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The Haunting of Derek Stone #2
Bayou Dogs
Tony Abbott combines the best of the action, suspense, and humor that has made DROON a hit for almost a decade -- and takes it to the next level in this spooky new middle grade series.
Could the road to the afterlife be a two-way street?
Derek's brother Ronny isn't himself.
No, really.
Ronny's body has been taken over by the long-dead soul of a man named Virgil Black. Lucky for him, Virgil is one of the good guys. Not all of them are.
In fact, a Legion of evil souls is staging a serious comeback. And they're staging it at Bayou Malpierre, the site of Derek's most horrible nightmare.
That nightmare is about to get even worse. . . .
Could the road to the afterlife be a two-way street?
Derek's brother Ronny isn't himself.
No, really.
Ronny's body has been taken over by the long-dead soul of a man named Virgil Black. Lucky for him, Virgil is one of the good guys. Not all of them are.
In fact, a Legion of evil souls is staging a serious comeback. And they're staging it at Bayou Malpierre, the site of Derek's most horrible nightmare.
That nightmare is about to get even worse. . . .
117 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2009
19 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
Tony Abbott
210 books403 followersTony Abbott (born 1952) is an American author of children's books. His most popular work is the book series The Secrets of Droon, which includes over 40 books. He has sold over 12 million copies of his books and they have been translated into several other languages, including Italian, Spanish, Korean, French, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. He has also written the bestseller Firegirl.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 17, 2023
Tony Abbott’s series instalments do not stand alone. I was so impressed by an emotional family situation and the originality of the story, that I eagerly sought a copy of this sequel. Procuring “Bayou Dogs” affordably this month took 3½ years. Alas, after high anticipation simmering since 2019, my feedback of this volume is a low two stars.
This sequel was supposed to enlighten a secret about the Stone’s absent Mom at a bayou homestead. I was moved and looked forward to this sequel resolving that. It did not. Their Mom was merely mentioned. Volume three entails a house that is unfamiliar to them. The only personal touch besides Mr. Stone appearing, was the supposedly informative place where Derek almost drowned as a toddler. They learned nothing there. Without a homestead, there was no reason for the Stones to have gone there, in the past or present. Did Tony miss a page, or did he not imagine that young mystery readers of 2009 liked to see pieces fit?
The motto “less is more” was flouted so badly, my blood pressure might have risen! THERE WAS NOTHING IN THIS NOVEL BUT RUNNING AROUND. That gimmick stripped this story of quantifiable substance, worse than in “The Hardy Boys” novels. Of the famous J.R. Tolkien quartet, “The Two Towers” is seldom the favourite. It misses the wonderment of introduction, the elation of resolution, and I loathe war. It still received five stars from me for memorable characters and advancement of its quest.
Unless I misunderstood the premise, zombies took advantage of a train accident because the valley contained an interdimensional rift. The same occurred in the bayou. It seems now that instead of a rare portal, zombies steal bodies anywhere. It says a lot that I have lost interest in finishing this series.
This sequel was supposed to enlighten a secret about the Stone’s absent Mom at a bayou homestead. I was moved and looked forward to this sequel resolving that. It did not. Their Mom was merely mentioned. Volume three entails a house that is unfamiliar to them. The only personal touch besides Mr. Stone appearing, was the supposedly informative place where Derek almost drowned as a toddler. They learned nothing there. Without a homestead, there was no reason for the Stones to have gone there, in the past or present. Did Tony miss a page, or did he not imagine that young mystery readers of 2009 liked to see pieces fit?
The motto “less is more” was flouted so badly, my blood pressure might have risen! THERE WAS NOTHING IN THIS NOVEL BUT RUNNING AROUND. That gimmick stripped this story of quantifiable substance, worse than in “The Hardy Boys” novels. Of the famous J.R. Tolkien quartet, “The Two Towers” is seldom the favourite. It misses the wonderment of introduction, the elation of resolution, and I loathe war. It still received five stars from me for memorable characters and advancement of its quest.
Unless I misunderstood the premise, zombies took advantage of a train accident because the valley contained an interdimensional rift. The same occurred in the bayou. It seems now that instead of a rare portal, zombies steal bodies anywhere. It says a lot that I have lost interest in finishing this series.
