The Hanging Hill/The Demons' Door

When eleven-year-old Zack signs on to help his stepmother at a summer stock theater, rehearsals for a play based on her bestselling children's books quickly turn sinister. The director is secretly planning to raise a horde of evil specters by offering a human sacrifice, and Zack soon discovers the ghost of a notorious Connecticut criminal who may hold the key to stopping the dark ritual. With danger closing in and the play becoming a battleground between the living and the dead, Zack must use his wits to thwart the supernatural scheme before it claims his family and the town. The story blends backstage drama with chilling mystery for a middle-grade adventure.