Spirit

When Jason Day agreed to care for his four year old nephew, Timmy, while his sister and her boyfriend went on a month long vacation he had no idea what he was getting into. Between the man in the basement Timmy meets and his uncle showing up from Tucson, Jason has his hands full. Wait, what man in the basement? In the middle of mystery, unexplainable noises, and Timmy's limitless energy will Jason find time for a little romance too?

How I haven't read Spirit before is beyond me, it's as unexplainable as the man in the basement first appears to be. Who knew creepy ghost stories could be so lighthearted and humorous? Grasping a child's limitless energy can be a difficult thing to write without them coming across as brats that need more than one timeout but somehow John Inman has made Timmy not only spirited, energetic, a handful, but he's also made him cute, adorable, and exactly what Jason needs.

Now I won't really touch on the plot of this incredibly fun, creepy, and wildly addictive mystery because so many little things give just too much away. I will say that having read some of John Inman's work before, I knew it would be more than just an uncle caring for his nephew while the mother is on vacation and I wasn't wrong. Spirit really does have a little bit of everything(okay there's no sci-fi), it may sound cliche to say its got so much going on but in this case it really does. Jason is incredibly likable and Sam from Tucson has a secret or two in the beginning but he too is absolutely delicious. As I said above Timmy is a rambunctious little boy who despite being a bit sassy at times he really is a sweet little guy you just want to protect.

Spirit has it all and more, it hooked me from the first paragraph and when I reached that final page I was not ready to close it down. If you are like me and already a fan of John Inman than you'll love this story and if you haven't checked out his work before, than Spirit is a great place to start. He has a way about his work that blends edgy, creepy, mysterious, humorous, and of course romantic in just about a near perfect way. I may not get the opportunity to read all his work as it is released but he has certainly earned his place on my "Automatic 1-Click" list.

Read through all 212 pages in one sitting. Great story; the plot unwinds at a good pace, and the characters are well rounded. Love the kid.