SEASON'S EATINGS

The Graveyard Girls contend with scam artists, a haunted doll, and a disappearing grave in this third series entry.

Notorious local murderer Silas Hoke’s grave has vanished. It’s not just that his bones are gone—the ground itself appears completely undisturbed. As the friends attempt to solve this mystery, complete with spectral clues that they struggle to decipher, they each have other issues to contend with. Whisper is upset about her father’s recent engagement, Frannie is bored without an acting project, Zuzu is trying to communicate with the ghost of Ginny Baker (whom Hoke killed in the 1920s), and the doll Sophie’s sister gave her has come to life and is trying to hurt her. Gemma continues her efforts to save her family’s business, the Spirit Sanctuary, by convincing the Borderlyne triplets, YouTube ghost hunters with millions of followers, to film an episode of their show at the store, but the internet celebrities’ interest turns out to be more earthly in nature. It’s also Gemma’s turn to tell a creepy story at their club meeting, and she delivers a stomach-turning O. Henry–style tale. Fans of the series will be delighted to continue the girls’ adventures and will enjoy the gentle scares that are tempered by realistic family and friendship issues. Most characters read white. Zuzu’s surname cues her as Japanese American, and a previous entry depicted Sophie as Black.

Unearthly thrills and chills balanced by tweens’ down-to-earth concerns.