RULES FOR GHOSTING

Dahlia’s solitary, ghostly existence is disrupted by the sudden arrival of living and nonliving visitors.

Confined for decades to Silverton Manor and its grounds, the forever-12-year-old is overjoyed to meet Mrs. Tibbs, a very proper ghost sent to engineer Dahlia’s release. However, their plans are interrupted when a living family moves into the manor. Although his parents were hired to watch over Silverton while it is being renovated for auction, Oliver yearns to make it their permanent home. When a nefarious schemer arrives at the manor masquerading as a handyman in order to trap a ghost and gain fame, Dahlia’s very existence is placed in peril. To prevent any further tragedies, Oliver and Dahlia must find a way to collaborate to determine the source of the rumors surrounding the manor and the cause of Dahlia’s death. Chapters alternate between Dahlia’s and Oliver’s perspectives, and Paquette creates vividly detailed depictions of a ghostly existence. She delves into the practicalities of being a ghost, offers a hilarious interpretation of a ghost-run bureaucracy, and describes fanciful ghost-tracking and -trapping gadgetry. As Dahlia and Oliver search for answers, surprising plot developments will keep readers re-evaluating the clues until the story’s thrilling conclusion.

Paquette’s high-spirited tale featuring a benign, good-natured ghost offers readers an imaginative, intriguing mystery.