The Castle on Deadman's Island

September 1, 2009
Gr 6-9-The castle on Deadman's Island is seemingly cursed; when it opened in the early 20th century, a guest drowned. Then, throughout the years, a string of unexplained deaths and disappearances occurred. Now, it's 1942, and Graham, Neil, and Crescent, three friends who became amateur sleuths in "Death in Kingsport" (Tundra, 2007), are on their way to the island to warn Graham's Aunt Etta that she may be in grave danger. She has just inherited one-third of the castle and is spending two weeks there alone. Unfortunately, her two co-owners are not the nicest men in town. When the teens get to the island, they discover that she has disappeared. They find a secret passage, a child's skeleton, Etta's shoes, and a hidden suitcase and uncover a deadly plot. The mystery is set up well, but there are not many surprising twists. Kids may find that they know exactly what is going to happen before the characters do and become bored."Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.