What do You think about The Black Heart Crypt (2011)?
Zack is back, and this time he is trying to get help for seeing ghosts. Part of this help arrives in the unlikely guise of three quirky aunts, in whose trunk Zack and his friends find a heart shaped puzzle. They unwittingly set free centuries worth of Ickleby ghosts when they take the puzzle apart, and they must put up with a gruesome cast of evil doers in order to redo the spell and save their town for being brutalized by the Ickleby criminals. Zack's stepmother Judy is supportive as always, and Zack's mother continues to make creepy appearances, although this time she is more apologetic and interested in making amends.Strengths: Good, creepy story with great ghosts and a strong supporting cast of ghost fighters. A bit icky at times, and similar to John Bellairs in its creepy factor.Weaknesses: I almost wish that these titles were not in a series, so that students could pick up the volumes independently.
—Ms. Yingling
This one has more humor & lacks a little of the poignancy of the first two, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Zack is lucky enough to have both friends & family on his side now, & his fight against ghosts out to do harm to living humans is more fun & less lonely now. For this Halloween ghost extravaganza, he's got three "herbologist" great-aunts in addition to his beloved dad & stepmom (he thinks they might actually be witches) & his two closest friends, who may not be able to see the ghosts they're fighting, but still bring a lot of enthusiasm & smarts to the table. Which is good, because Zack's got to deal with the ghosts of thirteen very angry members of the outlaw Ickleby family, who are out for revenge against the Jennings family - & they have their sights on Zack.
—Brett
Another winning story starring Zack, Zipper and Judy. At times it reminded me of a cross between Scarecrow of Romney March and Sleepy Hollow the movie. Not quite as graphic as the previous book but an exciting tale to while away the hours and being thankful not to see/hear ghosts! A side note, I would have expected the author to further the storyline about Zack's biological mother, perhaps even writing a whole book around it. There was a build-up to her reappearance and yet she ended up being just a small blip in the storyline.
—Susan
