In the six months since
Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in
England, Lockwood & Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and
his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations.
Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest:
the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will
have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper. Things look up when a
new client, Mr. Saunders, hires Lockwood & Co. to be present at the
excavation of Edmund Bickerstaff, a Victorian doctor who reportedly
tried to communicate with the dead. Saunders needs the coffin sealed
with silver to prevent any supernatural trouble. All goes well-until
George's curiosity attracts a horrible phantom. (Goodreads)
Reviewed by Valette M.
A snappy sequel to The Screaming Staircase, featuring our favorite crew of tough, yet refined, psychic agents who continue with enough zest to balance out the darker aspects of the story. Lucy, determined and utterly loyal to her ghost-hunting agency, is blissfully free of the pitt-falls action-inclined females typically trip over. And she works so smoothly with George and Lockwood it's an equal pleasure to see them fighting a ghost or drinking cocoa in their kitchen. We see their metals tested, literally, and watch their dynamic trio evolve. No stale characters here, just heroes with enough flair to survive a world like theirs.
After the climax of The Screaming Staircase, I was interested to see what THE WHISPERING SKULL had in mind: it's hard to top what happened there. After all, I thought, there's only so much you can do with ghosts before they lose their chill. I was wrong. This is a ghostish story set not to paralyze the reader but to send a pleasant shiver up the spine. And it certainly does, with the haunting of a vicious new specter set against the backdrop of an abandoned sanitarium. Don't read this book in the dark, and the grisly ghosts we meet ensure it's a bad choice while eating too. Mr. Stroud has excellently plotted an entirely new adventure with plenty of ghosts, enough sword-play and perfectly human villains to run your nails.
Set in an alternate history, Stroud's world rings disturbingly true to our own. The Problem (ghosts only started appearing 50 years ago) and its affects on society are so masterfully incorporated into the story the fact that restless spirits do appear feels completely natural. Looking for a series with depth to snag your interest? Well this is it! In short, this book was no less enjoyable than the first, and I can safely say Lockwood & Co. has earned it's place next to Stroud's also wonderful series, The Bartimeaus Trilogy.
Market: Young Adult
Reviewed by Valette M.
A snappy sequel to The Screaming Staircase, featuring our favorite crew of tough, yet refined, psychic agents who continue with enough zest to balance out the darker aspects of the story. Lucy, determined and utterly loyal to her ghost-hunting agency, is blissfully free of the pitt-falls action-inclined females typically trip over. And she works so smoothly with George and Lockwood it's an equal pleasure to see them fighting a ghost or drinking cocoa in their kitchen. We see their metals tested, literally, and watch their dynamic trio evolve. No stale characters here, just heroes with enough flair to survive a world like theirs.
After the climax of The Screaming Staircase, I was interested to see what THE WHISPERING SKULL had in mind: it's hard to top what happened there. After all, I thought, there's only so much you can do with ghosts before they lose their chill. I was wrong. This is a ghostish story set not to paralyze the reader but to send a pleasant shiver up the spine. And it certainly does, with the haunting of a vicious new specter set against the backdrop of an abandoned sanitarium. Don't read this book in the dark, and the grisly ghosts we meet ensure it's a bad choice while eating too. Mr. Stroud has excellently plotted an entirely new adventure with plenty of ghosts, enough sword-play and perfectly human villains to run your nails.
Set in an alternate history, Stroud's world rings disturbingly true to our own. The Problem (ghosts only started appearing 50 years ago) and its affects on society are so masterfully incorporated into the story the fact that restless spirits do appear feels completely natural. Looking for a series with depth to snag your interest? Well this is it! In short, this book was no less enjoyable than the first, and I can safely say Lockwood & Co. has earned it's place next to Stroud's also wonderful series, The Bartimeaus Trilogy.
Market: Young Adult
Language: None
Sensuality: None
Violence: Mild (The
dismembering of ghosts)
Mature Themes: The
spooky and the ethereal
1 comment:
I love THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE, and I'm "dying" (hee hee) to get my hands on a copy of this second Lockwood & Co. book! Great review, Valette!
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