People are grieving where Indigo's family lives. But that's nothing new, seeing as how it's a funeral parlour and family home combined. No, Indigo's grandfather has passed away, and her father who's inherited the business is thinking of that and that alone, the mother is becoming a counsellor and Indigo's twin brother is an annoying pest, allegedly, so Indigo is finding succour in badger-hunting with her best friend. But even that shows signs of failure, and she can't even get her latest news across to him. For she's just randomly found a secret passage in the funeral home, and in the black depths of whatever is beneath it, she's found – and potentially released – something most unearthly. Something with the power to change the whole morbid town above forever...

Also with a power, and unaware of it, is Indigo – and her brother, Rusty, as it happens. For yes, this is yet another book where a girl has to discover her powered destiny. But still, it's one of the better ones, and by far – it all reads with a freshness, and with a stonking narrative drive. These pages turn themselves over with great haste, forcing you to plough on with the story and enjoy every relishable moment. There certainly is not the draggy section of inferior reads where the girl is told how and why the universe works and what her part in it is supposed to be – this is here, but generally we see character revealed through action, plot conveyed with event and not exposition.

It all makes for a fabulous read – and one that borders on the dark fantasy side of things, if not quite reaching into the world of junior horror. It would still make for a great read come each Hallowe'en – and even though the biggest surprise was the puff quotes all mentioning laughs, when it was never really funny to me, this was a book that heralded a series seemingly able to generate exactly what effect it wanted. A most promising young read, and probably a four and a half star achievement. A fine debut.

A fun and spooky read about twins that live in a funeral parlour and who accidentally release a spirit called The Cinderman. With their new Spooksmith skills and some helpful ghosts, they battle to stop him from covering the town in ash and turning everyone into zombies. A great start to a new series.

Usborne have done it again. They are introducing new authors with innovative storylines perfect for upper primary / middle school grades.

Indigo’s family own Serenity Funerals, a family business that’s been passed down through generations of Smiths. Not that Indigo or her twin brother Rusty have any intention of taking over. Indigo is an avid animal lover and plans to be a vet, whilst Rusty lives and breathes Battle Beast gaming. Her Dad is a bit of a workaholic and her mum despairs of the twins ever being able to co-exist peacefully as she takes her Counselling course. Grandpa died 3 months previously, leaving everyone with a huge emotional hole to fill. Then by accident, one evening Indigo happens upon a secret crypt behind the library wall and accidentally unleashes a powerful and properly evil ghost. Waking up to the whole village suddenly covered in ash and it’s inhabitants acting very strangely, Indigo and Rusty find they can see and hear Grandpa in his ghost form and discover they are Spooksmiths. No pressure but defeating the evil ghost and rescuing the village is entirely up to them!!

Combining a mix of the importance of family and friends with adventure, this is a neat read for any child liking ghostly but not too scary tales.

This is perfect for Halloween season.

The sibling arguments are believable and the action takes place almost straight away. The pace is fast and the story is great. The twins have to solve a mystery by sunset in order to everyone in their small town, including their family and best friends.

I would recommend it to middle grade readers who love creepy stories and a good mystery.

This was read by my middle granddaughter and her brother. They loved it as it was so creepy but not too terrifying. The storyline kept them gripped right from the beginning and the kindle had to almost be surgically removed at bedtime. They liked the interaction between the children and the interesting range of characters. Highly recommended.

A spooky tale set in the town of Greyscar, where Indigo unleashes something terrible after finding a strange secret passage in her family home - which just happens to also be a creepy old funeral parlour. There’s a mesmerising ash, ghostly grandpa, plenty of spooks, plus a bad-guy straight from an old nursery rhyme..
The story itself is fast-paced and engaging, with relatable relationships and natural dialogue between the characters. It isn’t too scary for younger readers - the narrative arc stays more on the creepy and mysterious side than straight-up frightening, and there’s plenty of sass and humour from Indigo herself to keep things lively. All in all, a perfect Halloween read!

I really enjoyed this! This will be perfect for spooky season! Ghosts, zombies, evil spirits and some unresolved cases. The relationship between the siblings was brilliantly written and I loved all the other characters who helped along the way! Can’t wait for the next one!