October 18, 2018
This book was very good throughout the whole entire book it made me want to keep reading and find out more about Derek's dad and what was going on with him. Also the challenges that Derek and Ronny were going through as they tried to fight off the legion really kept you hooked into the book as you read it. The book has a very good feel when you read it, especially during the parts when it got kind of slow. It is a good sequel to the first and sometimes that isn't an easy thing to do. I would recommend this to anyone who likes books with a very eerie or spooky feeling.
Read
August 29, 2016Page-turner.
April 17, 2012
Derek Stone, a chubby 14 year old that is hard of hearing in one ear from New Orleans, is still in a race to figure out why the dead are after him. After Derek survives the train crash, he finds out that a transfer has happened. The dead souls of convicted felons are transfered into the bodies of the current people who have just died on the wreck. His brother Ronny, a.k.a. Virgil Black, sticks around to help Derek escape the trouble that is creeping up on him. As the war rages between the living and the dead, Derek and Ronny/Virgil are on the run and find them selves in the Bayou. Think they are safe? Think again! The dead and their leader now have Derek in their grasp, will he escape again? Read/listen and find out!
This second installment moved a little faster for me than the fi4rst book. I listened to the audio book and I found myself liking this book better. The first book is good for getting the background of the story, but this book really gets more exciting. The reader does a pretty good job of presenting this audio book. His name is Nick Podehl and he reads with a pretty good cajun drawl. I think that boys that have a high interest in reading will like this book, I think that girls who love to read things that are dark, dreary, and paranormal will like this book, and I think that kids who aren't good at reading, but want to read, will love listening to this audio book. It gives them a chance to get lost in a good adventure as well as get familiar with different cultures and dialects right here in the United States.
This second installment moved a little faster for me than the fi4rst book. I listened to the audio book and I found myself liking this book better. The first book is good for getting the background of the story, but this book really gets more exciting. The reader does a pretty good job of presenting this audio book. His name is Nick Podehl and he reads with a pretty good cajun drawl. I think that boys that have a high interest in reading will like this book, I think that girls who love to read things that are dark, dreary, and paranormal will like this book, and I think that kids who aren't good at reading, but want to read, will love listening to this audio book. It gives them a chance to get lost in a good adventure as well as get familiar with different cultures and dialects right here in the United States.
May 1, 2013
I am currently reading The Haunting of Derek Stone: Bayou Dogs by Tony Abbott. The character I'm going to talk about is Derek. Derek is slightly on the chubby side which doesn't come in handy during this book. Derek survived a train crash that killed his brother and dad. During the first book he thought his dad and brother died but they ended up coming back... or so he thought. Derek's brother was the first to come back but it wasn't actually his brother. He was actually a man named Virgil Black that died the same way in 1938 and was a guard on a prison train. Others came back also in the other 7 dead bodies. Sadly enough they were criminals. The most lethal criminal, named Cane came through with a body of a solider. Now Derek is on the run from the other criminals and the part I'm on is pretty exciting. The criminals are chasing Derek (why I don't know yet) but for some reason they keep finding Derek anywhere he goes. The book is one of the smallest, best books I've ever read.
February 25, 2015
Quick read as was the first book in the series, City of the Dead but would not stand well alone. Having only read half the series, I'd say the first two could have been combined -- probably with the last two -- for one longer more satisfying read. However, marketing most likely dictates that these be shorter and continuing for the more reluctant reader and to increase sales.
February 8, 2019
The book is very suspenseful, it leaves you thinking what is going to happen next. I really do wish I see Derek's character improve for the better and help during the time of crisis.
July 13, 2025
Derek's life keeps getting stranger and stranger. For a boy who likes plain facts and doesn't like make believe or fantasy, his life has turned upside down. In Book One, City of the Dead, Derek is in a train wreck; he survives but believes his brother and father are lost. Then a number of weeks later his brother turns up, and it is his brother, but he is changed. The dead are coming back and they are waging a war between darkness and light. And darkness seems to be winning. For some reason the dead that have come back keep looking for and finding Derek. They believe he has knowledge about how to open the rift between the two worlds.In this instalment, Derek and his 'Brother" are chased all over the French quarter of New Orleans. They are aided by an old musician, and their father reappears and enters the battle to help them. He gives them clues that lead them to Bayou Malpierre, a place that haunts Derek because he almost drowned there a few years earlier. The story in this segment progresses well - more enemies from the land of the dead manage to cross over. Abby Donner, another survivor from the train crash, wakes from her coma and Derek finds her and seeks any information she can remember. Yet again it leaves us with a cliff-hanger and eagerly waiting to start book three.
