THE LIGHT ON HOGBACK HILL
by Cynthia DeFelice
Another mystery/adventure in the spirit of Devil's Bridge (1992). Curious about the light she frequently glimpses on a nearby hilltop, Hadley, 11, and new classmate Josh brave rumors spread by cross old Angus about a fearsome hag who lives there and investigate on Halloween night. The hump-backed figure they see is terrifying but doesn't quell their curiosity; in time, they learn that the ``hag'' is a recluse, deformed by a long-ago accident but perfectly pleasant and sensible: Angus's sister, who's been in her well-equipped cabin for 57 years without anyone suspecting. Pretty unlikely, but the kids' unraveling of the story makes an agreeably melodramatic yarn, with some added depth in a parallel with Hadley's mom, a reclusive workaholic since her husband left eight years ago. The circumstances allowing both women to reenter the world are not entirely implausible. A disappointment from DeFelice (the spellbinding Weasel, 1990) but adequate entertainment. (Fiction. 8-12)