Eleven-year-old Misty Gordon is chosen by the ghost of psychic Madame Zaster to protect their coastal New England town of Ashcrumb from an invasion of evil, ghostly pirates. The pirates, aided by their living, equally vile descendants, are bent on finding three powerful, magical statuettes that they stole, buried and lost in 1633. Subplots—an insane man named May Nays who will do anything to eat mayonnaise, and Misty’s parents’ antiques business, D.E.A.D., involved with buying and transporting (with a refitted ice-cream truck, complete with music) the estates of the local deceased—add a touch of humor to the action. Character development is insubstantial, the plot predictable and the setting unconvincingly sketched, all combining to make this fast-paced effort just average. The conclusion (of course) sets the stage for further works in the series. Readers seeking slightly scary mysteries with a generous dash of humor will find more enjoyment by selecting the similarly flavored, much more entertaining Pure Dead series by Debi Gliori. (Mystery. 9-12)
