I was annoyed when Netflix cancelled Lockwood & Co. after season one, so I needed to read the books to find out what happens next and I’m glad I did.
Stroud builds a world where London has a problem with ghosts. The Visitors manifest in different ways, but they are almost always demonic/monstrous like rather than just invisible, talking people. It makes for intense scenes where you fear for the safety of the main characters.
The story is told from the point of view of Lucy Carlyle, a sensitive who hears ghosts and objects which have been touched by ghosts or death. She joins Lockwood & Co. as an agent who investigates hauntings. There she meets its two other agents, Anthony Lockwood, the suave, intelligent teenager whom the agency is named after, and George Cubbins, the chubby researcher, both of whom have the sight – the ability to see ghosts, or ghost remanence.
Stroud structures the magical system so that only children can sense the Visitors, hence why teenagers are the ones thrusted into life threatening situations fighting off ghosts. Most agencies are run under adult supervision except for Lockwood & Co. of course. As the children grow older, their talents fade until they can no longer sense ghosts. Stroud leverages this to make for an engaging and entertaining story.
This story, though packed with supernatural elements, is at its heart a mystery. I like how Stroud takes two different mysteries that seem unrelated and knits them together to make for a satisfying ending.
This book has likable, engaging characters; monstrous action; along with some spooky mysteries. I highly recommend this particularly if, like me, you’re still smarting about the cancellation of a great TV show.
Read my original review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6416956820?book_show_action=false
MARK KIELTY 