Margins
43 Old Cemetery Road book cover 1
43 Old Cemetery Road book cover 2
43 Old Cemetery Road book cover 3
43 Old Cemetery Road
Series · 7 books · 2009-2015

Books in series

Dying to Meet You book cover
#1

Dying to Meet You

2009

Enter at your own risk: You might just DIE laughing. The best-selling author Ignatius B. Grumply moves into the Victorian mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road, hoping to find some peace and quiet so that he can crack a wicked case of writer's block. But 43 Old Cemetery Road is already occupied—by an eleven-year-old boy named Seymour, his cat, Shadow, and an irritable ghost named Olive. And they have no intention of sharing!
Over My Dead Body book cover
#2

Over My Dead Body

2009

The International Movement for the Safety & Protection Of Our Kids & Youth (IMSPOOKY) dictates that Seymour cannot live in the mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road "without the benefit of parents." Ignatius B. Grumply tries to explain to Dick Tater, the head of IMSPOOKY, that he and Seymour are in a lovely living (and publishing!) arrangement with the ghost of Olive C. Spence. Dick Tater is not convinced. But this clever trio can’t be broken up as easily as he imagines . . .This companion to Dying to Meet You, the first book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, is another spooky tale told in letters, drawings, newspaper articles, and television scripts.
Till Death Do Us Bark book cover
#3

Till Death Do Us Bark

2011

Where there's a will, there's a...scavenger hunt! When a shaggy dog arrives at Spence Mansion, Seymour is overjoyed. His adoptive parents, Ignatius B. Grumply and Olive C. Spence, are less enthusiastic—especially when Secret, the dog, begins barking all night long. Is it possible that Secret just misses his old companion, the late Noah Breth, whose children are fighting like cats and dogs over their father's money? Or does Secret have a secret that, in the end, will make the entire town of Ghastly howl with delight?
The Phantom of the Post Office book cover
#4

The Phantom of the Post Office

2012

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR FAN IS A PHANTOM? The talented trio at Spence Mansion loves getting fan mail. But when a strange letter arrives saying that the end is near, it's clear something sinister is afoot. Even worse, the Ghastly Post Office is preparing to close, which will make it difficult to deliver future ghost stories from 43 Old Cemetary Road. A new technology called VEXT-mail is threatening to replace letters, books, hair dryers, and even garage door openers! Is there anyone who can save the post office? The writer of the mysterious fan letter just might try. But could he end up striking down Ghastly's beloved ghost-writer in the process? Eleven-year-old Seymour Hope and his new friend, Wy Fye, must solve these postmortem mysteries... before it's too late!
Hollywood, Dead Ahead book cover
#5

Hollywood, Dead Ahead

2013

In this fifth volume from 43 Old Cemetery Road, the trio at Spence Mansion leaves Ghastly for Hollywood, California . . . and for a shot at stardom! The film producer Moe Block Busters wants to make the 43 Old Cemetery Road story into a movie—and he promises it will be a sure-fire hit! Lured by the lights of Tinseltown, Ignatius B. Grumply, Olive C. Spence, and Seymour Hope pack their suitcases. But when they arrive in Hollywood, Olive has a sure-fire fit when she discovers how quickly fame changes Iggy and Seymour. Even worse, Olive has been written out of the script! “Little old lady ghosts are so yesterday,” says Moe. “What America wants is a terrifying ghost named Evilo.” Well, if it’s Evilo they want, it’s Evilo they’ll get. And Olive knows just the femme fatale to help her scare Hollywood’s most despicable director half to death.
Greetings from the Graveyard book cover
#6

Greetings from the Graveyard

2014

Roses are red, Violets are blue. If a ghost can write books, Why not greeting cards, too? The bestselling trio from Spence Mansion are launching a greeting card company called Greetings from the Graveyard. But what kind of card do you send to an ex-girlfriend who threatens to publish the love letters of Ignatius B. Grumply? And what do you send when the town of Ghastly is rocked by its first crime wave and two escaped convicts are on the loose? If you’re Olive C. Spence, you send for your old butler, T. Leeves, who arrives just in time for tea—and trouble! Told in generously illustrated letters and newspaper articles, these books are a visual feast perfect for kids who love series like Big Nate and the Dork Diaries but with a ghostly twist.
The Loch Ness Punster book cover
#7

The Loch Ness Punster

2015

In the seventh and final installment of the popular 43 Old Cemetery Road series, twelve-year-old Seymour Hope has inherited a castle in Loch Ness, Scotland. It could be the perfect summer vacation spot for Seymour and his parents, Olive C. Spence and Ignatius B. Grumply. But Iggy wants nothing to do with the castle. Why? Because it was owned by his uncle Ian, a world-famous psychiatrist and the world’s worst punster. So Iggy stays home to write, and Seymour and Olive set off for Scotland—each with a secret.

Author

Kate Klise
Kate Klise
Author · 35 books

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base. Catherine "Kate" Klise is an American author of children's literature. Many of her books are illustrated by her sister, M. Sarah Klise. Their popular Regarding series is presented in a scrapbook style format, with letters, journal entries, and related ephemera telling the story. She is also known for her picture books as well as the bestselling 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Kate Klise's first adult novel, In the Bag, was released in 2012.

548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved