John Bellairs, author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls and other young-adult thrillers, died in 1991. His son chose Brad Strickland to finish two books his father had begun. Later, the estate gave Brad permission to write more books in Bellairs’s series. This is Brad Strickland’s memoir of writing books in the Lewis Barnavelt series, with guides to the people, places, and things in each volume. With wit and humor, he describes the process of writing the novels, giving a lively literary analysis as well as encouraging readers to go to the originals for tales of mystery, suspense, and humor well blended. This is a love letter to the career and legacy of John Bellairs.