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X marks the haunt
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2026
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Publishers Weekly Review
An imagined version of Chicago's historic Graceland Cemetery provides the backdrop for an eerie adventure in this captivating ghost story by Currie (The House with No Keys). Twelve-year-old Will Stone is an expert on all things relating to Graceland, where his mother works as the executive director. An aspiring genealogist and cemeterian, Will spends his free time exploring Graceland's grounds, studying the archives, and paying his respects to new arrivals. When several classmates sneak into the cemetery at night, Will reluctantly aids them in hopes of mitigating any mischief. But when, following the excursion, an irreplaceable mausoleum key vanishes, Graceland's trees start dying, the lake dries up, and a ghostly woman begins haunting Will. To set things right and save the cemetery, Will must determine the identity of the restless spirit and recover the lost key. The protagonist's dedication to respecting and honoring the dead, and to appeasing the source of Graceland's problems, gives the novel an intimate feel, positioning empathy and kindness as powerful traits, and resulting in an appealing offering for those seeking thrills and chills sans excess gore or violence. Major characters cue as white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Shannon Hassan, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Jan.)
Booklist Review
Twelve-year-old Will Stone loves hanging out in the local graveyard. It's not as creepy as it sounds--his mom runs the old resting place, so it's practically like his second home. He even lends a hand with the day-to-day work, thanks to his knack for genealogical research and his ability to make sense of the cemetery's archaic, crumbling records. It's a quiet, stable sort of life, which suits him just fine, particularly since the recent death of his dad, which turned his world upside down. Then, after a field trip, the resident school bully loses the key to an ancient crypt, accidentally awakening a restless spirit that soon shatters the serenity Will so cherishes. When the seemingly sinister specter starts sapping the life out of the surrounding landscape and haunting Will and his friends in increasingly unsettling ways, Will realizes he must uncover the identity of the agitated apparition before it destroys both the place he loves and the people he holds most dear. Set in Chicago's historic Graceland Cemetery, Currie's latest delivers another exciting and eerie mystery, expertly blending fascinating facts with fearsome fiction. Chilling, thrilling, and touching in equal measure, this story of supernatural suspense will appeal to readers of The Forgotten Girl (2019), by India Hill Brown, and Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave (2025), by Ally Russell.
Kirkus Review
A 12-year-old Chicago boy finds peace in a cemetery--until something terrifying is unleashed. Will often works alongside his mother at the Graceland Cemetery, where she's the executive director, digging into records and tracing genealogical leads. His father was killed in a car crash two years ago, and he feels satisfied when he can help a family find a long-lost ancestor. His best friend, Stash, understands Will's dedication, but Will doesn't talk about the cemetery at school, where he doesn't want to be seen as different and targeted by school bully Chris. But a class field trip to the cemetery means his secret is out. To Will's surprise, his classmates Henry and Michelle are interested in the cemetery's history. Not Chris. Instead, he pressures Will to get him the key to a mausoleum so he can livestream from the cemetery after hours. But when Chris loses the key, a ghost latches on to Will. Will, Stash, Henry, and Michelle use humor to keep their terror at bay as they combine their varied skills to figure out who the ghost is and what she wants. The descriptions of the ghost are hair-raising, and the research into her life and death reveals an unexpectedly poignant, historically accurate story. Will and his friends, who are cued white, are portrayed with great emotional depth. There's even hope for Chris, who initially seems to be a one-dimensional bully but by the end seems to correct his behavior. Horror with heart. (map, author's note)(Horror. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Locked Rooms , when a centuries old crypt key is lost-unleashing a dark force-it's up to the son of the local crypt keeper to end the haunting for good.

"Follow the clues to X Marks the Haunt for a spookily good mystery!"-Alan Gratz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Heroes

Thanks to his mother's job at a local graveyard, twelve-year-old Will Stone has some unique talents. For one, he knows exactly how a burial vault works and why they're used. For another, he's great at genealogy and can decode centuries old records. Not your normal every day after school activities, that's for sure!

But when a centuries old crypt key is lost, his normally peaceful existence at Graceland cemetery is shattered. Trees wither and die. The lake becomes covered with a sinister green slime that threatens to choke out anything living in it. And suddenly, the graveyard's reputation isn't the only thing in jeopardy . . . Will and his friends' safety is, too.

Suddenly, Will is forced to consider that the lost key might be an even bigger problem than he originally thought. A dark force has been unleashed within the cemetery gates, and along with his friends Stash, Michelle, and Henry, Will must use his unique skill set to figure out which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life, and how to end the haunting for good.
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