This is the second book in Tom Hoffman’s Ghost Ring series, and the story picks up immediately after the events of Welcome to Wilder House, pulling you right back into Caligo Falls’s world of ghosts. Although the protagonists (Simon and Clara) are in their upper teens and the book is marketed as a YA paranormal mystery, there’s a lot here that will appeal to adult readers. There are multiple layered mysteries that even seasoned readers won’t be able to fully solve, and the emotional weight of what’s uncovered (especially the ghosts’ backstories) is really compelling. This book has been awarded a Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal and is just as strong as the first installment (which was also an award winner). And for all you trope lovers, there’s a great mix here—amateur sleuthing, haunted settings, generational secrets, ghostly witnesses, unsolved historical crimes, and more! What makes these books SO readable is the writing—the prose is straightforward and uncluttered, and because the story itself is intricate, layered, and unpredictable, it’s easy to get fully immersed. The story is told in a 3rd-person POV, mostly focusing on Simon and Clara, whose amateur sleuthing dynamic is the heart of the story. And just like in book one, they’re able to see and communicate with spirits using the Ghost Ring—but this time around, Simon is much less hesitant about using it to communicate with the ghosts and touch them to relive fragments of their past memories. There are several returning characters who add heartfelt continuity, but the main mysteries center around new human and ghost characters, which helps this installment feel fresh. The ghosts—many from the early 1900s—vary in age and awareness, ranging from confused spirits who don’t realize they’re dead to those who do but can’t move on, and it’s fascinating to watch Simon and Clara figure out how to approach each one! Simon’s great-grandfather, Cornelius Wilder, is a key figure in this story, and his corruption and ruthlessness are vividly depicted through several ghost flashbacks. These flashbacks allow Simon and Clara to experience events from the past that directly connect to the mysteries they’re trying to solve. Be prepared for multiple threads to come together by the end—and jotting down notes or building your own “mystery board” is really useful in keeping track of everything and in solving the mystery on your own! And just like the first book, the pacing here is strong. The story is always moving forward, without repetitive scenes or inner dialogue, and the relatively short chapters—many ending in mini cliffhangers—make it very engaging. At just over 300 pages, you can realistically finish this book in a single sitting! The second half of the story becomes even more intricate and emotional—there’s a child ghost waiting for his mother, a league of ghosts who have shifted their consciousness into other worlds and share insightful information, and a dark, dangerous entity that becomes key to the central cold case. Predicting how everything is connected is difficult, but the resolution brings the threads together in a satisfying way, without any loopholes or major unanswered questions. With Simon and Clara moving off to college and foreshadowed events set to take place in NYC, you get the sense that future paranormal mysteries may extend beyond Caligo Falls—and you’ll be eager to read the next book in the series right away! And if you’re an audiobook listen, do yourself a favor and pick up the audio for this installment and book one, as narrator Christian J. Casas delivers distinct, convincing voices for all the human and ghost characters, making the listening experience feel cinematic and very engaging!