Skull Creek Stakeout by Eddie Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Since it’s October, I was definitely in the mood for some lighthearted monster mysteries. Enter Eddie Jones’ second book in the re-released Caden Chronicles series, now known as Monster Mysteries. Skull Creek Stakeout picks up shortly after where the previous book in the series ended, and takes Nick Caden on another adventure searching for monsters that may or may not be real.
Nick is now a reporter for Cool Ghoul Gazette an online magazine that specializes in paranormal stories, and the editor of the site, Calvin, has a story that is right up Nick’s dead-end alley: reports of a vampire have surfaced in Transylvania, North Carolina, and it’s up to Nick to find out what’s really going on. Is there a vampire on the loose in this small town? Is there something sinister happening in the mansion set deep into the woods? It’s up to Nick to figure it out and hopefully take a bite out of crime before a vampire takes a bite out of him!
I felt as though this second entry was stronger than the first, Dead Man’s Hand. Maybe it was the fact that I knew more of what to expect, but I do think the setting does a lot of heavy lifting here. The forest deep in Transylvania, North Carolina, plus the creepiest bed and breakfast you’ve ever read about, all set against the backdrop of a small touristy town lent itself to a perfect spooky season vibe. While the mystery reads like a Murder, She Wrote episode mixed with the Hardy Boys, it’s more fun following along and finding out what’s happening in the small town behind the scenes. As each clue unravels, Nick finds himself in some serious danger, and no one around him is safe.
The spirituality of this series continues to fascinate me as Eddie Jones interprets passages about the death of Christ in light of the way someone who doesn’t follow Jesus, but is intrigued by creepy stories. Nick Caden’s exploration of faith with vampire stories as the backdrop creates a different lens to see the stories of Scripture through. The discussion questions in the back of the book tie in the spiritual themes well, and definitely will lead to good conversation.
So if you’re looking for a fun, super easy, but lightly spooky read, Skull Creek Stakeout is definitely a crowd pleaser.