Synopsis: Spooking guests at Halibut hall has lost its edge for Alex and Grandpa. After haunting the place for nearly one hundred and fifty years the novelty has simply worn off. So winning a surprise holiday to Moonbalm Hotel is more than enough to put the two ghosts in high spirits.

Review: All is not as it should be at the hotel however and Alex soon discovers a plot to steal the mystical Moonbalm Treasure. With Grandpa busy falling in love, all Alex has to help him is a girl from the living. Will he be able to put a plan together to restore the treasure to its rightful owner?

This delightful little book keeps the reader interested straight away simply by its two unusual heroes. We meet the ghosts of Alex and his Grandpa as they fail to scare the latest guest at the Hall that they have haunted for one hundred and fifty years. It has an amusing take on holidays where our two characters get selected to take a free holiday at a hotel where the dead and the living stay side by side (the living guests totally unaware of course as the dead holiday makers only come out at night!) The author manages to mix touching points among the humour, such as when Alex tries to make contact with a little girl, Claire, who can actually see him without Alex having to make himself appear. The reactions of Claire and Alex as they face each other demonstrates the author’s ability to add depth to the writing making his book more than simply a comedy ghost story.

 My only criticism is that I found the illustrations a little too comical at times and not fitting with the written descriptions of the characters, especially Alex. This is of course my own opinion and others may find that they fit in perfectly with the humourous style of writing. Never-the-less, this is a good book with a mix of ghosts, detective mystery, comedy and drama that will entertain both boys and girls.

2006-10-02