Lockwood & Co: The Empty Grave

Book 5

De: Jonathan Stroud

Narrado por: Emily Bevan

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Lockwood & Co: The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud, read by Emily Bevan.

Want to hear a ghost story? That’s good. I know a few . . .

After their recent adventures, the Lockwood & Co team deserve a well-earned break . . . so naturally they decide to risk their lives breaking into a heavily-guarded crypt. A building full of unsettled souls, it’s also the final resting place of Marissa Fittes, the legendary and (supposedly) long-dead ghost hunter – though the team have their suspicions about just how dead she might be.

What they discover changes everything.

Pitched into a desperate race to get to the truth behind the country’s ghost epidemic, the team ignite a final, epic battle against the Fittes agency. A battle that will force them to journey to the Other Side, and face the most terrifying enemy they have ever known.

Can everyone make it out alive?

Join Lucy, Lockwood, George and Holly for one last time as they battle ghosts and humans for truth and justice in this breathtaking finale to the bestselling series.

'Stroud is a genius' Rick Riordan

Reseñas de la Crítica

Stroud at the top of his game

A brilliant culmination to a splendidly scary series

Stroud’s prose is evocative . . . and his horrors, pattering in the footsteps of M. R. James, depend more on the reader’s imagination than the writer’s gruesome welter. His humour is also perfectly judged, never undermining the terror, but allowing the reader to bask in the camaraderie of London’s smallest, most slapdash and unlikely ghost-hunting agency, the eponymous Lockwood and Co. Throughout the series, he has achieved great feats of ­characterisation. (Imogen Russell-Williams)

A devilishly good combination of engaging cast, memorable locations, comforting food and delicious pace all sewn together with seriously good, unaffected writing, The Empty Grave is the full monty; entertainment, excitement and intelligence sprinkled with wit and verve and sparkling throughout with an endorphin-laced exploration of a liminal frontier – in this case the very boundary between the living and the dead. The Empty Grave is a fitting and extraordinary end to a remarkable series; I am very envious of those who are yet to discover Lockwood & Co. for themselves.

(Zoe Toft)

[T]he thrilling finale to the multi award-winning series, and the excitement and tension are held right to the very end. Sad to see a great series reach its conclusion, but better to go out on a high note, as this does.

Stroud brings his intricate, series long storyline to a close with a complex, dramatic climax followed by a simple, satisfying conclusion. A first-rate adventure, full of memorable, original characters

Good end to the series

It was a bit slow in the beginning but towards the middle it got more interesting and the pace got good. I couldn’t put it down towards the end because it was so tense and fun. And there were actually some funny parts that made me grin. It’s a good end to the series

Excellent Finish

I have enjoyed few series as much and Lockwood & Co - brilliant writing, fast-paced action, interesting characters, and a wonderful series-long mystery. For me, this does for ghost stories what Harry Potter did for wizards - created a very intricate world full of fascinating and distinct characters, with great humor but also pathos, suitable for adults and middle grade at the same time. It's a series I will enthusiastically recommend to anyone looking for the thrill they got from Harry Potter, but with a supernatural twist. My only disappointment is that this was the last book in the series since I wanted more. I can only hope Stroud decides to continue with a new series arc in the future.

Story: With the revelation from the skull that Penelope Fitts IS Marissa, the supposedly dead founder of the powerful Fitts Agency, Lockwood and Co set out to discover if Marissa's grave is empty. This sets into motion the events that will uncover the truth behind the hauntings in London but also puts the crew to the test just to survive long enough against all that is stacking up against them.

As with all the previous books, there is plenty of action and revelations. Stroud nicely ties in the previous books' hauntings and their significance to the big picture. This isn't a series about one big revelation so much as needing to put the pieces together in order to learn exactly what is happening in England and why. Thanks to the events in the previous book with Rotwell being taken out of the picture, Penelope Fitts and the Orpheus Society have closed up the ranks of power and control nearly all levels of natural and supernatural dealings - governments, police, etc. It's a powerful collective that will fight to ensure that Lockwood doesn't change the status quo.

Really, the heart of the book is the brilliant characterizations. From the antics of the skull in the jar (which never fail to put a smile on my face), to George's lackadaisical research, Lockwood's detached leadership, Holly's finicky nature (ah, I was hoping she was evil, darn it!), to our narrator Lucy. I love that our narrator was female and not the leader of the group - she gave a very grounded and very unique and distance perspective on the story throughout. She wasn't perfect but had a strong will, making for a very nuanced and intricate character. She's one of my favorite in years for that reason.

The story tied up nicely but there are areas left open that could serve for future volumes; I can only hope that Stroud continues the story since there is so much there to love. But for now, this ends the series nicely. Note: I listened to the audible version and the narrator was excellent - really gave distance voices to every characters.

I’m in love

The whole series is a masterpiece! It gets better and better with every book! I wish there were more of them! Absolutely perfect!