The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud

INFORMATION

Goodreads: The Creeping Shadow
Series: Lockwood & Co. #4
Source: Library
Publication Date: 2016

SUMMARY

Afraid of losing control of her Talents and hurting her friends, Lucy has left Lockwood & Co. to work as a freelancer.  But now Lockwood is at her door asking for help and Lucy feels powerless to refuse.  As the team fights ghosts, however, they also begin to realize that the Problem is far bigger than they imagined.  Who is collecting powerful Sources?  And is it really possible for the living to enter the world of the dead?

Review

Jonathan Stroud has done it again.  Book three got a little tiresome since it was mostly about Holly and Lucy’s arguments.  But now the unnecessary drama is gone and the characters can go back to doing what they do best–fighting ghosts and defying authority.  Lucy may be freelancing for now, but her love for Lockwood is about to draw her back to his side.

Any reader who has made it this far in the series does not need my review to know that the Lockwood & Co. books are gold.  Packed full of action and mystery, each one presents a series of smaller cases to solve, one large and dangerous ghost to defeat at the end, and always a tantalizing glimpse at the structure underlying the entire Problem.  Now the characters seem to be inching closer to the truth of what is raising the dead.  But, of course, there are always more layers to uncover.  Stroud likes to keep readers on their toes.

Add the characters–the dashing and reckless Lockwood, the spunky Lucy, and the cake-loving and intelligent George Cubbins–and you have a series that seems impossible to fail.  I’ve grown to care about each of the characters very much (except maybe Holly, who, since this is told from Lucy’s perspective, doesn’t get much positive attention aside from snide and jealous remarks about her perfect looks).  I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here.