The Ghost in the Mirror

When I was a child, there were few things I liked more than to curl up in a comfy armchair with an Usbourne Puzzle Adventure and a pad and pencil (to work out the puzzles on). Having rediscovered my collection of these books in my old bookcase, I'm currently having a great trip down memory lane, particularly with those in the series that have a ghostly theme. "The Ghost in the Mirror" deals with Sam, Joe and Polly, three friends who notice a strange green glow emitting from a window in the deserted Grimstone Manor. Returning the following day, they manage to break into the old mansion and begin their explorations - something is definitely awry in the household, what with strange footprints, apparitions appearing in mirrors and odd people roaming the halls. Karen Dolby has written an interesting story that takes the reader on a cat-and-mouse chase, in which three parties (including the kids) attempt to elude - and eventually confront - each other in the setting of an old manor house. Unfortunately the McGuffin of the book is a little silly (a teleportation machine), but the rest of the book more than makes up for it, with ghosts both real and imaginary. Like all the Usbourne Puzzle Adventures, each page ends with a question pertaining to the page itself - there'll either be a message to decode, a hidden clue to spot, a cryptic clue to figure out, or some other solution in the text or illustration that adds to the flow of the plot. As always, there are hints and solutions at the back of the book - but it's more fun and rewarding to figure it all out yourself. The book is illustrated by Brenda Haw, who is definitely my favourite illustrator of the Puzzle Adventure series. Her work is so bright and colourful, and yet beautifully detailed and atmospheric. Grimstone Manor comes across as a labyrinth of dusty and ramshackle rooms; a nursery, a ballroom, a wine cellar, an old gift shop, and even a secret laboratory. Almost every available surface is littered with details, red herrings and potential clues - even a few in-jokes, such as a small poster that reads "Visit Creville Manor," - a location that Haw illustrated in Vanishing Village (Usborne Puzzle Adventures). The combined talents of Dolby and Haw make "The Ghost in the Mirror" one of the best installments of the series.