First sentence: The Sinister-Winterbottom children had no problems. Their summer was rolling along as merrily as a summer could, endless days and warm nights perfumed with sunscreen and bug spray, drenched in fun and relaxation.

Premise/plot: The worst summer ever continues in the fourth book of the Sinister Summer series. Each book does build on the others--so don't read out of order. Mainly, characters from other books get picked up and carried along--I'm picturing a tumbling tumble weed. So the first book introduces us to three siblings--Sinister-Winterbottoms. Their parents have vanished completely. They are visiting their aunt (who turns out to be a ghost). They visit different 'sinister' locations for summer vacation. They're solving puzzles, piecing together clues, trying to make everything that is wrong in their lives, right again. So far, four books in and the kids (siblings + all other side characters caught up in this mess) are no closer--at all, not even a little bit--to solving anything. No answers, no not one.

My thoughts: I enjoyed the first book. I didn't really enjoy books two and three. I almost enjoyed book four. I have very mixed feelings on the series. I thought the writing of the book one was fun and delightful. Silly melodrama with some cleverness. I don't know that books two through four continue that vibe. Perhaps if you were to read ALL of the books back to back to back to back, then the books would be more enjoyable. One plus, however, is at least the books aren't horribly long. Especially this one. It didn't drag, which was nice. ( )