From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-The characters originally created by John Bellairs once again come to life through Strickland's words. Johnny Dixon, Fergie, Professor Childermass, and Brewster must save Johnny's father's life. Their adventure takes them from Massachusetts, to the Florida Keys, to the Colorado Rockies, and into the spirit world, for Nyarlat-Hotep, Brewster's evil brother, has possessed Major Dixon. They must locate an ancient book and defeat the creature. To complicate matters, the book acts as a chameleon and hides in plain sight, Nyarlat-Hotep puts obstacles in their way, and time works much differently in the spirit world. Fans of the series will enjoy this new supernatural adventure, which reads so much like Bellairs's books that they won't believe he didn't write it.
Kendra Nan Skellen, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
While vacationing with his father in Florida, 13-year-old Johnny finds an old, enchanted book and receives a mysterious warning from a local fortuneteller. Back home, Johnny consults his cantankerous old friend Professor Childermass. When Johnny's father becomes gravely ill, Johnny and the professor investigate and discover that the spirit of Nyarlat-Hotep, using the body of the pirate Damon Boudron, is attempting to overpower Johnny's dad in order to destroy the world. With the help of Brewster, the other-worldly falcon last seen in John Bellair's
Trolley to Yesterday (1989), Johnny, his friend Fergie, and Childermass travel to Brewster's realm to destroy Boudron. Strickland's story is eerie, suspenseful, and true to the personalities and writing style of Bellairs, who began the Johnny Dixon series. As usual, the forces of good and evil figure prominently in the tale, and Johnny's friend Father Higgins assists the trio's return to the real world. This is good reading for adventure enthusiasts as well as for series fans.
Kay Weisman
