Bernie's family is in the grave-marker business, and she's desperate for her busy, distant father to let her help out. The arrival of the mysterious and creepy Abbot Stein, who etches eerily lifelike portraits onto stone tiles, seems like the perfect opportunity for Bernie to learn some tricks of the trade and finally get noticed. But when townspeople start dropping dead, Bernie discovers a terrifying secret: Stein completes the portraits of the dead before they die. Is it just a coincidence, or is it murder? With the help of her slightly annoying friend, Michael Romano, Bernie investigates the dark origins of Stein's craft and the truth behind his unexpected appearance. Meanwhile, Bernie's family, particularly her mother, is beset by grief over the recent death of her baby brother. Goebel's debut has some very scary moments, particularly the gruesome tale of Stein's magical etching tools, but they're all countered by warm, fuzzy interactions with her good-hearted family and neighbors. Give to young readers who want a spooky story without the nightmares.

Bernie wants to help out with the family business while her parents grieve the loss of their infant son. When townspeople begin to die mysteriously, Bernie suspects the sinister Mr. Stein may be involved, a man her father hired to engrave headstones. The supernatural story is a touch creepy, but this is more about coping with loss. Lethargic plotting mars an otherwise successful debut.

Is Abbot Stein predicting deaths with his etchings…or causing them? Twelve-year-old Bernadette "Bernie" Morrison wants to help her father in his business, Alpine Monuments, so that he can spend more time with her mother, who is still deeply depressed--to the point of being bed-ridden--over the death of Bernie's infant brother Thomas nearly a year ago. When a stranger, Stein, appears with an apparent talent for creating portraits in stone, Mr. Morrison hires him and lets him stay in the carriage house. Bernie's elation at the new face and a possible source of training vanishes in the face of Stein's gruff attitude and general creepiness. When Bernie discovers Stein has etched portraits of townspeople before they died, she sets out to find out how and to stop him with the help of oddball new kid and sheriff's son Michael Romano. Does Stein have anything to do with the deaths? And what does any of this have to do with the mysterious Isabella, whose portrait in stone Stein carries with him? Goebel's debut is a plodding, slightly supernatural thriller wrapped around an after-school special. Inoffensive enough (except, perhaps, for some kissing between Bernie and Michael) and far from frightening, the plot and setting are nearly as stock as the characters. For budding fans of problem fiction interested in a little spookiness. (Supernatural fiction. 8-11)

Gr 5-8 Thirteen-year-old Bernie wishes her artwork could help her family's business, Alpine Monuments. Lately, it seems that every aspect of her life revolves around the graveyard. Her father never stops sandblasting headstones, her grandmother takes comfort baskets to the bereaved, and her mother unceasingly grieves the loss of her baby son, Thomas, sparing little attention for her living child. To add to Bernie's mounting troubles, sinister Abbot Stein arrives, offering his services as an expert gravestone artist, except that he often completes his etchings before his subject actually dies. Bernie reluctantly agrees to investigate the mounting death toll with her pesky neighbor, Michael. The final confrontation with Abbot Stein takes place in the graveyard with a death-defying escape scene. Bernie's narration clearly shows her misery over her family's grief and the support the small-town inhabitants provide. Slang dialogue sometimes clashes with her voice, but Goebel sensitively conveys the teen's emotional turmoil as well as the humor in her sarcastic comments. Goebel's own experiences as a headstone artist may have informed detailed descriptions of carving and the strange mixture of commerce and comfort Bernie's family provides to customers. The light romance between Bernie and Michael will please readers who like character development mixed with delicious creepiness. Fans of books by Mary Downing Hahn or Peg Kehret will find this a good match. While the cover and page length may suggest younger readers, this book targets middle schoolers. Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT