The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery

Haynes’s spellbinding solo debut (after Nubia, written with Omar Epps) reunites estranged cousins with otherworldly powers. A terrible accident made teen medium Giselda flee from her gifts, reject her heritage and her family, and change her name to Gwendolyn. Now a top executive at a PR firm, she sees her past literally come back to haunt her when a client’s Brooklyn fashion show is disrupted by a shocking supernatural display. Meanwhile, her cousin Fonsi reels from a bad breakup with his boyfriend but continues practicing as a medium, interacting with spirits in El Intermedio, a limbo for ghosts who haven’t let go. When he realizes there’s a rift in El Intermedio through which a vast number of ghosts may be able to escape, he knows he must find Gwendolyn, the only medium powerful enough to fix it. As the pair band together to save the world, Haynes delivers emotional payoffs to both of their arcs, with Gwendolyn learning to accept her power and Fonsi coming to value himself enough to seek out a healthier relationship. This dovetailing of external and internal stakes keeps the pages flying. The result is an accomplished urban fantasy that’s sure to win Haynes plenty of fans. (June)