Series Review: Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud - The Perfect October Read

by The Book Pup on October 8, 2025

Series: Lockwood & Co (5 books) Author: Jonathan Stroud Books in order:

1. The Screaming Staircase
2. The Whispering Skull
3. The Hollow Boy
4. The Creeping Shadow
5. The Empty Grave

Series Overview

In an alternate version of London, ghosts are real, deadly, and everywhere. The only people who can see and fight them? Kids and teenagers. Adults lose their ghost-hunting abilities as they grow older, which means the fate of England rests in the hands of psychic detection agencies run entirely by young people.

Enter Lockwood & Co: the smallest, scrappiest, and most reckless ghost-hunting agency in London. There's Anthony Lockwood (the charming, mysterious leader with a death wish), Lucy Carlyle (our narrator with unusually powerful psychic Listening abilities), and George Cubbins (the research genius who no one takes seriously until things go wrong).

Together, they take on the most dangerous hauntings in London while trying not to get killed, shut down by the government, or bankrupted by Lockwood's terrible business decisions.

If you love atmospheric mysteries, books featuring young people, found family dynamics, ghosts that are actually terrifying, and British humor, this series was made for you.

Why This Series is Perfect for October

The Atmosphere: Jonathan Stroud has mastered the art of creating exciting scenes without relying on gore or cheap scares. Everything about this series is engaging, but without making things too scary.

The ghosts: They're cold, malevolent, and can kill you with a touch.

The Setting: London in autumn and winter, with fog rolling through the streets, old haunted houses, and the constant threat of ghosts emerging after dark. It's atmospheric perfection for October reading.

The Perfect Balance: These books manage to give off the cozy spooky vibe while also being funny, heartwarming, and adventurous. You get the Halloween vibes without the nightmare fuel that keeps you up for weeks.

Before You Start

Age Recommendation: I recommend this series for ages 11 and up. While there's no graphic violence or mature content, the ghost encounters can be frightening for younger readers, and the series deals with some themes of death and danger throughout.

Note: I read this series at age 11 and loved it, but everyone's comfort level with spooky content is different. Trust your instincts about what feels right for you.

Reading Order: These books build on each other, so you'll want to read them in order starting with The Screaming Staircase. Each book resolves its own mystery while advancing the larger story arc.

Helpful Tip: The first book includes a glossary at the back explaining different types of ghosts and ghost-hunting terminology. It's super helpful when you're getting used to the world, so don't skip it!

What to Expect: This is mystery/adventure with supernatural elements, not horror or thriller. The ghosts are dangerous and the atmosphere keeps you on edge (in a good way), but the focus is on solving mysteries and character relationships rather than scares.

My Review (Non-Spoiler)

This series is one of my all-time favorites, and I gave every single book 5 pawprints. Jonathan Stroud has created something truly special here.

The Characters: Lucy, Lockwood, and George feel like real people. Lucy's narration is sarcastic, honest, and absolutely hilarious. And who doesn't love a girl with a little (okay, maybe a lot) of backbone?

Lockwood is the perfect mysterious leader - charming, reckless, hiding secrets, and absolutely terrible at self-preservation. George is the underappreciated genius who steals every scene he's in with his deadpan humor and obsession with biscuits.

The Mystery & Plot: Each book has its own ghost mystery to solve, but there's also an overarching mystery about why the ghost problem started and what Lockwood is really hiding. Stroud is brilliant at planting clues and building tension.

The Humor: Despite being about deadly ghosts, these books are actually funny. The banter between the trio is top-tier, and Lucy's sarcastic observations about everyone and everything had me laughing out loud constantly (later in the series, a hilarious character is introduced...no spoilers!).

The Writing: Stroud's writing is immersive and atmospheric. The ghost encounters are described so vividly that you can feel the supernatural cold and the creeping dread. But he also writes incredible action sequences and quieter character moments with equal skill.

The Pacing: Every book kept me hooked from start to finish. Stroud knows exactly when to build tension, when to give you answers, and when to drop a bombshell that changes everything.

My only tiny complaint is that I wish we had gotten more books in this series. Five books felt both perfect and not nearly enough.

5/5 pawprints for the entire series 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

You can find the series on Goodreads here!

What Makes Each Book Special

Book 1 - The Screaming Staircase: The perfect introduction to this world. We meet the trio, learn how ghost hunting works, and get thrown into an absolutely terrifying case involving a haunted house with fifty years of death attached to it. (make use of the glossary at the back of the book. There are many different names of ghosts and terminology for the story.)

Book 2 - The Whispering Skull: The team dynamics deepen, we get more insight into the larger mystery, and there's a talking skull in a jar who becomes one of the best characters in the series. The ghost cases get more complex and dangerous.

Book 3 - The Hollow Boy: This is where things get emotionally heavy. Lucy questions her place in the agency when Lockwood hires another 'assistant', Lockwood's recklessness becomes a real problem, and the group starts cracking under pressure. It's darker but so good.

Book 4 - The Creeping Shadow: New characters shake up the dynamic, the overarching mystery starts coming together, and the stakes get impossibly high. The team has to face hard truths about themselves and each other.

Book 5 - The Empty Grave: Enemies turn to allies. The conclusion brings everything together in the most satisfying way. Questions get answered, character arcs complete, and it's both heartbreaking and hopeful. All knots and mysteries are tied.

Why You Should Read This Series This October

If you want books that:

• Give you the best Halloween vibes without traumatizing you
• Have mysteries that keep you guessing
• Balance humor with genuine emotion
• Include ghosts that feel real without being too scary (but not exactly friendly!)
• Star competent, flawed, lovable characters
• Take place in atmospheric, foggy London

Then Lockwood & Co needs to be your October read.

This series reminded me why I love reading. It made me laugh, scared me, and left me feeling like I'd been on an adventure with characters I really cared about.

Start with The Screaming Staircase and prepare to binge the entire series. You won't regret it.

Have you read Lockwood & Co? What did you think? Drop a comment and let me know your favorite moment or character - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading, and may your October be filled with amazing ghost stories and epic mystery feels!

The Book Pup