This novel is one of a series based around the television series ‘Smallville’.

The events follow the first series and for those without satellite television are around to wet your appetite for the second season-hopefully coming to Channel 4 soon.

There are new tenants at the Welles farmhouse. They have arrived bearing the scars of tragedy. Janet Brucker has lost her husband following a terrible lab accident and she has brought her daughter Ginger to Smallville.

She hopes to continue her work started by Luthor Corp but this time she will be working directly for Lex Luthor.

Neither Janet nor Ginger have got over the death of George Brucker but worse is to follow. Ginger becomes convinced that their new house is haunted and her new friends Clark, Lana, Cloe and Pete try a séance to find out exactly what is happening.

Joel Beck is in trouble he has been messing with magic with his friend Holly and there is something pretty nasty in the cornfield. First Joel and then Holly get trapped with something very evil in a vortex seemingly powered by the Smallville meteorite.

This is a ghost story with a Smallville twist. The leading players with the exception of some temporary additions are all series regulars with well-established characters. Here Holder is able to play with their various traits and produce a fine fast paced story.

It’s a bit of Buffy meets Superman which given that Holder is well known for her long running connection to the Buffy stories is I suppose predictable. However this story is enjoyable. It does not dwell overly on the back history and seems confident in tackling the tale.

It hangs together well and would make a good episode. It uses the plot to highlight the various dilemmas that all the protagonists well, in particular the ever-developing nature of Lex Luthor. His developing friendship with Clark coupled with his desire to learn more about the 'glowing green rocks' is pored over again.

Having read three of these stand alone novels recently (see archives for reviews of ‘Dragon’ and ‘Strange Visitors’), I think this is the strongest so far in terms pf plot and examination of character traits.

Having said that it is probably also furthest away from being pure Superman. The book has taken elements from different sources and woven them into the life of the developing Superhero and although it may offend some purists it works really well.

Sue Davies