Books with author John Bell

A young man is possessed by an evil spirit in this “gothic spine-chiller” by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Booklist) The abandoned schoolhouse sits just outside the town of Duston Heights, Massachusetts, and Johnny Dixon is not sure what called him there. Inside the darkened building, he finds three chilling stained glass windows which show a hooded monster, a vengeful angel, and the hateful, staring face of Zebulon Windrow. Impossibly, the old man speaks to Johnny, threatening revenge on behalf of one of his descendants—and then the room is filled with horrible insects. As they cover Johnny’s body, moving closer toward his mouth, he awakes and escapes the nightmare. But is Johnny’s vision of the schoolhouse really just a dream, or is it a warning? When Johnny falls into a strange trance from which he cannot be awakened, his friend Professor Childermass races to save him. To rescue the young boy, the professor must unlock the secret of the dream, and delve into the terrible mysteries of the Windrow estate. The Revenge of the Wizard’s Ghost is suspenseful, spooky reading for fans of R. L. Stine or anyone looking for a story featuring a middle-school-aged hero facing down grown-up-sized scares.

A bookish boy searches for his missing best friend in this spooky tale by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls On a country lane in snowbound 1950s New Hampshire, a car goes skidding off the road. Professor Childermass and Johnny Dixon escape unscathed, but their car is stuck, and they are forced to walk into town. Johnny doesn’t mind. A curious young man, he has fun anytime the professor takes him out, because he’s treated like an adult. Together they’ve gotten into all sorts of supernatural scrapes, and this winter night, they’ll face their toughest challenge yet. When Childermass suddenly vanishes, Johnny is the only one who can find him. The mystery is linked to a tiny skull taken from a child’s dollhouse, which seems to have powers too terrible to guess at. With the help of a crusty old Irish priest, Johnny chases the clues to his friend’s disappearance all the way to the rocky coast of Maine, where something evil hungers for revenge. From the author of the series featuring Lewis Barnavelt and Anthony Monday, the Johnny Dixon novels are charmingly old-school and shot through with suspense, and The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull may be the most chilling of them all.

A “spooky[,] spine-tingling” time travel adventure that takes a boy and his eccentric professor friend to the mysterious Byzantine Empire (Publishers Weekly) . . . [Description] Johnny Dixon is worried about Professor Childermass. The professor has always been an odd duck, but lately his behavior has been positively bizarre. He’s been talking to himself and stalking down the street with his collar turned up and his hat over his eyes, and now he won’t return Johnny’s calls. Johnny’s afraid that the professor’s old age is starting to get to him, but he will soon find it’s something far more amazing—and far more dangerous. The professor has discovered a trolley that can carry them five hundred years back in time, to the last days of the Byzantine Empire. In the dark and winding streets of Constantinople, he and Johnny confront crusaders, mystics, and thieves as they attempt to save the ancient empire from destruction at the hands of the advancing Turkish armies. Created by the award-winning author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls, Johnny Dixon is one of the most charming young heroes in literature—a spunky, bespectacled young man whose curiosity often gets him into trouble—and his “wonderfully warming friendship with cantankerous old Professor Childermass makes them an endearing detective team” (The New York Times).

A young hero and his professor friend set out to save a priest from a ghost, in this novel by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls Aside from the eccentric Professor Childermass, young sleuth Johnny Dixon’s best friend may be Father Higgins, the kindly priest at the local church. When Higgins is transferred to the congregation in the tiny town of Rocks Village, Johnny and the professor are afraid they won’t see their old friend ever again. But they’ll be reuniting with Father Higgins sooner than they think—and the thing that brings them together will be positively out of this world. No sooner has Father Higgins moved than he begins seeing a ghost lurking around the church. The apparition is a young girl who never speaks, but has a habit of leaving cryptic notes around Higgins’s house. When Higgins disappears, Johnny and the professor follow his trail, embarking on a haunting quest that will lead them all the way to England. In The Secret of the Underground Room, this multimillion-selling, Edgar Award–winning author offers a good old-fashioned ghost story packed with adventure and suspense.

Isabella Cunningham awakens to find herself being cared for by unfamiliar people, in an unfamiliar setting, and with little knowledge of how this has come to be. She can no longer talk or move, and to her further dismay is confined within a nursing bed. Unable to fully express herself, Isabella's only means of solace lie in her love for classical music, her enduring sense of humour, a passionate determination to be reunited with her loved ones - particularly her husband - and to discover what ailments now forge their cruel hold. Through a series of peculiar events and moving flashbacks, Isabella gradually learns of what is inflicting her body and mind, her true age, and why her family appear to be so distant at times - all during this one day of lucidity. As the reader, you are placed into Isabella's vulnerable position - to look through her eyes - to see and feel what she is going through. The author has written this novel to highlight some common provisions and experiences relating to cancer, dementia and palliative care, in the hope of addressing the wrongful stigma that still surrounds them. There are many people like Isabella in our world, and this book is dedicated to each of them and their caregivers.An ideal read for fans of Lisa Genova and Wendy Mitchell.About the Author: Andrew John Bell has worked in a private Care Home setting as a Care Assistant, and then as a Senior Care Assistant, for almost a decade. During this time, Andrew has assisted in meeting the needs of residents who are sadly reaching, and who have reached, the end of their lives. He has used his own personal experiences to write this novel and continues to be an advocate for mental health awareness via social media. Andrew was born in County Durham, England, and continues to reside there with his wife and their two daughters. *** Review Highlights (Amazon, UK) ***"I would recommend this book to anyone either working in the care industry or someone who has helped a member of their family through this dreadful illness.""I couldn't put it down. Some parts were funny... some parts were upsetting.""I found this book to be very enlightening.""Isabella is a likeable character and I felt a great empathy for her.""Interesting and very moving.""This book is a great insight.""Beautifully written."

A clever young man and an eccentric professor search for a missing fortune, in this spooky adventure full of “marvelous surprises” (Publishers Weekly) H. Bagwell Glomus built an empire out of cereal. In the 1920s, his Oaty Crisps were the most popular breakfast in the United States, and Mr. Glomus was the wealthiest man in the little town of Gildersleeve, Massachusetts. But he was not a happy man. In 1936, he took his own life and his will was never found. Legend has it that his last will and testament is hidden somewhere in his office, but so far, no one has been able to find it and claim the $10,000 reward. Yet, no one has looked as hard as Johnny Dixon. A precocious young boy who’s happier reading old books than playing outside, Johnny has a best friend in the eccentric old Professor Childermass, who knows every detail of Mr. Glomus’s story—except the location of the will. Together, along with a new pal from Boy Scout camp named Fergie, they intend to crack the puzzle—but before they can claim their prize, they must defeat an ancient evil force: a living mummy intent on destroying them. From the award-winning author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls, the Johnny Dixon stories are a refreshingly old-fashioned series of adventure and supernatural mystery. In the world of young adult suspense, few authors have the magic touch of John Bellairs.

The American classic - now a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, starring Cate Blanchett, Jack Black and Kyle MacLachlanLewis Barnavelt doesn't have time on his side...When Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan, comes to stay with his uncle Jonathan, he expects to meet an ordinary person. But he is wrong. Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbour, Mrs Zimmermann, are both witches! Lewis couldn't be happier. What's not to like about seeing his uncle practise spells and eating Mrs Zimmermann's delicious cookies? At first, watching magic is enough. Then Lewis experiments with magic himself and unknowingly resurrects the former owner of the house: a woman named Selenna Izard. It seems that evil Selenna and her husband built a timepiece into the walls - a clock that could obliterate humankind. As the clock can be heard ticking away in the house all the time, sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, it is up to the Barnavelts to find where it is hidden in the walls - and stop it. A true race against time...

In a thrilling adventure, a young sleuth and his professor friend are challenged to solve a riddle and win a fortune Professor Roderick Childermass may be the strangest person Johnny Dixon has ever met, but compared to his brother Peregrine, the professor is practically normal. Peregrine is a born trickster, and when he knows his death is near, he sends a letter promising the professor his entire $10,000,000 estate—assuming he can solve one final riddle. The professor feels that his brother is mocking him from beyond the grave. If Peregrine were alive, he says, he’d kill him. To crack the puzzle and claim the fortune, Johnny and the professor head north to the wild countryside of far-off Maine. They’ll find that the riddle is the least of their problems. To inherit the money, the professor must stay alive until the end of the summer, and since everyone in Maine seems to want Peregrine’s heir dead, survival will be no easy task. From the author of the Lewis Barnavelt novels, including The House with a Clock in Its Walls, the Johnny Dixon series is full of fun, adventure, and supernatural chills, along with “believable and likable characters” who are a delight to spend time with (The New York Times).

Originally from Hometown, Illinois, John Beland is an award-winning songwriter, session guitarist, arranger, recording artist & performer. His songs have been recorded a wide variety of top artists in the U.S as well as internationally. His studio work includes some of the greatest music legends in both pop and country music. From his early work with Linda Ronstadt and Ricky Nelson to his long career with the legendary Flying Burrito Brothers, John is considered by many to be one of the true pioneers of what we now have come to term as Country Rock.John is still very active in the music business and continues to tour the world as a producer, session guitarist and performer. He currently lives in Chappell Hill, Texas.

A young man is possessed by an evil spirit in this “gothic spine-chiller” by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Booklist) The abandoned schoolhouse sits just outside the town of Duston Heights, Massachusetts, and Johnny Dixon is not sure what called him there. Inside the darkened building, he finds three chilling stained glass windows which show a hooded monster, a vengeful angel, and the hateful, staring face of Zebulon Windrow. Impossibly, the old man speaks to Johnny, threatening revenge on behalf of one of his descendants—and then the room is filled with horrible insects. As they cover Johnny’s body, moving closer toward his mouth, he awakes and escapes the nightmare. But is Johnny’s vision of the schoolhouse really just a dream, or is it a warning? When Johnny falls into a strange trance from which he cannot be awakened, his friend Professor Childermass races to save him. To rescue the young boy, the professor must unlock the secret of the dream, and delve into the terrible mysteries of the Windrow estate. The Revenge of the Wizard’s Ghost is suspenseful, spooky reading for fans of R. L. Stine or anyone looking for a story featuring a middle-school-aged hero facing down grown-up-sized scares.

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