A young sleuth and his professor friend fight voodoo, black magic, and a hungry zombie horde . . .
The drum is small, no bigger than a plastic cup, and decorated with sun-bleached bones. It is a token from the island of St. Ives, whose voodoo cults are infamous around the world, and it is one of the most dangerous objects Johnny Dixon has ever held. When he raps the little drum, the wind howls, and an explosion rocks the house. There are more surprises to come. An inquisitive young man, Johnny has tangled with all manner of supernatural beasts along with his friend Professor Childermass, and now they will confront the living dead.
The drum summons up a whirlwind of black magic and throws one of the professor’s colleagues into a strange trance. To rescue him, Johnny and the professor must defeat an evil sorceress, and send her zombies back to where they belong.
From the author of the Lewis Barnavelt novels, including The House with a Clock in Its Walls, the Johnny Dixon series is full of fun, adventure, and supernatural chills, along with “believable and likable characters” who are a delight to spend time with (The New York Times).
When Dr. Charles Coote--a noted folklorist and old friend of Professor Childermass--returns from a conference in New Orleans, he brings home a small, sinister drum. It's made entirely of black wood with red leather straps and small, white bones. Nobody takes Dr. Coote's worries about the drum very seriously, until Fergie taps it a few times and releases an unspeakable evil. Suddenly, Johnny and Fergie and the professor find themselves battling the imposing Madame Sinestra, a voodoo priestess who seeks the magical drum for her evil Caribbean cult. Spells, zombies, and voodoo demons beset our heroes and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Can they save Dr. Coote? Will they make it out alive? This ninth book in the Johnny Dixon series was completed by Brad Strickland after John Bellairs died and it has all the spooky thrills that make these mysteries classics.
