Creating Professor Malachai Crowe
Professor Malachai Crowe was created to be more than a villain who simply wants treasure.
He is brilliant, secretive and usually one clue ahead. He claims that history must be protected from people who would misuse it—but he never explains why he should be trusted to decide.
A threat built on uncertainty
The most interesting opponents are not completely wrong. Crowe knows more about the Hidden Road than Evelyn and Elliot, and some of his warnings may be genuine. The danger lies in what he refuses to reveal.
His long coat, dark clothes and hat make him recognisable, but his real signature is the black feather that appears whenever a new mystery begins.
Across The Crowe Chronicles, each historical object brings the children closer to the question at the centre of the series: what is Crowe trying to reach, and what happens if he gets there first?