Uncomfortable with the notoriety gained in Dead Connection (2006), as well as pressure to use his clairvoyant talents to find other missing persons, Murray decides to lay low, finding solace in his cemetery friends Dearly Beloved, Blessed, and Sandray, a new teenage accident victim. But voices outside the cemetery are growing more insistent: they have been murdered, but no one has missed them. Murray's and Sheriff Deputy Gates' paths cross again as they investigate the murders of several homeless people. Price creates two parallel personal stories: Murray longs for a normal life, while Gates struggles to revive a career derailed by gambling. This is less CSI and more gumshoe detective work sprinkled with a heavy dose of the paranormal. Strange, yes, but it works. As Murray tries to embrace life rather than death, he is faced not only with his own immediate demise but also those of his loved ones. It puts living in perspective and makes way for a possible third book about this unlikely crime-solving partnership.

Gr 7 Up-In this sequel to Dead Connection (Roaring Brook, 2006), Murray, a clairvoyant who sees and talks to the dead, finds himself in the middle of yet another murder mystery. He's still not sure about his gift. He worries that society will think he is crazy and want to lock him up. Pearl and her father, Janochek, believe in Murray's gift and are willing to assist the teen. Detective Roman Gates knows he needs Murray, too, but will the teen seer help the detective solve a new string of murders? Readers are kept on the edge of their seats from the very first line to the last in this heart-pounding work; Price is masterful in the art of building and maintaining suspense. Though this novel easily stands alone, teens who enjoyed the first books will love discovering what Murray sees and hears this time around. VERDICT A must-have for any YA mystery collection. Paula Bonifer, Pendleton Public Library, Pendleton, OR