Call Waiting

by Evan Jacobs

Ryan is helping Tenley clean the basement of her parents' antique shop when an old, unplugged phone starts ringing. When Ryan answers it, a strange man is on the other end and he's not happy that Ryan and Tenley answered the phone. The two friends try to track down the source of the phone call and take a very strange journey.

86 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan and Tenley are cleaning up the basement of The Vintage Rose Antique Shop when a phone rings. After looking round a bit, they find an old phone with a rotary dial. Ryan answers it even though Tenley tells him not to. A surly man on the other end asks for Lorraine to come pick him up at the dock. Ryan and Tenley have no idea who Lorraine is and what is even stranger is that they realize the phone line connecting it to the wall has been chewed clean through.

Call Waiting is a fun mystery that is part of a series about The Vintage Rose Antique Shop. The dialogue is a bit stilted and the characters underdeveloped, but overall, Call Waiting is an enjoyable little mystery with a paranormal twist.

[Amanda Gilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of a series I got for my 7th grade ELA class for high interest-low level/struggling readers as my students like mystery and horror.

This is a good read for students who like the erie elements of suspense but struggle to stay focused or stay with a book as the chapters are short, text is not too small, and the plot is relatable with a focus on phones/technology. Plus I do like the underlying nostalgia of a couple in love back in WW II.

[Tracy Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

For MS or Elem hi/low it's a good read.