I stated in my first review that I believed the books could be marketed to teens or an adult audience by being combined into one longer volume. This second book further convinced me of the fact. Tony Abbot is the author of over 70 books for readers both young and young at heart. He is most known for his Secrets of Droon series and his bestselling novels Kringle and Firegirl.
Haunting of Derek Stone
1. City of the Dead (2009)
2. Bayou Dogs (2009)
3. The Red House (2009)
4. The Ghost Road (2009)
I stated in my first review that I believed the books could be marketed to teens or an adult audience by being combined into one longer volume. This second book further convinced me of the fact. Tony Abbot is the author of over 70 books for readers both young and young at heart. He is most known for his Secrets of Droon series and his bestselling novels Kringle and Firegirl.
Haunting of Derek Stone
1. City of the Dead (2009)
2. Bayou Dogs (2009)
3. The Red House (2009)
4. The Ghost Road (2009)
November 4, 2012
Reviewed by Shyanne for TeensReadToo.com
Derek Stone was just your normal 14-year-old kid until he was in a train crash. Now, the souls of dead beings have crossed into the bodies of the new crash victims and taken over.
In the world of the dead there has been a war raging - and now the dead want to bring it over into the world of the living.
The rift is breaking and the dead are crossing into deceased bodies from the living world. They are all after Derek Stone, and he must do everything he can to escape them.
He has the help of a young man by the name of Virgil Black. Virgil wants to be dead and at peace, but with the war this is not possible. Instead, Virgil crossed into the body of Derek's brother, who died in the crash.
A few of the other crossovers are good allies, but not all. Many are on the bad side of the war and want the rift to be torn forever.
With the help of Virgil, Derek must try to reach his destination before the crossed-over dead do. A destination that holds a surprise for him that will unravel even more everything he thought he knew.
BAYOU DOGS is the second book in THE HAUNTING OF DEREK STONE series, following CITY OF THE DEAD. Readers will be pleased with this second installment.
Derek Stone was just your normal 14-year-old kid until he was in a train crash. Now, the souls of dead beings have crossed into the bodies of the new crash victims and taken over.
In the world of the dead there has been a war raging - and now the dead want to bring it over into the world of the living.
The rift is breaking and the dead are crossing into deceased bodies from the living world. They are all after Derek Stone, and he must do everything he can to escape them.
He has the help of a young man by the name of Virgil Black. Virgil wants to be dead and at peace, but with the war this is not possible. Instead, Virgil crossed into the body of Derek's brother, who died in the crash.
A few of the other crossovers are good allies, but not all. Many are on the bad side of the war and want the rift to be torn forever.
With the help of Virgil, Derek must try to reach his destination before the crossed-over dead do. A destination that holds a surprise for him that will unravel even more everything he thought he knew.
BAYOU DOGS is the second book in THE HAUNTING OF DEREK STONE series, following CITY OF THE DEAD. Readers will be pleased with this second installment.
November 9, 2010
Derek soon finds out that his brother isn't his brother anymore. On the train that crashed there was also a little girl and her mother. The little girl also was thought to be a survivor, or was she like Derek's brother. Derek finds out that his brother is like a zombie, only the quality of decaying and a horrific smell. Derek is lead to the Bayou where he daydreams or dreams... of a time. Before I tell you this, Derek learns, that in the time of death, a soul from a body that just died, can be swapped for another longing soul, that died in the same place. So, this is the second time Derek has died??? Weird, huh? Well, at the bayou, Derek has a flashback, while he is drowning, about him drowning. In the flashback, his mother tells a soul if he can be replaced with the dead soul. The dead suddenly come after Derek, as they know he is not a teenage boy. There is another little evil soul, that controls the other dead. Where can all this be happening? Why? How? ?-|
The series of stories all fall in place together. The story just builds like a puzzle. Unraveling all the different pieces, that soon will fit together. The book is a gereat read, it will capture and hypnotize your mind to believe this is all real. The story is just another myth, that is not true. Or what will come?
The series of stories all fall in place together. The story just builds like a puzzle. Unraveling all the different pieces, that soon will fit together. The book is a gereat read, it will capture and hypnotize your mind to believe this is all real. The story is just another myth, that is not true. Or what will come?
