THE LAMP FROM THE WARLOCK'S TOMB
by John Bellairs
In a sequel to The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn and The Dark Secret of Weatherend, Anthony Monday, his best friend Miss Eels (an elderly librarian), and her brother (described with some truth by the villain as a "rabbity little know-it-all") defeat the powers of evil—as invoked by an antique dealer who has stolen a magic lamp set up as part of the "bell, book, and candle" charm. Half-mockingly using the colloquial style made familiar in such series books as the Nancy Drew stories, Bellairs keeps the action moving right along; but there are few surprises in the occasional sightings of a hooded figure, the midnight helicopter ride, or the climactic capture, threat, and escape. The wooden characters are right out of stock and gratuitously unlikely—Anthony, alleged to be a high-school student, seems more like a 12-year-old; Miss Eels' chief professional task is "reorganizing" her card catalog, and she casually clips historic newspapers and rips up old books in order to search for clues. Entertaining, possibly, but too predictable to hold much suspense.