Now that Eve, Tom and Clovis have had some supernatural experience under their belts, they are introduced to a secret organisation that helps to control ghosts and all things other-worldly.

Eve’s guardian and eccentric scientist Uncle Rufus has been involved in this society for many years which explains the strange inventions he is always working on. After showing the three young teens his workshop and projects, he is keen to have them become bona fide ghost hunters alongside him and his colleagues.

Eve and Clovis are excited, but Tom isn’t so sure. He has a lot on his plate at the moment, with his difficult ex-soldier dad dealing with PTSD and his mum away visiting her sister in Leeds for a break. His mind is full of a possible move to Leeds away from his friends and volatile father, and dealing with the fear factor of ghost hunting on top of it all doesn’t sound like a good idea.

Eve and Clovis convince him to be part of things, for their first ghost hunting mission at least, making it clear he can change his mind at any time.

Their first mission involves a school, a very traumatised teacher, two small children ghosts and… the ghost of Jack the Ripper. Uncle Rufus has encounted Jack before and is positive his new ghost catching apparatus is sound and will help complete their mission – send Jack where he belongs.

Tracking the giggles and wet footprints of small ghosts through a school is thrilling, but the ghost of Jack the Ripper is much stronger, full of hate and way more dangerous.

Again and again, the four ghost hunter’s lives are on the line as they try to free the children and trap the evil of one of the most notorious serial killers in the UK. Tom has a connection to the children, as he misses his mother too. His mind about ghost hunting is soon to be decided as he finds himself alone with the two small ghosts.

The age-old saying of ‘There’s no such thing as ghosts,’ or ‘Ghosts can’t hurt you,’ is soon disproved again and again, leaving the young ghost hunters in no doubt this a very dangerous occupation.

Just when they believe they have triumphed over evil, evil itself is unleashed…

The second in The Ghost Hunter Chronicles, The Ripper of Whitechapel provides young ghost hunters, Eve, Tom and Clovis with their first real official mission with a secret ghost hunting society.

Two small ghosts are a little creepy with their ghostly giggles and wet footprints where there is no water, but their cries of terror when their spectral pursuer arrives is purely bone chilling. Jack the Ripper is terrorising the ghostly realms and has crossed into the living’s dimension. Leaving a teacher a shuddering mess days after his visitation, the race is on to send Jack where he belongs – past the veil of the dead and into the abyss.

This chase is thrilling, packed with action, danger and dire consequences the characters have yet to learn about in the next episode – The Witches of Pendle.

Deemed YA Horror fiction, I believe any sophisticated readers of 11+ could read this series. There are frequent uses of mild curse words (except for a tropical parrot who swears every times he opens his mouth), but nothing too confronting. The horror action itself is definitely not for gentle souls. It’s deliciously scary stuff.

This novel can be read on its own, without reading the first book in the series – The House in the Woods.

I enjoyed the afterword and the paranormal links this story has with the author’s own paranormal experiences.

Author – Yvette Fielding

Age – 11+

(Not for gentle souls and includes swearing)

(2022, Walker Books, Horror, Ghost, Action, Family, Crime, Historical, Courage, Murder, Secret, Series, PTSD, Family break up, Evil, Hate, Child ghosts, Wet footprints, scientific equipment, Ghost catchers, Ghost hunters, Bad decisions, Demon Hunter, Friendship, Voices, Haunting, School haunting)