August 20, 2010
Why would someone want to hide the fact that this book is the second in a series? I'll tell you:
Someone coming across this in the library would not want to read number two before number one and if number one wasn't available he would give up. Whereas anyone who read and liked number one would search for the second installment and recognize it even if the little number two was missing on the cover.
So I get it. But that doesn't make me less irritated that I spent the first half of the (short) book thinking, "Man, this sure has a lot of backstory." In the end he references something I was sure wasn't on the previous CDs and I knew. Those jerks tricked me into listening to a book out of order.
Let me assure you I won't be looking for number one. Take that, jacket art people! Your tricks backfired! Next time spend the money to print a big fat 2 on the binding.
Incidentally, the writing was pretty good. But it was very very dark. Kind of like what would happen if Stephen King started writing children's books. I will say it had clever ideas and seriously creepy scenes, but unless you want your kids to have nightmares for a week, steer clear of this series.
Someone coming across this in the library would not want to read number two before number one and if number one wasn't available he would give up. Whereas anyone who read and liked number one would search for the second installment and recognize it even if the little number two was missing on the cover.
So I get it. But that doesn't make me less irritated that I spent the first half of the (short) book thinking, "Man, this sure has a lot of backstory." In the end he references something I was sure wasn't on the previous CDs and I knew. Those jerks tricked me into listening to a book out of order.
Let me assure you I won't be looking for number one. Take that, jacket art people! Your tricks backfired! Next time spend the money to print a big fat 2 on the binding.
Incidentally, the writing was pretty good. But it was very very dark. Kind of like what would happen if Stephen King started writing children's books. I will say it had clever ideas and seriously creepy scenes, but unless you want your kids to have nightmares for a week, steer clear of this series.
May 10, 2015
Bayou dogs is the second book and in the book series, the haunting of Derek Stone. This book was definitely a lot better than it's prequel. I say this because this one had much more dark elements to the story. The bayou setting was a lot more eery and creepy than the town in the first one. This book had a lot more zombies and felt much more like an actual zombie apocolypse book. One thing that was ok in the book was that Derek's brother's soul is being taken over by the spirit of Virgil Black who is actually a good guy. Him and Derek are trying to work together to stop the dead from taking over. Some of the things that I really didn't like was the very cheesy plot twists and the very dull characters. All of the characters seem to be very dull and it is very hard to distinguish all of the different personalities. Another thing is, I felt like this story could have been expanded to have a much bigger story with much more of and in depth plot and more expansion on the characters. All of the characters are flat characters and that does make this for a much more boring book. However, it is better than it's prequel.
April 23, 2015
62% (3 stars)
Characters: 10/20 (1/2 star)- Some characters were described well, but we didn't really see their different personalities or descriptions that much just because it was so short.
Plot: 10/20 (1/2 star)- It's like we took a small section out of a bigger book and decided to make it it's own book. Considering how small this book is, I feel like they could have combined a couple of the books so we get more of a story in each one.
Setting: 12/20 (1/2 star)- The bayou was very well described, but the other places didn't have much detail for me to picture them.
Writing: 16/20 (3/4 star)- I wasn't expecting the writing to creep me out like it did (especially about Waldo). It was very creepy and seemed very dark for a kids book.
Enjoyment: 14/20 (3/4 star)- I give the book credit for being more than I expected. It really freaked me out while I was reading it.
Characters: 10/20 (1/2 star)- Some characters were described well, but we didn't really see their different personalities or descriptions that much just because it was so short.
Plot: 10/20 (1/2 star)- It's like we took a small section out of a bigger book and decided to make it it's own book. Considering how small this book is, I feel like they could have combined a couple of the books so we get more of a story in each one.
Setting: 12/20 (1/2 star)- The bayou was very well described, but the other places didn't have much detail for me to picture them.
Writing: 16/20 (3/4 star)- I wasn't expecting the writing to creep me out like it did (especially about Waldo). It was very creepy and seemed very dark for a kids book.
Enjoyment: 14/20 (3/4 star)- I give the book credit for being more than I expected. It really freaked me out while I was reading it.
