The Whispering Skull

by Jonathan Stroud

Hardcover, 435 pages

English language

Published June 19, 2014 by Disney Hyperion.

ISBN:: 978-1-4231-6492-0

In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood & Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations. Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest: the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper.

Things look up when a new client, Mr. Saunders, hires Lockwood & Co. to be present at the excavation of Edmund Bickerstaff, a Victorian doctor who reportedly tried to communicate with the dead. Saunders needs the coffin sealed with silver to prevent any supernatural trouble. All goes well-until George's curiosity attracts a horrible phantom.

Back home at Portland Row, Lockwood accuses George of making too many careless mistakes. Lucy is distracted by urgent …

Back home at Portland Row, Lockwood accuses George of making too many careless mistakes. Lucy is distracted by urgent whispers coming from the skull in the ghost jar. Then the team is summoned to DEPRAC headquarters. Kipps is there too, much to Lockwood's annoyance. Bickerstaff's coffin was raided and a strange glass object buried with the corpse has vanished. Inspector Barnes believes the relic to be highly dangerous, and he wants it found.

2 editions

emerssso reviewed The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud (Lockwood & Co., #2)

All warmed up

4 stars

This is where the series really gets going, I think. The developing relationships between the core three characters is fun to witness, and the introduction of the skull brings some levity to what can be a little dark otherwise. World building continues to be solid, and a direction set for the rest of the series.

While Screaming Staircase could arguably be skipped, I'd definitely pick up Whispering Skull if you're interested in the series.

Benoît Huron reviewed The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud (Lockwood & Co., #2)

Pleasant

3 stars

Better than the first book in the series.

freezin4books reviewed The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud (Lockwood & Co., #2)

Review of 'The Whispering Skull' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I read the entire book on my flight home yesterday. While I didn't enjoy the thematic arc quite as much as the first Lockwood & Co book (The Screaming Staircase) the action and horror stayed strong and the character relationships were even more engaging.