Book: Return of the Grudstone Ghosts

By Arthur Slade
Published by Shadowpaw Press Reprise
Review by Michelle Shaw

Moose Jaw is the setting for yet another page-turning adventure. This time there are ghosts, gangsters, a school in peril and, of course, the tunnels of Moose Jaw which lend themselves so well to nail-biting escapades.

Return of the Grudstone Ghosts is the first of award-winning author Arthur Slade’s Canadian Chills series to be reprinted by Shadowpaw Press Reprise. The book was originally published by Coteau Books in 2002.

The story begins when Daphne’s sixth-grade teacher, Miss Vindez, falls from the belfry of St. Wolcott School. Daphne and her friends Nick and Peach are determined to find out what happened. Why was Miss Vindez shrieking and babbling nonsense words and why, after surviving her fall, did she punch Principal Peterka?

The three children discover that St. Wolcott’s is built on the site of another school, Grudstone, which burned down many years before. Daphne, Peach and Nick’s investigations lead them into the tunnels of Moose Jaw and a ghostly tale which they can barely believe.

And it’s not over yet. Dark and dastardly things are about to happen and only the three children can stop them.

Daphne, the narrator of the story, is not just any schoolgirl detective. She’s already regarded as the greatest detective in the world by the Moose Jaw City Police after she previously solved the riddle of the missing monkeys. Her talent for detection is not surprising. Daphne is named after her grandmother, who trained as a spy and was parachuted in to help the underground resistance in Paris in World War 2. Grandma Shea has since climbed Mount Everest, cycled across Canada, and is now living in Moose Jaw where she provides essential support and advice for her granddaughter.

As Daphne and her friends investigate, we’re given an overview of Moose Jaw’s history, especially the part about prohibition, gangsters and the tunnels which run like a maze under the city. Could the past be filtering through to the present?

I loved the attention to detail and the quirky self-assured voice of Daphne. The pace is fast and exciting, and the chapters have delightful titles like Thud! Ka-wump! And Uhhhn!  I’m delighted that this series has been reprinted and that a new generation of readers will be able to experience the Canadian Chills.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM.