Johnny Dixon and his friend, Professor Childermass, are back again. The pair...face further occult adventures that begin when the professor receives a letter from Peregrine, his recently deceased brother, promising him a $10 million inheritance if he has the fortitude to spend the summer at Peregrine's estate and clean it up without paid help. With the note is a cryptic poem that neither the professor nor Johnny can comprehend. Upon arriving at the remote mansion, Johnny, his friend Fergie, and the professor find strange and scary doings that turn out to be the work of a villainous magician who is perfecting a magical scheme to destroy the world. The story unfolds briskly and relatively smoothly-without the rough edges that have marred some of the other Johnny Dixon stories. The few ghoulish touches aren't overdone, and goodness triumphs satisfyingly over evil. Thoughts of a sequel aren't unwarranted, since the conclusion leaves the door open a crack for further adventures. Bellairs fans should welcome this one.
Denise Wilms
Booklist, Vol. 86, No. 6
November 15, 1989, p. 657
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