Trouble is brewing in Baker, Washington. Three popular athletes have been stricken with a mysterious ailment--or phenomenon--that leaves them ranting incoherently, paranoid, and eventually comatose. Ever ready to seek truth and justice, teen twins Elisha and Elijah and their parents hop in their van, the Holy Roller, and head to Washington. As members of a top-secret presidential investigative team, the Veritas Project, the family must be prepared to go undercover at any moment. Soon they are deeply embroiled in a deadly mystery that involves witchcraft, bullying, the ghost of a boy who hanged himself long ago, and a most diabolical weapon.

Frank Peretti, well known for his Christian thrillers (This Present Darkness/Piercing the Darkness, The Visitation, etc.) draws from his own experiences of not fitting in as a child to create this alarming tale of vengeance. The twins and their parents occasionally turn to their faith for guidance, but the crux of the story lies in the danger that comes from treating less cool kids like second-class citizens. References to the tragedy at Columbine remind readers just how painfully real the problem is. Peretti seems to use the twins' father as a voice for his own viewpoint: "Metal detectors may keep weapons out of the schools, and security officers can maintain at least a surface tranquility, but these will not keep out the pain, anger, and loneliness that cause a child to bring a weapon to school in the first place." (Ages 13 and older) --Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly
Peretti, long praised for his popular Christian fiction for adults and his strong storytelling style, here turns his talent to young adult fiction with a quick-paced thriller about the evils brought by bullying and intolerance. When the star athletes of a Washington state high school are struck down by debilitating hallucinations, the Springfield family (Nate; his wife, Sarah; and teen twins Elisha and Elijah) go undercover to investigate the mystery. The Springfields operate independently, as the Veritas Project, guided by their Judeo-Christian faith to seek the truth behind strange occurrences. They even have a mobile home nicknamed the Holy Roller. But this setup never seems overly corny in Peretti's hands. As the slightly chilling story unfolds, readers learn about the ghost of Baker High a boy named Abel Frye, who supposedly hung himself in one of the old hallways in the 1930s. Throughout, Peretti paints a realistic picture of the clique-y world of high school that will be familiar to just about anyone. His comfortably paced, compelling performance consistently draws readers along. Peretti has an obvious knack sure to appeal to his intended tween and teen audience for emphasizing his beliefs without preaching. Ages 12-up. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-Elisha and Elijah and their parents are part of a hush-hush government program know as the Veritas Project, which can best be described as an evangelical Christian X-Files. Their current assignment is to infiltrate a high school where student bullies have been stricken by a mysterious form of madness. Peretti develops the plot nicely, building in a skeptical police officer, a concerned guidance counselor, and an obnoxious gym teacher who has been encouraging the bullies. Several of the students who have been picked on have formed their own version of a witch's coven and are practicing what they think is black magic to wreak vengeance on their tormenters. As Elijah and his twin penetrate deeper into the mystery, the curses begin to go dreadfully awry, and several students die. The deadly madness is traced to a type of poisonous and aggressive spider breeding within the school walls. As the school is evacuated, Elisha finds herself in the heart of the spiders' lair. While the members of the Springfield family do not keep their religious life undercover, it does not interrupt the flow of the story, nor does anyone get preachy. The twins and their parents use the latest scientific equipment and methods to attempt to find a rational solution to the increasingly dangerous events confronting them. Young teens should enjoy this fast-paced and atmospheric novel.Elaine Fort Weischedel, Franklin Public Library, MA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
One of the most popular Christian fiction titles ever written for teens, Hangman's Curse, is now re-released featuring a new movie edition cover and photographs from the brand-new feature film of the book. This new release features an 8-page, 4-color photo insert section with stills taken from the sure-to-be-a-smash motion picture. The new cover also features a scene from the movie poster.

A huge success with both tweens and teenagers, this riveting book addresses the topic of peer abuse and its devastating effects. The message of Hangman's Curse on the wounded spirit is one that teens will never forget. In this gripping mystery/adventure a mysterious curse appears to be spreading throughout Baker High, attacking popular student athletes and immobilizing the student body with fear. Elijah and Elisha, teenage twins, must work to uncover the truth.


Download Description
Nate Springfield, his wife Sarah, and their twin Children Elijah and Elisha are part of the Veritas Project Team. This group travels the country aiding the FBI and other organizations in breaking up drug rings and solving mysteries. In Hangmans' Curse, the family goes undercover at a small town high school, where a mysterious curse has turned several of the star football players into raving lunatics who can only be tied to their hospital beds while doctors are baffled by their symptoms. Elijah and Elisha must befriend the various cliques at school, and help their parents solve the mystery of Abel Frye ( a name the sick kids mutter in their delirium).


Card catalog description
When several students at Baker High School are stricken by an alleged curse of the school's ghost, Elijah and Elisha Springfield and their parents, undercover investigators, are sent to uncover the truth behind the events.

FROM THE PUBLISHER