The Madness Underneath discussion

I really recommend The Madness Underneath, especially for people who enjoy emotional thrill rides. I rooted for Rory and Stephen since the first time he actually intimately talked to her, and with Stephen now dead, I don't really know if I want to read The Secret Cabinet or not because the relationship between Rory and Stephen is now gone. It is a really exciting yet sad book, and even though I'm unsure about the third addition to the series, I still find myself asking Google when it will be released. Trust me, this book will tug at your heartstrings and make you happy and furious at the same time, and no matter how sad and devastating you may think the ending is, I can almost guarantee you will be left hanging and will be begging Maureen Johnson to hurry up with that book! I know I am!

I cannot wait for the third book to come out because I see two possible outcomes. 1) They find Stephen's ghost and he continues to work as a shade and he and Rory essentially develop the kind of relationship we see in pushing daisies with Ned and Chuck where they pine over each other but can never actually be together (by the way I do not like this route one bit and would be devastated if this happens, but I can see how it cold be a catalyst and could keep the series going) 2) Rory uses Jane and her cult in some way to bring Stephen back to life. It seems like there was a lot of set up in two pointing to this direction since Jane and her people seem to be some sort of Greek deity cult and are looking for ways to defeat death. (I hope this is where Maureen is taking us but I am also afraid that it might tie everything up into too neat of a package and I know so many authors don't like doing that). Anyone have any other thoughts about where it might lead.

Maureen might, instead of bringing Stephen back to life, be planning to have Rory die at the end of The Secret Cabinet in order to carry out the Stephen/Rory legacy. I'd prefer them both alive, but she might be preparing the reader for something better.