Lockwood & Co

by Jonathan Stroud

[limabean74]

Not a moment to breathe. I love the flow of action it has not stopped since I started this book. I find the characters refreshing and lovable. Lockwood & Co. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud is a different murder mystery that centers on a ghost story.

Lucy is a runaway and is looking for a job as a Ghost Hunter. London is over run with ghosts or visitors and you are not allowed out after curfew. They salt the streets, hang lavender and have ghost lights to keep the streets safe at night but it is advised not to go out at night. They have agencies that employ young kids since they are the only ones that can see or hear ghosts. These ghosts aren't normal ghosts, they can kill you and are very dangerous. Lucy applies for a job at the Lockwood & Co agency that is run by two young men; Anthony Lockwood and George. Lockwood and George think she is a perfect fit but things go wrong at a job and now they are all in trouble and need to find a way to solve a cold case and gain back the respect that they lost.

I liked Lucy, she is a young girl who has the ability to Listen and Touch things to hear the past in them. She is a very strong character and has a tendency to make the wrong decisions and I think that is what I like best about her. She is an act now think about it later kind of girl
Lockwood is rather quiet about his past but has a strong passion for catching and finding ghosts. I wanted to know more about his background but maybe we will learn it in the second book. George was more of a secondary character but I loved his attitude and he was rather funny and always hungry.

The flow was so action pack, when it does hit a slow spot its really slow, but it helps build the story, it just feels like you want them to get to the point and back to the action. You are almost spoiled after the beginning. The end is great and I loved how creepy it got even in the last couple of paragraphs. Lockwood, George and Lucy are just such fantastic characters

Murder Mystery and Ghost Story with Sherlock Holmes and Watson energy. I gave The Screaming Staircase 4 out of 5 stars. Humor, Mystery and just the right amount of creepy. It's a series I really looking forward to continuing. A good read for middle graders and adults who are looking for something to keep them up late at night.

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