Originally published: New York: Pocket Books, 2001.

"There's no such thing as ghosts."At least, that's what the scientific community believes. High school sophomore Susannah Simon wishes she could agree. She's only lived in sunny California for two weeks, and already her life's a whirlwind of pool parties, excellent hair days, and new friends. Oh, yeah ... and her stepbrothers. But otherwise, things are going fab.Until the ghost of a dead woman shows up at her bedside, screaming and begging Suze to find "Red" and tell him that he isn't responsible for her death. Tracking down a murderer isn't exactly easy, especially when the clues that Suze pieces together lead straight to the father of Tad Beaumont, the cutest and richest boy in school ... and the first boy who's ever asked Suze out.Oops.

The Ninth Key is the second book in the thrilling, romantic Mediator series, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot. Everything is going great for Suze. Her new life in California is a whirlwind of parties and excellent hair days. Tad Beaumont, the hottest boy in town, has even asked Suze out on her very first date. Suze is so excited that she's willing to ignore her misgivings about Tad...particularly the fact that he's not Jesse, whose ghostly status—not to mention apparent disinterest in her—make him unattainable. What Suze can't ignore, however, is the ghost of a murdered woman whose death seems directly connected to dark secrets hidden in none other than Tad Beaumont's past. Don't miss the delightfully funny supernatural Mediator series, from New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot.

Susannah Simon finds herself in over her head when she tackles the four ghosts of the star high school students who've been tragically killed in a car crash. They are lingering at the scene of a crime, seeking revenge on the geeky student whose car caused the incident, and they're not above attempted drowning -- of the geek or Susannah -- to even the score! And when Susannah befriends the geek to solve the case, telling herself that she could be saving a future Bill Gates, he turns out to be more like a future Son of Sam....

Sixteen-year-old Suze Simon is a typical high school student except for the fact that she is a "shifter" who can mediate between the living and the dead, and she is in love with a ghost from the nineteenth century.

When struck by lightning, Jess Mastriani developed a psychic ability to find missing children--but now she wants the government and the media to think she's lost her power.