The Protectors (Night Fall Series #3) »

Luke's life has never been "normal." How could it be, with his mother holding séances and his half-crazy stepfather working as Bridgewater's mortician But living in a funeral home never bothered Luke. That is, until the night of his mom's accident. Sounds of screaming now shatter Luke's dreams. And his stepfather is acting even stranger. When bodies in the funeral home start delivering messages to Luke, he is certain that he's going nuts. As he tries to solve his mother's death, Luke discovers a secret more horrifying than any nightmare.

Children's Literature

Part of the "Night Fall" series, this novella is a creepy look at the world of a boy who lives in a funeral home. Sixteen-year-old Luke spends much of his time avoiding his stepfather, Sal, the owner of the funeral home. Sal once locked Luke in the casket room overnight for getting in his way. Luke's mother, Penny, is the cosmetician for the funeral home, and she communicates with the dead. When Luke's mother dies in an automobile accident, Sal becomes even more withdrawn, leaving Luke to take care of much of the business. Luke begins having strange dreams and hearing noises in the house. He also has bizarre encounters with dead bodies. He stops going to school and has little contact with his friends. The plot twist is a big surprise. The descriptions of the embalming process are good and work well with the plot. The characters are a bit underdeveloped, but that adds somewhat to the mystery. Anyone with an interest in the occult will enjoy this quick read. Reviewer: Sue Poduska