I've managed to put a lower bound on the time period in which this book is set; it's sometime during or after the 1960s. This I deduce from mentions of flip-flops and Velcro, both of which really started being things in the '60s. So I wasn't that far off in my earlier estimate.
Unlike the Screaming Staircase of the previous book, the titular skull is not actually the main spookiness of this book. That's not really a spoiler, because it's rather immediately obvious what the title is referring to; it shows up in pretty much the first scene.
[EDIT, 11/4/2025: Fixed a grammar error]
The actual main plot revolves around a Dead Guy of Extreme Spookiness, and the history surrounding him. Including |his creation of a mirror that was supposed to let people see into the afterlife but actually just kills you|. That turns out to be the actual MacGuffin of the book, thanks to its ability to |emulate the One Ring and make people wish they had it|.
I really do like the protagonist of this. She holds her own well.
This review was originally going to be published on November 9th, but it's the Halloweeniest thing I have in my posting queue right now, so I moved it up.
Were this a videogame, I'd rate it: T for scary scenes.
4 stars.
(Endnote: "psssssssst i'm eeeeeevil" -the skull)
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