June 15, 2021
Return to Goodie Lane for ghostly scares. After defeating a group of supernatural senior citizens, eighth graders Parker and Mike are thrust back into their supernatural investigations when five young women move into the neighborhood. The mystery kicks off when the Ladies in White--so named for their monochromatic fashion sense--have an open house for their interior design business and Parker sees one woman's hand momentarily turn translucent and an object pass through it. When Parker's friend Lex, normally a fan of brilliantly colored garb, becomes enchanted by the Ladies' glamour and starts volunteering with their business and dressing like them, Parker fears it's only a matter of time before she becomes possessed. The plot and spook factor are as translucent as a ghost's hand, which may leave readers unimpressed by the antagonists and confused by their motivations. A nonsensical final confrontation is brief and will leave horror fans who are expecting something more underwhelmed. A subplot exploring Parker's challenges as track team co-captain interjects some humanity, but beyond that the characters--mortal and otherwise--are not terribly compelling. The first story, The Stitchers (2020), establishes that Mike is Black and Parker is White; here, names signify that Lex is Latinx. A horrifyingly boo-ring read. (Horror. 9-11)
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.