“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job,Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.
Doctor Who meets Sherlock in a debut novel, the first in a series, brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.---from the publisher
320 pages 978-1616205461 Ages 14-17
Keywords: mystery and detective, supernatural, action/adventure, 14 year old,15 year old, 16 year old, historical mystery, part of a series
Also in this series: Beastly Bones #2, Ghostly Echoes #3, Dire King #4
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Other reviews:
The rich world of this debut demands sequels.” -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“We honestly couldn't put it down.” -Nerdist.com
“Toss together an alternate 19th-century New England city, a strong tradition of Sherlockian pastiche, and one seriously ugly hat, and this lighthearted and assured debut emerges, all action and quirk.” -Publishers Weekly *
A Top Ten Fall '14 Kids' Indie Next Pick *
A 2014 Kirkus Reviews Best Book for Young Adults *
A 2015 Yalsa Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults Title *
A 2015 Pacific Northwest Book Award Winner *
A 2015–2016 Georgia Peach Award Nominee *
