The Whispering Skull (Jonathan Stroud)

The Whispering Skull
The Lockwood and Co. series, Book 2
Jonathan Stroud
Doubleday
Fiction, MG Fantasy/Horror
**** (Good)

DESCRIPTION: After the incident of the Screaming Staircase, small-time ghost hunting agency Lockwood and Co. - run by preteens Anthony Lockwood, George, and new recruit Lucy - became famous... temporarily, at least. They still struggle to compete with larger, better-funded outfits of ghost-sensitive children fighting the "Problems", the deadly spirits stalking London's nights for over fifty years. A botched case solved by their rivals in the Fittes agency leads to an informal bet: the next time they go head-to-head on the same haunting, whoever fails to crack it first must take out a public ad praising the other. But that was before they found themselves involved with the mysterious corpse of one Mr. Bickerstaff, a Victorian eccentric whose unwholesome obsession with ghosts led to the creation of an artifact so deadly one glimpse of it can be maddening, even lethal - an artifact that kills one of the thieves who steal it shortly after its discovery. Worse, the haunted skull Lockwood keeps in the agency cellar has become "talkative" again, telling Lucy all sorts of half-truths and tantalizing hints that it might know something about Bickerstaff. If she listens to it, they might crack the case before anyone else dies... or the skull's twisted words might kill them all.

REVIEW: Like the first volume in this middle-grade horror series, The Whispering Skull offers a nice blend of eccentric characters, humor, and spooky ghost-hunting action that doesn't water down terror or blunt corners; though there is no graphic violence or gore, some of the hauntings are downright scary, and there are actual deaths involved. Lucy's Talent of hearing ghosts makes her the only conduit for the titular skull's advice and warnings; even as she knows they can't be taken at face value, given the questionable nature of their source, she can't help but be swayed by them. Scholarly George, meanwhile, develops an obsession of his own as they research Bickerstaff and his "bone glass" mirror, which may answer questions about the Problems and about the nature of death itself. As for Lockwood, his tendency to remain inscrutable, particularly about his past, creates problems that could fracture their agency just when they need each other most. Though ghost-hunting has grown them all up faster than ordinary kids, they do remain children at heart in some ways, not quite as mature as grown-ups might be in similar situations... though, in this world, with maturity often comes obsolescence, as spirit-sensing Talents fade with age (even as the touch of a ghost remains lethal; aged-out ghost hunters often remain on as handlers for younger agents, but can do little to protect or help their charges on the job.) Aside from some moments of plot-extending obliviousness (not quite rising to the level of stupidity, given circumstances, but still subtly aggravating at times), the story moves at a fair clip toward a conclusion that, while not entirely unexpected, nevertheless delivers decent thrills and a nice wrap-up, segueing (naturally) into the hook for the next volume. It made for a good read, all in all, and I expect I'll continue with this series through at least one more book.

You Might Also Enjoy:
The Ghost in the Third Row (Bruce Coville) - My Review
Carnacki, the Ghost Finder (William Hope Hodgson) - My Review
The Screaming Staircase (Jonathan Stroud) - My Review