The Revenge of Thelma Hill by Margot Finke

Fall is the right time of year to read Margot Finke’s spooky middle grade novel, The Revenge of Thelma Hill.  It’s a perfect harvest offering for lovers of ghost stories.  Agy Wilson’s scary cover immediately grabs you and pulls you in.  Let’s join in the hunt to capture a killer.

Frannie and twin brother Jeff have unhappily moved to Oregon due to Dad’s promotion.  Since it’s summertime, they’ve no easy way to make friends, and have some time on their hands.  What better way to fill it than tracking down a murderer?  There are a few problems -- the chief witness and victim is a ghost, and the forty-year-old crime was presumed an accident.  Such obstacles don’t deter Frannie James.

Frannie is the only one who can see the ghost.  She wants to bring Thelma’s killer to justice, but can’t do it alone.  Jeff takes some convincing to believe in ghosts enough to help her.  His computer “geek-ness” is truly put to the test.  These kids are strong characters with courage and determination.  We applaud their efforts though we fear for their safety.  

The story is exciting and fast-paced with realistic scenes of sibling disharmony in everyday family dynamics.  Can the twins set aside their bickering to concentrate on saving Thelma from a fate-worse-than-death?  Have they undertaken an impossible task on their own?  They can’t involve their busy Dad -- he doesn’t believe in ghosts -- but keeping him “out of it” complicates matters.  Other problems Frannie and Jeff face keep the story interesting and enjoyable right up to the climax.  In the end we finally get answers to Frannie’s questions about their long-absent Mom.  This is a most satisfying ghost story for ‘tweens.

Available as a Kindle book from: www.amazon.com