October 27, 2009
After the cliffhanger ending of CITY OF THE DEAD, I was excited about reading more about Derek in BAYOU DOGS. The story starts off right where the previous book ends, so it's helpful to have already read COTD. There's plenty of action, spooky spirits returning from the dead and suspense to please. Unfortunately, I didn't find it nearly as gripping as the previous book. It seemed to devolve into a ghost story that's not as original as I'd hoped. Warning, this installment ends with another cliffhanger and many questions still unanswered, and the reader will definitely want to find the next volume in the series.
November 14, 2013
This series is all about Derek Stone and his learning about the translation of souls. In this book, Derek is running from Erskine Cane who was dead but his soul was translated to a living body with the help of his brother, Ron, who has actually had his soul translated with the soul of the guard who had been in charge of Cane. Both Cane and his guard had died in a similar train accident in 1937. Derek is trying to find help in the bayou in order to put the bad guys to rest.
It was very interesting because when you think a guy is good and then he turns out to be evil it means you just don't know what is going on.
It was very interesting because when you think a guy is good and then he turns out to be evil it means you just don't know what is going on.
October 12, 2012
This book wasnt as action packed as the first one it was 3 times as packed!! Overall, it was really good....although some of the book was hard to follow what was happening but it still was a really good book. There are some loose ends they keep hanging there and there isnt a solution. Even though I did like it I wish the library has more. When you read this book the way the auther worded it made is feel like I was in the book. I will read the third book and I hope other libraries have the fourth and all the other ones!
October 31, 2013
I don't know why I gave the first one of this series (City of the Dead) four stars. These books are good but not 4 star good. I think I was bouncing back from a book I had read before that and given 2 stars and I was just so happy to read something better. I would say these are perfect if you have a 10 year old who likes creepy stories. I have enjoyed them because I'm a wimp - adult horror books are too much for me. I need stuff that is spooky but won't give me nightmares for weeks, and this fits the bill.
March 31, 2015
Ever since the train wreck, a lot of have strange things have been happening to Derek Stone. Strange isn't really the word for it. Terrifying is more like it. The dead are coming back and they're after Derek, but he doesn't know why. But one thing he is sure of is that a war's coming and he has to find a way to stop it.
I really loved the first book in the series and this one was just as great. It's fast paced, full of action and keeps you guessing. I can't wait to read the next book.
I really loved the first book in the series and this one was just as great. It's fast paced, full of action and keeps you guessing. I can't wait to read the next book.
June 25, 2013
Non-stop adventure from cover to cover in this one. The storyline from the first book continues and gets more intense. There are also more pieces to the giant puzzle from outside help which may or may not be helpful.
Again, this one ends on a cliffhanger - but lo and behold! I have the next waiting for me...
Again, this one ends on a cliffhanger - but lo and behold! I have the next waiting for me...
May 18, 2009
The army of the returning dead is hot on the heels of Derick Stone as he tries to figure out what they think he knows. His race takes him into the bayou with a heavy rainstorm and flooding rivers intensifying the danger.
November 11, 2010
I thought this book was very good it was a little mysterious but it had details not the kind of details were 3 minutes into it you fall asleep I mean it has meaning to it not something that is like blah blah blah and it bores someone half too death it has good realistic meaning.
January 25, 2011
I think I would prefer to have read these as one volume, all at the same time, but I have to be patient. They were written for a younger audience, after all. Apparently, I’m not much into suspense.
April 30, 2013
THIS BOOK WAS...
Book thoughts to come...
if you haven't checked out this series do so NOW.
March 20, 2014
I've delayed reading this series long enough. It's time to finish it.
Even though I'd rate it for upper elementary students, it's seriously creepy. In particular, Waldo weirded me out.
I have a couple of students who are into zombies. I'm pointing them in this direction.
Even though I'd rate it for upper elementary students, it's seriously creepy. In particular, Waldo weirded me out.
I have a couple of students who are into zombies. I'm pointing them in this direction.
May 19, 2009
Another quick spoky read from this author. I was slightly disappointed with the ending of this boo compared to the first. I am still anxious to see how things turn up.
December 7, 2009
Just saw Tony Abbott at a literature conference. this new gothic horror series for middle/high schoolers looks very promising.
July 1, 2010
I loved, loved, loved this book so much! I read the whole series twice!
December 9, 2010
This bookj was just as good as the first one. It was very well writen. I never wanted to put the book down. It was very good!
April 28, 2011
This book is mind blowing!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews