Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell
Published by Delacorte Press on September 16, 2025
ISBN: 0593896912
Genres: Horror, Supernatural
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
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Mystery James is 13, very smart, fond of spiders, and devoted to Tía Lucy, who found Mystery as an infant and has been caring for her ever since. Tía Lucy runs a funeral home, which Mystery helps her with, and after a cherished heirloom goes missing from a recently buried prominent town member, the future of the funeral home, and Mystery’s relationship with Tía Lucy, is threatened. Fortunately, Mystery has her wits, her best friend Garrett, and a spider named Coffin who lives in her hair to help her find out what happened to the heirloom, and how to clear her aunt’s name. Easier said than done, since Mystery soon discovers an elaborate plan to keep a malevolent spirit attached to a cemetery that has failed due to the grave robbing her aunt has been blamed for. Mystery finds herself wrestling some complicated emotions in a Faustian bargain that will solve her aunt’s trouble, but will allow a truly despicable, vampiric menace to escape its eternal entrapment.

With the exception of the vampire and his familiar, the grave robber, everyone in this book is so relatable and reasonable; Mystery is a wonderful kid, torn between some hideous choices and the chance to do right by her Tía Lucy. This is a step up in scares from many other middle grade horror titles, and will be a great transition into scarier YA books. Readers will be left wanting more, and as luck would have it, they’ll be able to get it with the sequel being released later this year.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath