Death in Kingsport.

Uncle Chester’s last request was to be cremated. As his coffin is being passed into the furnace of a docked ship, 14-year old Neil hears knocking from within, but is unable to stop the process. Convinced his uncle was still alive when cremated, Neil decides to investigate. When a mysterious voice in an abandoned stable notifies him of another unexplained death in town, Neil is even more intent on solving the crime.

Assisted by best friend, Graham, and later on by Crescent, who is on a mission of her own to find her missing father, the coincidences begin to mount, leading them to suspect the local physician, Dr. Savage, as the culprit. The doctor’s trip to the Amazon many years ago and his late night experiments with ancient potions make him very suspicious indeed. When the narrator assumes the point of view of Dr. Savage, we learn more about his trials than do Neil and his friends, making us all the more anxious for his misdeeds to be revealed. Neil’s life is put in jeopardy by a mysterious illness when he comes too close to discovering the truth, but in the end the friends prevail and all is revealed.

The book is filled not only with action, but with subtle lessons as well references to literature and art. Readers learn about Canadian history and what life was like in the post-Depression, wartime era. Graham, who likes to read the dictionary, introduces new vocabulary. The interesting plot and easy writing style make for a good read.