When kids tell reading enthusiast Sara Volpi what they like about Robert Beatty’s “Serafina and the Black Clock,” they say they like the young female sleuth at the heart of a fast-paced story about mysterious disappearances and a cloaked stranger.

Fans of the book will get a chance to meet Beatty when he visits the Warren County Public Library’s Bob Kirby Branch at 6 p.m. Oct. 20.

“I’m hoping a lot of those kids show up and they’ll be able to ask him about his process and how he came up with this character,” said Volpi, who is Western Kentucky University’s literary outreach coordinator.

Beatty’s “Serafina and the Black Cloak” tells the story of a young girl who secretly lives in the basement of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., with her father, the estate’s maintenance man. When children begin vanishing at the estate, Serafina must discover why, along with the identity of the mysterious man in the black cloak – all while uncovering her own mysterious past.

The novel won the 2016 Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize for representing “the best in Southern literature,” according to a WKU news release. It’s also been voted a top middle grades book for 2015 by Goodreads.com and remained on The New York Times’ best-seller list for more than 25 weeks.

At the event later this month, Volpi said Beatty will talk about the writing process and “how a book comes together from start to finish” along with the sequel “Serafina and the Twisted Staff.” Books will also be available for purchase at the event.

Beatty is also visiting local middle schools on Oct. 20 and 21. Volpi said young readers appreciate the book’s suspenseful plot pace.

“That’s really important with a book that’s trying to reach this age group of 8 to 12 years old,” and keep them reading, she said.

There will also be a Food for Thought Luncheon hosted by WKU’s Society for Lifelong Learning from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Knicely Conference Center. Admission is $10.

— Online registration for the event is available at wku.edu/sll/fft.

— Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.