After reading my first Ghost Detectors  series book, #21- All Dolled Up!, I am thinking this series is a rival for the Goose Bumps series.

Our two main characters, Malcolm and Dandy (Daniel Dee) have just received a written invitation from one of their mean substitute teachers to comes to her house. The invitation reads, “Dear Malcolm and Dandy, I heard about what you boys did. Please, come to my house as soon as you get this note! I have a chore for you.  Sincerely, Ms. Porter” (8)

Ms. Porter’s house is full of dolls everywhere you  look. When the boys sit down, Ms. Porter goes for tea and cookies. After Dandy sneezes, the dolls attack him where he sits on the couch.  Ms. Porter comes back and says, ” ‘ I see you’ve met my ghost.’ ” (18) Ms. Porter wants the boys to get rid of the ghost.

The boys leave to get their equipment. While at Malcolm’s house, they run into great Grandma Eunice, the only family member who knows they are ghost detectors. Grandma Eunice decides this is a good time to give Malcolm his birthday present early, a bottle of Poltergeist Popper spray from the Sci.con. Then off they go back to Ms. Potter’s house.  As Malcolm and Dandy start their job, they are not detecting any ghosts, but when they try to leave the doors shut and lock. Dolls start screaming. Upstairs the boys get separated when Dandy sneezes and are locked in separate rooms. In Malcolm’s room, spiders pour out of a doll house. Malcolm tries the Poltergeist Popper. A blinding light is emitted. Blinding Malcolm. The Poltergeist Popper seems to unlock the doors.  Dandy gets hold of Malcolm and leads him downstairs. As Malcolm regains his vision, a giant stuffed bear roars and charges them. The boys leave the house to get more equipment.

Grandma Eunice gives them sunglasses to protect their eyes from the Poltergeist Popper and has them dress up in black suits (Men in Black). Grandma Eunice has Malcolm and Dandy push her in her wheelchair over to Ms. Porter’s house. Together they locate the one doll the ghost is upset over. The one doll (Little Cutie) that was the ghost’s one and only doll as a child. The ghost is upset because Ms. Porter does not love Little Cutie as she does/did.  To Ms. Porter, it is just another doll.  The ghost will leave when her special childhood Little Cutie doll is given a special loving new home. The ghost leaves when she discovers Grandma Eunice has always wanted a Little Cutie doll. Ms. Porter will find it a small price to pay for Malcolm and Dandy’s getting rid of her ghost.

After the story, there are four thought provoking  tie-in questions to the story.

There is one half-page to full-page illustration per chapter.