An engaging, often humourous, new-kid-at-school story combined with a spooky and suspenseful mystery in a can't-put-down novel guaranteed to delight readers ages 8-12. It was bad enough that Courtney's mom, recently divorced from her latest husband, has moved the family all the way from Vermont to Florida; but when she rented a rattletrap house on Cemetery Street, it was just too much! Fifteen-year-old Courtney is used to being uprooted, to being the practical member of the family, to looking out for her half brother, Bucky. She's smart and sensible and knows how to stay invisible at each new school she attends. But living on Cemetery Street proves to be more of a challenge than even Courtney can handle. It brings her unwanted celebrity at school; attention from Josh, a handsome classmate, who recruits her to do a "how kids decorate their lockers" column for the school paper; and involvement in an escalating mystery. The creepy cemetery and surrounding jungle next to her house are a bit spooky, but Courtney doesn't really believe in ghosts. Then strange things start happening. Lights flicker in the graveyard; tombs are desecrated with satanic markings; an innocent puppy is mysteriously killed. Suspense builds as Courtney and Josh investigate enntombment. Solid detective work leads the young investigative reporters to uncover a diabolical publicity stunt by a celebrated author and his henchman. Fast paced and suspenseful, this perfect-for-Halloween mystery also offers an engaging and affecting story of fragile family bonds and fledgling friendships.
About the Author: I grew up in south Georgia in a land of story tellers. People sat on porches and around fireplaces and told stories, often the same story over and over, sometimes exaggerating a little or a lot. My mother read to me until I memorized my picture books, then I pretended to read them myself. As soon as I figured out that books had authors, I knew that was what I wanted to be. The greatest day in my childhood was the day I demonstrated to the children's librarian at the Carnegie Library that I could read and got my own library card at age six. I was only allowed to check out two books at a time on my card and two on my mother's card. Several times a week I rode my pony and later my horse to the library, tied him to the telephone pole outside the children's room and checked out four new books which I devoured. I always hated to let go of the characters in the end. So after I finished a book, I continued the stories, making up further adventures that went on and on. My favorites were mysteries and animal books.