by Richard Gleaves

I really enjoyed this story. Apparently there is to be a series and I'm almost tempted to continue it.

The writing was generally good. The author uses 'would' and 'had' too much, but otherwise it's rather good. It's definitely strong on distinctive characters and I found I rather liked Jason. His quirky grandmother reminded me of Maude out of the '70s movie Harold and Maude.

The story itself is about a teenager who has to grow up too fast because his parents are dead and his grandmother at eighty doesn't have much time left to care for him. She moves them to Sleepy Hollow without warning Jason and he learns that he's part of the local legend as the last surviving relative of Icabod Crane. Descendants of other characters from the Washington Irving story make appearances too.

This was especially enjoyable because I had read the original story so recently and almost spooky as some names from The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne also appear and I was reading this book concurrently! There is witchcraft and ghosts involved and the spooky element steadily increases through the story. It had everything the original didn't! Including a breathtaking finish that had me glued to the pages.

Unfortunately although it did finish, it didn't really end. It wasn't left on a cliffhanger, but too many elements were left unresolved for the next book in the series to take up. I hate that. It loses a star for that and whether I read further in the series will be down to my whims.

However, I did really enjoy it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the book.

by Richard Gleaves

I read the first book of this series last year and the first couple of chapters did a good job of bringing back all the references and continuing characters, enough to make me want to kill one of them, but he was mean to the dog.

In some places this one felt a little slower than the first book, but there was fast action in others. Also I find it a little difficult to identify with teenage characters in general. It basically continues the story where it left off, with Jason trying to protect his inheritance from his crooked guardian and to stay alive through all the ghostly happenings.

Jason is a likeable character and this story was significantly heavier on supernatural happenings than the first one. Despite some slow bits at the beginning and in the middle where some back story gets revealed, there was never any question that I would finish it. There was more of magic and 'gifts' in this one as well as a more prevalent presence of the Horseman and other ghosts.

The faster bits were an exciting ride and I enjoyed watching the characters develop further. There was almost exhausting fast action towards the end, but then it stopped with too many strands left unresolved so that you have to get the third book to see how it all turns out. For that, it loses a star. Otherwise it was a great read and I'm glad I've already got the third book so I don't have to decide whether to resist because of my anti-cliffhanger stance.

I read/listened to these two over the weekend.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue was read for Locked Room Mystery. And Tom Mison's narration of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was a very enjoyable way to cross off the Sleepy Hollow square.

Now I just need to check if these have got me another bingo.

I got this book as a freebie from audible (my first audiobook, btw!) six years ago and have listened to it every year since then.

Here's the review I posted in 2014, and here's the annual Tom Mison picture, because he's easy on the eyes.

And here he is as Ichabod Crane. TV Ichabod is far superior to Book Ichabod, btw.

Somebody needs to tell Tom Mison to narrate more audiobooks.