While Stephen King is perhaps best known for writing sprawling horror opuses, some of his best storytelling is in his shorter, more concise works. In his latest of these such books for pulp crime publisher Hard Case, he spins up the story of Jamie Conklin, who lives with his single mother and can communicate with the recently deceased. When his mother’s girlfriend, a troubled NYPD detective, finds out about this, she gets him involved in a case that she hopes will help to improve her standing on the force, inadvertently putting Jamie in grave danger. King always excels at handling coming-of-age storylines and creating suspense, so it is no surprise that he excels at both here. The pages of this slim book absolutely fly right by, with several genuinely creepy moments throughout and a satisfying finale. The only real issue is with his tendency towards having his characters think and speak in an increasingly dated manner. There are some attempts in here to explain it away, but there is absolutely zero chance of a teenager in New York using the sort of folksy language that Jamie does here. That aside, it’s a fun rollercoaster ride of a story that can easily and enjoyably be knocked out in an afternoon. ★★★★ – Sean Farrell

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★★★★★ = Excellent | ★★★★ = Very Good | ★★★ = Good | ★★ = Fair | ★ = Poor