HANGMAN'S CROSSING

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.