One of my all-time favourites, this has one of the best opening sequences in the series (excepting, perhaps, “Green Ghost”), as the boys discover a series of thefts on Pete’s block. After a nicely done stake-out - very atmospheric, with the fog that enshrouds everything - they’re on the trail of the dancing devil, a fabulous statue that seems to be guarded by a spirit! A cracking (and not a little frightening) central image, some very nicely done set pieces and a good pace, the only issue I had was that a section in the middle reminded me of “Phantom Lake” (a curio shop and getting trapped on a boat). Having said that, this is terrific fun and well worth a read.
It is interesting that one of the best books of the series comes at the midway point. This one ranks right up there with the best in the series.
ReplyDelete