Similar themes to all the other books rear their heads in this one. Nightmares of the witch that seem to come out of nowhere, the lead character (commonly the outcast) going off in search of Blair Witch info; finding it creepy and then, for some reason, practical jokes are common in this series. A couple of books take place on camps, where the kids play gags on each other, this one plays off a new step brother and sister teasing each other. It's just reusing the same technique; and it doesn't help that the dialogue in each book is so horribly similar it's like reading the same thing all over again; this is kind of a blessing I guess because you can pick the ending from the way the story starts; because you've read it before.

I actually had some hope for this book, its one from the series actually told from Cade (The 'authors') POV. But my hopes dropped considerably on page 20; the start of chapter 3. The basic premise of this book is that there is a prisoner who claims the murder she has been imprisoned for where done by the Blair Witch through her. Her boyfriend is the one who she is said to have murdered, which reminds me that boyfriends rarely survive these books. If they aren't dead already when the story starts; they die at some point along the way. Anyway, this prisoner sends Cade a letter explaining that she needs his help as a Blair Witch Investigator to help clear her name. So, he goes to what is described as 'maximum security prison' and is surprised when he's not allowed in.

Really?

The line from the book is "I guess I should have known better than to drive all the way across the state without checking on the protocols first." Yes, Cade, you, who describes himself as a researcher, whose whole book series is based on his collection of case files with facts and information; didn't think to call a MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON to see if he would be able to visit a CONVICTED MURDERER?

The improbabilities continue when he is called to the warden's office; and she is somewhat touched that Cade visited the prisoner who has had no one visit her in two years; so she tells Cade he'll be able to visit her any time he wants.

Yes, it is that easy.

And I go back to what I said earlier; this is meant to be a 17 year old kid. It just doesn't make any sense. He has a contact at the FBI, is able to send things away to 'the lab' for results...? Why not make Cade a former police officer, or even someone who worked in a law office; and DEFINITELY not make him a teenager :S

We are also given a look into the diary of this murderer, Eliza, who as a teen was moved to the town where the Blair Witch Legend lives, by her father who inexplicably married a woman without telling her or the woman's son, and proceeds to introduce himself as 'your new father' to the young boy and Eliza as his sister :S:S Eliza comes off as a normal teenage girl; nothing too weird about her. Then she meets this guy Adam and falls madly in love with him in like a day, and then when she finds out he's just using her for her brains and sees him kissing his girlfriend; she does what any girl in that situation would do. Goes online and finds a spell (that of course asks for blood from both Eliza and Adam) that will make him do exactly what she asks of him; when she asks it. We've all been there! Aside from the note that Cade claims this spell is somehow connected to the Blair Witch; there is no actual fact in any books. They are all based on the premise that though none of it can be proved; not if it can be disproved either. SO THEN IT MUST BE TRUE! ETA - having read the book through; Cade does bring up the same question as I just asked, and attributes her change in demeanor to hereditary schizophrenia from her mother even though he has no proof of it... but nothing to disprove it, either. :S

Apparently this spell is the key to the rest of the story; Eliza threatens her step brother and somehow starts a fire that kills both her brother and father (men do NOT last in these books), so her step-mother sends her to a boarding school for troubled girls, where she befriends her roommate, tells her the story about the spell; and the next morning the roommate is dead. The girl is then approached by the school's counsellor; to whom she also tells the story; and she also dies, leading Eliza to believe that whoever she tells her story to will die.

Now; this would be a good idea if it hadn't already been flogged to death in the first five novels. This is what happens in each book. People die around the central character who involves themselves with the Blair Witch, more than once this comes about for revenge purposes, which if it is supposed to tie into the Blair witch theme... it does not. It just comes off as repetitive use. Flogging a dead horse seems very fitting. There's no surprise anymore.

Funnily enough, this is the first book that has an actual ending that makes you want to read more. Whether or not it will lead to anything else I don't know yet; but I'll see. I'd say this is the 'best' so far; but that's not saying much.

What I'm curious to find out as I go along with these books (I'm six in now, two to go) is if they were commissioned as a series of 8 and there'll be some conclusion in the final book; or were they case by case (and thus book by book) releases that don't all lead up to anything. My money's on the latter.

Oh, but the one good thing; someone seems to have cut the stupid cliffhangers off at the throat; there were NONE in this novel. ( )