Hangman's Crossing

September 15, 2021
Jake and Cora return to solve more ghostly crimes. In return for helping his mentor, Stiffkey, resolve his unfinished business, Jake has been granted a position working for the Embassy of the Dead--whether he wants it or not. He can't actually turn down this invitation and thus finds himself deep in the realm of the dead at the Hangman's Social Club, where he overhears a plot to destroy the thin veil between the world of the living and the dead. Now it's up to Jake, his ghost pal, Cora, and ghost fox Zorro, to right some wrongs. Jake's refusing of the call to serve gets a bit tiresome, but the author smartly places this in the background relatively early. As spooky and macabre as its predecessor, this outing has a little less novelty but makes up for that with a zippy structure. The first book's uneven pacing is improved upon here, and the creepy, scratchy illustrations spook readers at every few turns of the page. Readers will delight as they journey through realms unknown with Jake and Cora as they search for a way to save the world. This sequel delivers, expanding the world of the series in smart and engaging ways that will have fans pleased and newcomers going back to read the first volume. Jake and Cora are White. A blossoming, chill-inducing series. (Horror. 9-12)

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October 1, 2021

Gr 4 Up-Jake, fresh off his adventure in series opener Embassy of the Dead, is attempting to slide back into life as a normal British kid-ignoring the fact that he can see ghosts, that he's been appointed an official Undoer (someone who helps ghosts pass on) by the Embassy, and that his house continues to be inhabited by possessor spirit Cora, his ghostly assistant in all things afterworld. Despite his best efforts, Jake is ultimately summoned back to the Embassy for some emergency Undoing while the Elite Undoers are busy with a rash of problems. Jake and Cora discover a dangerous mystery that leads them from a missing assistant, to a contraband Afterworld goods-smuggling ring, to the threat of the emergence of a Plague Demon that could spell doom for the living world and Afterworld alike. As with the first installment, creepiness and humor are incorporated well with a satisfyingly twisty mystery that keeps pages turning. Character skin color is not mentioned in the text, but Jake and Cora appear with light-colored skin and brown and blond hair in the charming pencil illustrations sprinkled throughout the book, while side characters are depicted with a variety of skin tones and hair types. Librarians and caregivers should be aware that this plot revolves around the thwarting of a communicable plague that threatens the stability of the worlds of both the living and the dead, and recommend accordingly. VERDICT A spooky second installment that will satisfy fans of the first, and leave them excited for further adventures.-Darla Salva Cruz, Suffolk Cooperative Lib. Syst., Bellport, NY

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