Since the beginning of the Problem in London, malevolent ghosts and spirits have been showing up everywhere. Only children and young people have the psychic abilities to hunt and destroy the ghosts. Lockwood and Co. is one of the many agencies that deals with the supernatural problem. However, it is the only agency without adult supervision. Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle, and George Cubbins do their best to make a living destroying ghosts. Through success and disaster, the agents learn more about each other as well as their own ghost hunting abilities.
When the agency is threatened with financial ruin, Lockwood & Co. is forced to take a job at Combe Carey Hall. They face the legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room, but are they finally in over their heads? Jonathan Stroud creates a plucky heroine and a mysterious hero. He places them in an intriguing alternate London with non-stop adventures. The Screaming Staircase is a good book for lovers of ghost stories who still like to sleep at night. The book is filled with adventures that are always exciting and sometimes frightening, but it is still mild enough for tween readers. This is a fast-moving beginning to a well-written new series.
Recommended ages-11 and up