Synopses & Reviews
Something mysterious and terrible is happening throughout Victorian London: Ghosts are disappearing. When this reaches the attention of the Ghost Bureau, the diligent but clueless Mr. Lapsewood, a paranormal paper-pusher, is sent to investigate, and what he discovers is grave. The Black Rot has arriveda voracious spiritual infestation whereby empty haunted houses suck in unsuspecting ghosts and imprison them. Lapsewoods investigation weaves through the plotlines of several other memorable charactersboth living and deadincluding an undertakers son who can see ghosts, a serial throat-slasher reminiscent of Jack the Ripper, an evangelical exorcist, and many more. The living and dead must work together if they hope to destroy the Black Rotbefore it destroys both the ghost and human worlds.
This highly atmospheric and bitingly funny ghost story by successful British author Gareth P. Jones will delight fans of Eva Ibbotson and Neil Gaiman.
Praise for Constable and Toop
STARRED REVIEWS
"Jones has crafted a menacing, spooky Victorian London full of criminals and unfinished business, which is well balanced by the biting satire and buffoonery of the Bureau. Add to that a cast of fascinating, well-wrought charactersfrom the smarmy and threatening Jack, to the precocious, pot-stirring aspiring journalist, Claraand its a winning combination of macabre atmosphere, whimsical antics, and heartfelt, earnest friendship."
--Booklist, starred review
"This story is sure to tickle the funny bone and satisfy the taste for some gruesome adventure while appealing to both girls and boys. A fun read that includes intrigue, murder, mystery, and a young damsel who rescues them all."
--School Library Journal, starred review
"Both spine-chilling and raucously funny, this ghostly Victorian mystery knits humor and horror into a lively supernatural escapade for confident readers."
--Library Media Connection, highly recommended
"Jones is interested in giving readers more than spooky thrills; his characters have moral heft and are concerned with issues such as culpability, whether people can be considered good if they have done bad things, and the importance of living life to its fullest."
--Kirkus Reviews
"British author Jones offers a witty take on Victorian ghost stories that mixes dark humor and satire with an almost traditional boys adventure format."
--Publishers Weekly
"It is part mystery, part adventure, and thoroughly delightful."
--VOYA
Synopsis
After meeting the ghost of a long-dead coal miner, young Josh takes on a strange and morbid task for his spiritual acquaintance in order to help him finally be able to rest in peace, but things become even more curious as he begins digging in the cemetery--causing a curious Josh to worry that he might have gotten into something way over his head. Reprint.
Synopsis
Peg Kehret does it again in this spooky, suspenseful thriller! What Josh thought would be the dullest summer of his life, spent with his eccentric great-aunt, turns chilling when he meets the ghost of a coal miner killed in a mine explosion. Willie has been waiting years for some kind soul to dig up his leg and rebury it with the rest of himonly then will he be at peace. Josh agrees to do the grisly deed, but when he digs in the old cemetery, he finds more than Willies leg bones! Who buried the box of cash in the grave, and why? How far will that person go to get the money back? The Ghosts Grave is a deliciously spooky adventure from a master of suspense.
About the Author
Peg Kehret was born in Wisconsin, grew up in Minnesota, spent fourteen years in California, and now lives with her husband in Washington State. They have two grown children, four grandchildren, one dog, and one cat.
Peg's novels for children are regularly recommended by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, and the Children's Book Council. She has won many state "young reader" or "children's choice" awards. Peg's characters are ordinary kids who find themselves in exciting situations and who use their wits to solve their problems. There is usually humor as well as suspense in her books. A long-time volunteer at The Humane Society, she often uses animals in her stories.
Before she began writing books for children, Peg published plays, short stories, articles, and two books for adults. She is a frequent speaker at conferences for librarians and teachers.
At the age of twelve, Peg had polio and was paralyzed from the neck down. Because she can remember that experience and her year of recovery so vividly, she finds it easy to write in the viewpoint of a twelve or thirteen year old. Most of her main characters are that age. Her autobiography, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, won the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the PEN Center USA West Award for Children's Literature.
When she is not writing, Peg likes to watch baseball, bake cookies, and pump her old player piano.