THE CURSE OF THE DEAD MAN’S DIAMOND
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When twelve-year-old Charlotte is uprooted from New York City and forced to move to sweaty, sticky, roach-infested Florida, she’ll do anything to get back home – even conspiring with ghosts. Everyone in the kooky seaside town of Casaluna is obsessed with the supernatural, and Charlie finds herself living in the town’s most infamous haunted house, inhabited by a trio of rambunctious ghosts who were cursed for stealing a dead man’s diamond.
When she learns that the missing jewel is still in the house, she gets a brilliant idea: find the diamond and sell it so her family can afford to move back to New York. But she quickly learns that undoing a centuries’ old curse isn’t that simple, especially when she’s pitted against the school bully and three unruly spirits. In the end, she’ll discover that the only way to rid herself of ghosts and curses may be the one thing she fears the most: confronting the painful past that haunts her.
Available on September 17, 2024 in hardcover, paperback, and audiobook
Praise for THE CURSE OF THE DEAD MAN’S DIAMOND:
“Though the novel is filled with amusing moments, especially when the ghosts learn that they can haunt the Hesses’ electronics, emotion drives the story; readers will ache for Charlie as she grieves her recently deceased grandmother and navigates tricky friendships. The chapters alternate between Charlie’s point of view and those of the ghosts, providing additional context and characterization. Main characters are cued white. Ghosts get equal billing with the living in this sweet tale about finding home.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“The Curse of the Dead Man’s Diamond is the perfect blend of mystery, treasure hunt, colorful ghost characters, and Florida haunted house setting. Charlie’s struggles as the new kid in town had me relating right away, and the mystery of this missing diamond had me sucked into the story from page one. The new kid and middle school challenges Charlie faced were so accurate, and I loved the heartwarming family ties Charlie had with her father. I highly recommend this kid’s haunted mystery/adventure for any MG reader or classroom library.”
– Fleur Bradley, award-winning author of Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel
“A fun haunted house story full of mystery and heart!”
– Lindsay Currie, New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Locked Rooms
“Morrell has produced another quirky, speculative middle grade novel which will delight readers as much from its character depth as its transportive adventure. As Charlie struggles to untangle the mystery of the missing diamond, her relationships with friends and family get caught under the magnifying glass, forcing her to come to terms with her own past before she can commit to a vision of the future. This book would make a great addition to any public or school library collection as well as an excellent pick for a middle grade book club!”
– Susan Metallo, Susan the Librarian Blog
“With friendly ghosts, frightening bullies, real Florida flavor, and a faithful portrayal of grief and healing, The Curse of the Dead Man’s Diamond reminded me of the Haunted Mansion– spooky, fun, just a little scary, and full of heart.”
– Delilah Dawson, NYT Bestselling Author of Mine
“A spirited mystery about a long-lost treasure protected by ghostly guardians, The Curse of the Dead Man’s Diamond is a story brimming with heart and souls.”
– Jan Eldredge, author of Nimbus and Evangeline of the Bayou