The latest, The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer, is Strickland's ninth Bellairs-based book. I eagerly opened its pages and was once again returned to New Zebee, Michigan of the 1950s, a time of innocence but nevertheless a time of evil walking abroad. In this story, Lewis Barnavelt is convinced he is being plagued by the Curse of Three, when three bad things happen to him. He also believes that his Uncle Jonathan, who can actually do real magic and not illusions, is also being targeted. Lewis and his level-headed friend Rose Rita begin to search for answers and begin to suspect that another magical practitioner may be involved.

This is children's mystery in the most classic sense. Strickland has captured Bellairs' brooding gloom, which pervades these stories, even in a place as generally sunny as Michigan. (Some of his other works take place in Massachusetts, whose older, historic buildings could easily produce a gloomy feel in a youngster.) There are lots of false leads and red herrings. Strickland has also been able to distill the behaviors of an imaginative child of the 50s, a simpler time with far fewer distractions. That in itself is a feat.

I enjoyed revisiting these John Bellairs characters but in fresh new tales, with new villains and new friends. Even twenty-first century children, who are Playstation-savvy and computer literate, would really enjoy The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer. (The only thing I missed was the signature Edward Gorey black-and-white book cover. But, alas, even Mr. Gorey is no longer with us. Bart Goldman, however, has offered a very mysterious cover for this new book.)