stranger Things? The Secret On The Second Shelf Comes To Audible

(MENAFN- Pressat)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, 26 May 2026 The Secret on the Second Shelf, Jonathan White's supernatural time-travel adventure for young readers, is now available as an audiobook, narrated by SOVAS Voice Arts Award-winning British narrator David Sweeney-Bear of DSB Audio.

Part ancient conspiracy thriller, part supernatural coming-of-age adventure, The Secret on the Second Shelf has drawn comparisons to The Da Vinci Code for its relentless pace and layered mystery, and to Stranger Things for its dark atmosphere, supernatural menace, and a young protagonist thrust into a world he was never supposed to find.

Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Bonfire Night, the story follows fourteen-year-old Tim Shaw as he is hurled 300 years into the past in a supernatural race to uncover the truth behind his mother's mysterious disappearance. Along the way he must battle the Deceivers, terrifying creatures capable of shifting between human and bird form and unravel a dark secret that holds the key to the survival of mankind itself. With the help of a mysterious golden compass and sixth-former Gemma Bowen, Tim must confront forces far beyond anything an ordinary boy could imagine.

The novel blends fantasy, time travel, history, and horror into a breathless adventure, praised for its vivid world-building and pace.

“I've spent much of my life moving between countries, sitting in airports, living out of suitcases, staring out of train windows at unfamiliar landscapes. You find yourself with a lot of time to think. What are we really doing here? What do we leave behind? What secrets does the world keep from us? Tim Shaw's story grew out of those questions. I wanted to write something that would grip a young reader the way the best stories gripped me as a child: something that made the world feel bigger, stranger and more alive with possibility than it appears. Hearing David bring that world to life in audio is one of the most extraordinary experiences of my writing life.”

Jonathan White, author

About the Narrator

David Sweeney-Bear is a SOVAS Voice Arts Award-recognised narrator, voice actor, and audio producer, and the founder of DSB Audio. With over 25 years of experience in music production and eight years specialising in audiobook narration, David has produced and narrated more than 50 titles for publishers including Audible, HarperCollins, and Pro Audio Voices. An Audible Approved Producer, his work spans fantasy, historical fiction, non-fiction, and adventure, and he is recognised for his exceptional range of character voices, emotional depth, and cinematic production quality.

“It was an absolute joy to narrate and produce this outstanding supernatural horror mystery by Jonathan White. Jon and I worked closely to get the tone and characters just right, and it was an unusual pleasure to voice a book set in Cambridgeshire, UK, which happens to be where I grew up. In 'The Secret on the Second Shelf', Jon has written a well-conceived and thrilling story with a plethora of fascinating characters, surprises and thought-provoking narrative. It is rare that a story manages to strike that perfect balance between dread and whimsy, light and shade to deliver a satisfying and absorbing experience for the reader. This is one such story, and I hope that my audio narration and production will deliver that same experience for audiobook listeners.”

David Sweeney-Bear, narrator, DSB Audio

Availability

The Secret on the Second Shelf is available as an audiobook and in Kindle, paperback, and hardback editions. Listeners and readers can also explore the world of the novel through No Such Thing as Monsters, a short film adapted from the novel, written, produced, and directed by the author and available to watch on YouTube.

Title:

The Secret on the Second Shelf

Author:

Jonathan White

Narrator:

David Sweeney-Bear (DSB Audio)

Formats:

Audiobook (fully unabridged) · Kindle · Paperback · Hardback

Platforms:

Audible · Amazon · Apple Books

Audiobook ASIN:

B0H2BT4F7X

Short Film:

No Such Thing as Monsters (YouTube)

Website:

MENAFN26052026004644010603ID1111166602