Molly Thompson and the Crypt of the Blue Moon - Nick Tomlinson

The sequel to The Ghouls of Howlfair is a book I have been anticipating for just over a year so it was with great delight that I opened Molly Thompson and the Crypt of the Blue Moon last week and moved it straight to the top of my TBR pile!

Molly is back and she is all too aware that her mum is struggling to keep the Excelsior B&B afloat so, when when journalists from Country Wonders magazine arrive in Howlfair to write a piece that could paint the town(and the Excelsior) in a better light and attract more business, Molly feels she has no choice but to help them; however, the journalists, Lucinda and Orson Corches, aren't quite what Molly was expecting.  They unnerve Molly and seem to be obsessed with the legend of The Silentman - a legend that could bring about the end of the town if the hidden crypt is ever opened.

Just perfect for this time of year, the book starts with a night time visit to the local infirmary by Death, involves several ghouls and ghosts, dips into some Indiana Jones-esque scenes, spends time in eerie graveyards in the middle of the night and concludes in rather dramatic fashion!  What more could you want from a book as the darker nights descend and Halloween approaches?

It was great to be reunited with the old gang: Molly is as feisty as ever but is clearly carrying the weight of her mom's worries on her shoulders which is why she ends up embroiled in the Corches' bidding.  Her desperation to save her home and her mum's business, as well as the memory of her father, is clearly at the forefront of her mind with everything she does (thankfully as, without that, I fear we would not have had the book!).  Her friends Lowry and Felicity, have also returned and their differing characters are great to read (particularly Lowry's who does make me chuckle!).  And then there's Carl, seen less than the others but still with an integral part to play; thank goodness he's around!  And, of course, I have to mention Lucinda and Orson Corches who are deliciously devilish and characters you will absolutely love to hate, particularly Lucinda (I'm picturing a mixture of The High Witch from the Roald Dahl film and Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada).

The plot builds steadily from the very beginning of the book, with twists along the way that will keep you on your toes and culminates in an edge of your seat finale that will leave you wanting more!  With family and friendship very much at the heart of this book, Molly Thompson and the Crypt of the Blue Moon is definitely a book to curl up with this autumn.