The latest of Derek Landy's adventures into the world of Skulduggery Pleasant is one we've learned to find great excitement in from this long running series, a side novel. Known for having marvellous written humour Landy's side novels are always worth a gander as he explores further reaches of his long-running fantasy world that the main story arc would never have time to take us down, and let's loose on his characters personalities as they punch and kick their way through.
From the blurb;
'On a dark and stormy night...
'A pair of ghost-hunting journalists arrive at the most haunted house in Britain - the Hollow Hotel. They're here to interview the Dark King of television magic, Romeo Gideon.
'Instead, they discover the body of a murdered man hanging from the rafters - the work of a killer who wields actual magic as viciously as he does his blade. With the storm closing in, all exit routes cut off, and the killer taking them out one by one, their only hope lies with the two mysterious Irish detectives who seem quite at home with all this bloodshed...
'Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain have only hours to figure out who the killer is in a hotel filled with the tortured spirits of the dead, the anguished wails of the dying and the relentless whines of the living.'
A marvellous who-done-it murder mystery where ghosts and ancient spells are at play offset with Landy's trademark humour and carried by a numerous and varied cast of new characters. Set in a architectural marvel cut off from the rest of the world by the marvellously terrible British weather, The Haunted House On Hollow Hill is a short side quest for our hero's, but a break neck adventure read for fans and impossible to put down.
As always with Landy there is so much more than meets the eye going on with this novel, as we delve into the hotels vast and bitter history and into the turbulent lives of it's many guests we begin to see a larger scope for this particular who-done-it murder and in turn to point-fingers at each and every character.
Swooping in and bringing with them their fantastic sense of style and trade mark humour, Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain seem to take this particular crime in their stride, a small fish moment for the world saving duo, but a wonderful glimpse into their off-time banter for readers and a lighter moment for our long running lead characters who so rarely get moments of levity in the core novels.
The Haunted House On Hollow Hill feels like an original Skulduggery mystery, surprising, funny, full of very sudden and dark turns often swollen with blood and murder, and most importantly the ever lasting comradely between Valkyrie and Skulduggery as they bounce off one another.
Fans both new and old of the Skulduggery Pleasant series will not want to miss this latest high-octane instalment.
We give The Haunted House On Hollow Hill Five Stars
ISBN - 978-0-00-872515-0 Hardback Cover Price - £14.99 First published in the United Kingdom by HarperCollins Children's Books in 2024
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