WHO STOLE HALLOWEEN?

The trio of sly sleuths from Who Is Stealing the 12 Days of Christmas (2003) is back as Yasmeen, Alex and his cat Luau pursue a serial catnapper in the neighborhood. Visits to the spooky cemetery, the ghost tale of a man who murdered his wife, a weird health food store and suspicious neighbors drum up plenty of red herrings to challenge their deductive skills. Luau is even used as a decoy and gets nabbed. The title refers to the holiday as well as a cat named Halloween. Clever devices will keep the reader guessing. Though events from the first installment are referred to, the story can stand alone. Fans of the Christmas mystery will savor this one, as good as eating Halloween candy, and they’ll definitely want a third. Both tricks and treats in this enjoyable younger mystery. (Fiction. 8-11)