THE WALKER IN SHADOWS

There are real ghosts in Michaels' latest chatty suspense tale, but the jolly chill afforded by perambulating protoplasm is blunted by all the chatter between Manifestations. Pat, widowed mother of 19-year-old Mark (an affectionate, grocery-consuming know-it-all), is fascinated by their new neighbors in the old house next door--but her Welcome-Wagon approach is stalled by aloof neighbor Josef Friedrich. Meanwhile, however, Mark is speeding ahead with overtures to pretty Kathy, Josef's daughter, and in no time at all, there are nightly trysts. But parental disquiet gives way to terror as the Friedrich home is a-haunted: Kathy, Josef, and the furniture are catapulted about by a spectral apparition of obviously hostile intent! With a certain amount of cross-generational sparring, the four, agreed that ghosts are thrashing around, now begin research into the past--what happened to the two related families who once lived in these neighboring twin houses? Josef and Pat study up (finding time also to fall in love), but it's Mark who ultimately pieces together a story of blighted love and murder--and after he's been used as a broadcasting medium by the nicer ghost, he faces down and exorcises the evil spirit. A passable ghost story, but Michaels' readers may find the contemporary banter here--oh, those loud-mouthed kids!--a bit of a drag on the usual Michaels zip.