Tunnel of bones by Victoria Schwab

Cassidy Blake book 2. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781407196930. 272pp.
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Cass and Jacob (her ghost best friend) have another exciting adventure in the wonderful city of Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show The Inspecters. Cass's skills as a ghost hunter are still growing and in this fast paced story, she accidentally wakes up a very scary poltergeist in the catacombs that lie beneath the city. It is up to her to stop the ghost destroying things as it twirls around in a strange game of Hide and Seek.
The book opens with a map of Paris, showing all the world famous tourist destinations, which Cass and her parents visit, but it is the catacombs that will fascinate the reader as Cass becomes embroiled in the mystery of the little boy who begins to create havoc in the city. The realisation that there are tunnels of bones beneath the streets will intrigue while the story behind the young poltergeist will also tug at the heartstrings as Cass and Jacob gradually unravel what happened many years ago.
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and Children's books (2019) this was a fun read and the setting of Paris was fabulous. This could be read as a stand-alone but fans of the ghost genre would really enjoy the first in the series City of ghosts (2018), and at 272 pages it is not too long and very easy to read. It is a book that will appeal to reluctant readers as well. Themes: Ghosts, Paris (France), Psychic ability, Friendship.
Pat Pledger