Something evil has taken over… Lewis Barnavelt and his uncle are in England, visiting a cousin at Barnavelt Manor. Lewis quickly becomes friends with the housekeeper’s son, and as the two boys explore a garden maze, Lewis accidentally unleashes demonic forces that summon the ghost of an evil wizard bent on destroying his entire family. Can Lewis fight the maniacal wizard, or will all the Barnavelts perish? * “Chock-full of deliciously spooky details and narrated in a voice that is as cozy as it is ornery, this tale is utterly spellbinding.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “The well-devised plot and the spooky atmosphere will please the series' many fans as well as new readers who like their mystery stories scary.” —Booklist “Satisfyingly hair-raising.” —Kirkus Reviews Books by John Bellairs: The Doom of the Haunted Opera The Figure In the Shadows The Ghost in the Mirror The House With a Clock In Its Walls The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring The Mansion in the Mist The Specter From the Magician's Museum The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder

First published in the USA by Dial Books for Young Readers, 1993.

In 1951, while visiting a distant cousin in the English countryside, thirteen-year-old Lewis Barnavelt accidentally unleashes demonic forces and summons the ghost of an evil wizard bent on killing the Barnavelt family.

Vic, a retired detective, finds life meaningless and contemplates ending it all. However, when he meets up with an old colleague and becomes involved in a murder case, his life changes dramatically. He finds himself embroiled in a sinister and macabre quest for vengeance which has been brewing since 1645, during the reign of the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. He is totally out of his depth and his previous experience as a detective is no match for the dark powers now surrounding him....