Thou shalt honor thy ancestors Unless they are trying to kill thee Moving to an old house in a tiny Wyoming town has made life miserable for 14-year-old Paul McCallister. The ancient toilet doesn't work, two school bullies have singled him out as prey, and, worst of all, his mom has disappeared. The only thing that keeps the Paul sane is the friendship of his Uncle Doc who, when not tending his gigantic junk shop, snoops around in their family's strange past. And in that past lurks a mystery: A vanished woman. A pool of blood. An old house that won't stay quiet. As Paul comes closer to solving that mystery, a dark presence begins to haunt him. Paul will soon discover how long hatred burns, how deep blood runs, and what he's willing to sacrifice for family. "As Paul's ghostly sightings become possessions and his very life becomes endangered, the tension ratchets up, leaving readers hoping that Paul will emerge unscathed. . . . Paul and Doc both shine and carry this suspenseful story to the end." Publisher's Weekly The Long Version Paul McCallister had expected to die of a gunshot wound through the chest, at high noon, in slow motion. Or to be trampled to death by a herd of rabid cows as he carried a beautiful cowgirl to safety. Because if you're forced to die in Wyoming, you should have the inalienable right to do so with a bit of dignity; you should be allowed a John Wayne drawl in your final words, snakeskin boots on your feet, and a harmonica wailing plaintively in the distance. Or at least a Maverik gas station nearby. But instead, Paul is hiding in a giant junk shop hoping to avoid an untimely beating at the hands of a bully. Deep within the bowels of the junk shop lurks its owner: Doc. He is the Scrooge McDuck of miscellany, having collected entire civilizations in his massive warehouse: from unicycles to mannequins, from commemorative sporks to romance novels. "If you can't find it here," his front window reads, "you haven't looked hard enough." He is also an expert on the McCallister family's strange history. When he finds Paul hiding, Doc recognizes him as kin and proceeds to tell him a most blood-curdling bit of family lore-one that took place right in the creepy old house Paul's family recently moved into: the McCallister ancestral home, built by Paul's great-great-great grandpa Horace McCallister. Horace founded Harrowed Valley in the late 1800's with his wife, Hephzibah, and a few other Mormon pioneers. But just as they had gotten settled, a peculiar young woman named Glory came into town on a supply wagon, walked straight to the McCallister house, and informed Horace that she was to be his second wife. Polygamous wife, that is. Eventually, she convinced him and Horace built a second wing onto the house for her. But a year later, Glory disappeared leaving only a pool of blood behind, red footprints leading out into the night. Ever since, the McCallister family has called her Bloody Glory. Glory left one clue behind, which Doc managed to get his hands on years ago: her painting of the McCallister house. He gives it to Paul. And that's when all the trouble starts. When Paul brings the painting home, strange things begin happening: dark forms haunt his dreams, the painting begins to change, his mom disappears. Soon it becomes apparent that Paul has awakened vengeful spirit. Full of memorable characters, hilarious dialogue, and spooky scenes, The Hand of Glory will thrill ghost story lovers, especially the fans of John Bellairs (The House with a Clock in Its Walls) and Robert Liparulo (Dreamhouse Kings Series). Illustrated by Hugo-nominated artist Galen Dara. Scroll up and click to buy it.