The Empty Gave: Lockwood & Co. By Jonathan Stroud

The book starts at the end and takes you threw what happened.  It is an interesting read, and while it is said this will be the last book in the series the ending does leave room for new adventures for the five main characters, six if you count Skull.  Solving the big question of is Marissa really Penelope drives most of the adventure in this book, while allowing for personal growth of the characters.  Lockwood and Luce are as close as they can be about admitting how much the other one means to each other, George is almost beaten to death, Kipps almost dies, and Holly reveals personal details about her life.  In a surprising twist is it Skull who helps save Luce and Lockwood at the end of the book.  If you have enjoyed the previous books in this series you will enjoy this books as well.

Keeping to a formula of the team working on a smaller case while preparing for a bigger case allowed for character growth and friendships to develop.  The comments about going back to book one to start all over again are a bit much, but some of the reveals do tie up loose plot ends.   Overall, the author did a great job at keeping the characters true to themselves while leaving little to no mysteries or unanswered plot questions.  A great read and I will miss the team greatly as they continue adventures that we may never get to read.

Character List/Book Summary:

Lucy Joan Carlyle = talks to the dead, touched by having been to the other side, afraid of messages that she has gotten about someone sacrificing himself for her and she fears it might be Lockwood. Goes to face Penelope or Marissa alone because of this fear.  Has a sadness about missing her family at one point in the book, that almost costs her.

Anthony Lockwood = his family has died and there is a plot in the cemetery next to them waiting for him, he show Lucy this because it hangs over him. Curious as to why Marissa talked to Skull and did not keep it.  Lucy fears he has a death wish as some of his stunts are over the top. He learns the real reason his parents died and how they died on one of the adventures the team takes after George is beaten. Realizes the team will have to take a trip to the Other side.

George = writes the cases in the ledger, trying to find Marissa’s missing book, sees the ghost in the theater for what she really is, unlike Lucy and Anthony. Has an unique friendship with Flo, is able to figure out and present to the group what the secret is Marissa and the society she started is, just not all the fine tune details.

Holly Munro = Lucy is getting used to her and is finding a sort of comfort in Holly’s predictability. Holly shares confidences in Lucy including that Lockwood is not her type and she never had anything to worry about competition wise regarding him.

Quill Kipps = uses bulbous goggles to see ghosts, teases George for his messiness and longwindedness, but is on hand the second George was hurt and ready to defend the team when they were attacked in the house. Almost dies, and Lucy realizes that he why he felt a calling of the door and felt so strong on the Other side. His determination keeps him living, because he would want to die properly with his body not being on the Other side.

Marissa Fittes = first and greatest psychic investigator, Skull says she isn’t dead, but posing as her granddaughter Penelope. George manages to find out part of her secret and Lucy finds out all the details when she confronts her at the end.  Marissa tries to talk Lucy into joining her, but Lucy declines leading to a large battle in Penelope’s private rooms at the Fittes agency.

Penelope Fittes = trying to shutdown Lockwood & Co. along with other private and small agencies now that she controls Fittes and Rotwell.

Florence Bonnard aka Flo Bones = helps take care of George while he is healing, gives Lockwood & Co. warning that Gale talked to Winkman about the group. Was a great swordsman and agent, but early in her training the team she went out with died and she had to fend of ghosts the entire night by herself with only a sword and her lantern, it changed her into a relic hunter.

Julius Winkman = sentenced to 10 years in jail for selling illegal psychic relics, out in 2 years and comes after Lockwood & Co in their home for personal reasons and because Gale asked him to.

Sir Rupert Gale = associate of Penelope’s, master swordsman, lets it slip that he can still see ghosts clearly (or maybe it is the glasses he wears), when caught with that he replies he is younger than he appears. Threatens George and Holly shortly before George is beaten up, and comes after Lockwood & Co with Winkman forcing a change in Lockwood’s plan that results in the team walk through the Other side in London.

Lewis Tufnell = owner of Tufnell’s Theater and comes to Lockwood for help with the haunting of his theater by a ghost who killed one of his cast, SId Morrison, and has another, Charley Budd, in a bad state.

Sarah Parkins = stage manager for Tufnell’s show and in the end the one responsible.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci = ghost that is luring men in Tufnell’s Theater to their death. She was an actress, an escapologist, died doing the Sultan’s Revenge, her real name is Doris Blower with a stage name of Marianne de Sevres, many stories on how she made men leave wives and then left them. She entices Lucy when Lucy gets sad about missing her family.