STARRY NIGHTS

This tantalizing ghost story from Australia will keep readers on the edge of their seats. As the novel opens, 10-year-old Jess's family has just moved to an isolated house in a small suburb. Here, it is hoped, Jess's mother can recover from her recent nervous breakdown. The cause of her illness is not named, but it seems connected to Jess's irrational fear of water, older sister Vida's sudden interest in spirits and older brother Clem's private meetings with a mysterious schoolgirl named Amy, who bears an eerie resemblance to one of his mother's childhood friends. A supernatural aura permeates the narrative and grows stronger as Jesse feels that she is being followed by a spectral presence. Meanwhile, Clem experiences a "strange little kernel of cloudy knowledge [that] he might not be around much longer." With masterly skill, Clarke (Night Train; Wolf on the Fold) sprinkles in just enough clues to fan the audience's interest. As pieces of the puzzle begin to fit into place, tension rises at a steady pitch before exploding in a dramatic climax. A spine-tingler with staying power. Ages10-up. (May)