The Hanging Hill: A Haunted Mystery

I've read all of Chris Grabenstein's novels and, "The Hanging Hill" is one of his most creepy and fun-filled books thus far. Mr. Grabenstein has a unique way of combining "warm and fuzzy" with creepy - loved it. I got to meet his lead characters, Zack, Zipper, and Judy, in his previous novel ("The Crossroads") and this time around it was like meeting up with old friends. Both "The Hanging Hill" and "The Crossroads" may have been written with the teen reader in mind but this oldster had a great ride each time. Can't wait for the next installment.

Twelve-year-old Zack, who first appeared in the spooky suspense novel THE CROSSROADS, is back and hoping to have some time away from ghosts. Zack's house burned down at the end of his last adventure, and he thinks that means he's now away from all the spirits that haunted the abode. But he soon realizes how wrong he is when he meets the spirit of notorious criminal Mad Dog Murphy while eating his breakfast at the local hotel. Luckily, he and his stepmother, Judy, are scheduled to oversee the play of one of her books at an old small town theater, the Hanging Hill Playhouse. But he's still hearing and seeing strange things at that historic location in Chatham, Connecticut. Just who is that ghostly young woman juggling on the stairs? Misery loves company, and Zack is thrilled to learn that someone else sees the ghosts: the famous child actress Meghan McKenna, who is starring in the new play. Together, the two explore the old theater, seeing ghosts in hallways, stairways and in the basement. A lot of scary activity is taking place --- and not all of it is from ghosts. Humans can be just as menacing (Grimes, the director, is particularly fierce). Little by little, Zack and Meghan begin to figure out what is going on and why the director of the play is so strange. But many seek to stop them --- and some want to sacrifice them. Adding to Zack's dilemma is the discovery of the spirit of a deceased family member. It's hard enough dealing with ghosts of people he doesn't know, so facing one he does seems downright impossible. And after Zack sees Mad Dog Murphy again, this time at Hanging Hill, he begins to seriously wonder what is going on. The spirits are definitely gathering, and Zack knows he and Meghan need to stop whatever it is they're up to. Anthony Award-winning author Chris Grabenstein uses experience in New York theater for details in this dramatic story, along with humor, suspense and plenty of scary paranormal happenings to keep the action moving quickly. Zack, the reluctant hero, is appealing and smart, and readers will be looking forward to his next adventure. --- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

Excellent reading for children. Will encourage children to read as it holds their interest. It's a follow up from the first book called Crossroads.

Chris Grabenstein's sequel to the award-winning THE CROSSROADS is every bit as good and even more SCARY, as Zack, his dog, his stepmom and several new friends battle ghosts and demons in a haunted theater on Hanging Hill. Although THE CROSSROADS and THE HANGING HILL deal with ghosts, the supernatural, and scary things that go bump in the night, don't be afraid to let your children read this book. Three generations in our family loved THE CROSSROADS and are now thrilling to HANGING HILL. Since I was the first to discover Grabenstein (I love his John Ceepak/Danny Boyle adult mysteries!), I get to read his new books first. As soon as I finished H.HILL I passed it along to my adult daughter, who's reading it before handing it down to her oldest two boys (8 and 11). Grabenstein brings to his children's books the same mix of mystery, suspense, and humor that makes his Ceepak/Boyle mysteries so good. CROSSROADS and HANGING HILL are spiced with twists and subplots that you might not expect in children's books, which is probably why they appeal to adults and kids alike. I'm now impatiently waiting for the next story!