The Death Collector

What starts as an ordinary picket-pocketing incident in Victorian London unites three teens against a madman. Eddie is the pickpocket; George is an assistant at the British Museum; Elizabeth has a nose for trouble — and all of them are being hunted by Augustus Lorimore. Lorimore is a sinister factory owner, a villain bent on reanimating the dead, both humans and dinosaurs — and one of each is already terrorizing the streets of London. It's up to Eddie, George, and Elizabeth to stop Lorimore's monsters...or die trying.

"Richards (the Invisible Detective series) makes a strong showing in this haunting story set in Victorian London, where a 14-year-old pickpocket, a young horologist at the British Museum, and a clergyman's daughter with a taste for theatrics join forces to thwart a mad industrialist's attempts to reanimate the dead. Right from the opening sentence, 'Four days after his own funeral, Albert Wilkes came home for tea,' the pace never falters. Eddie, George and Liz meet through a plausible course of events, and become involved with the maniacal Mr. Lorimore when a museum clerk is killed, and George takes a scrap of paper from the scene of his friend's death. As the tale progresses, the three teens find in each other a measure of companionship that each had lacked. Richards demonstrates a knack for physical description ('When he spoke, the sound seemed to be amplified by the mass of red hair round his mouth') as well as for conjuring an eerie atmosphere, evoking the smog and stench of industrial London as easily as supernatural beings ('The nightmare creature roared like a train hurtling into a tunnel and clouds of hot breath erupted into the air around Eddie'). Suspense and adventure in abundance make for a thrilling read. Ages 12-18. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"[A] terrific blend of horror and mystery with three teen protagonists. It is a quick read packed with twists, turns, and just enough gore to keep things interesting. A great choice for horror fans." School Library Journal

"[T]he creepy combination of horror and mystery picks up speed deliciously with every turn of the page." Booklist

Justin Richards has written dozens of novels, as well as audio and television scripts. He is a creative consultant to the BBC Worldwide's range of Doctor Who novels and the author of the middle-grade Invisible Detective series. Justin lives in Warwick, England.