ELLEN POE

In this entertaining sequel to Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore (2026), more delightfully macabre adventure awaits.

Still living with her Aunt Marie at Raven’s Rest, her Baltimore coffee shop and Edgar Allan Poe–themed B&B, Ellen Poe Reynolds continues to be haunted by the ghost of the legendary writer. Eddy, as he prefers to be called, is visible only to 16-year-old Ellen. Ellen’s charming friend, Gus Davenport, also 16, lives across the hall and is the emcee for Raven’s Rest’s open mic nights, bringing in much-needed business. Following one such evening, Ellen discovers that Eddy’s journal—which is tied to his ability to appear to her—has gone missing from its case in the living room. Librarian Sara Rice, who had a keen interest in acquiring the journal, attended that open mic and left Ellen a cryptic note. Unable to connect with Eddy, Ellen has hallucinations about him and nightmares in which he dies horribly. Aunt Marie connects the dots: The nightmares are showing her the “fictional deaths” Poe meted out to the characters he created. Suspecting Rice, who’s gone missing, of stealing the journal, Gus and Ellen attempt to decipher the note, which leads them on a treasure hunt. Using only verified Poe quotations for the ghost’s dialogue, Peterfreund makes him feel vividly alive in his entertaining conversations with Ellen. The relationship between Ellen and Gus, who read white, continues to evolve pleasantly, complementing their exciting exploits.

Both thrilling and endearing: another success.