Lucy, Anthony, and George make an odd group. Anthony Lockwood has recently begun his own agency of operatives to deal with Visitors - things that go bump in the night. It seems that over the past 50 years, the Problem of phantasms, specters, and other ghostly visitations has become very difficult to live with. Only youngsters have the psychic ability to detect and deal with Visitors, so agencies provide supervisors to coordinate missions while the agents are actually school-aged. But this agency is different - there are no adults running things, just Lockwood, his deputy George Cubbins and their new assistant, Lucy Carlyle.
Lockwood reminds me of a cross between a young Sherlock Holmes and Fox Mulder. He is impatient with the authorities, certain that his team can handle anything it comes across, and even does a bit of skulking about in disguise to gather information. George is more of a stocky researcher who also does field work. He could happily spend days going through records at City Hall or old files in the library, putting together floor plans, photos from the newspaper archives, and restocking equipment. Lucy is new to the team, dealing with the trauma of losing the last team she worked with to a very devious Visitor, and determined to prove herself. When the three of them are commissioned to clear the most haunted house in England, even their combined strengths may not be enough to see them all safely through the night.
A great read for those who enjoy supernatural thrills and chills, detective work, ensemble casts with a variety of personalities, and some sword work, too. In preparation for the release of the latest book in the series, the publisher has made this first volume available for review on NetGalley. Now I am hooked and need to read the rest of the books - quickly!
I LOVE these books. I can't read them in my apartment, though. I have to read them in public places in broad daylight (tried in my office on a rainy day - no good; too dark). I find them that scary. My middle school students, however, don't find them nearly as scary.
ReplyDeleteI had heard about them and meant to read them, but kept choosing other things from my TBR pile. I'm glad I finally took the plunge. I really like them!
ReplyDeleteI love these books too but can't decide about putting them in my PPK-6th library. Thoughts??
ReplyDeleteI think I would put them out if you have a section for older chapter book readers. I have a few books that are marked "For 5th grade only."
ReplyDeleteI do have some marked YA and are reserved for 6th. I think that's what I'll do. Thanks!
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