Embassy of the Dead: Hangman's Crossing by Taryn Knight, Will Mabbitt
Series: Embassy of the Dead #2
Published by Walker Books US on October 26, 2021
ISBN: 153621048X
Pages: 240
Genres: Adventure
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

“Hangman’s Crossing” is the second book in the Embassy of the Dead series written by Will Mabbit and illustrated by Taryn Knight. Jake Green now has a job at the Embassy of the Dead, since he helped a ghost pass to the Afterworld in book 1. With his ghost partner, Cora, he helps ghosts pass on. While working on a routine undoing, Jake overhears a plot to bring a demon through to the realm of the living and apparently he’s one of the only people who can stop it.

A humorous middle grade fantasy book set mostly in the realm of the dead, Jake is an unlikely and reluctant hero. The minimal illustrations are done in a dark pencil style and add to the overall creepiness of the book. Being brave and facing your fears is interwoven with humor and low-key creepiness that you would expect from the land of the dead. Recommended for ages 8 – 12, this book is a good additional purchase if you already have the first in the series and it has proven popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.