The Whispering Skull

Lockwood & Co., Book 2

By: Jonathan Stroud

Narrated by: Katie Lyons

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood and Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations. Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest: the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper.

Things look up when a new client, Mr. Saunders, hires Lockwood and Co. to be present at the excavation of Edmund Bickerstaff, a Victorian doctor who reportedly tried to communicate with the dead. Saunders needs the coffin sealed with silver to prevent any supernatural trouble. All goes well - until George's curiosity attracts a horrible phantom.

Back home at Portland Row, Lockwood accuses George of making too many careless mistakes. Lucy is distracted by urgent whispers coming from the skull in the ghost jar. Then the team is summoned to DEPRAC headquarters. Kipps is there too, much to Lockwood's annoyance. Bickerstaff's coffin was raided and a strange glass object buried with the corpse has vanished. Inspector Barnes believes the relic to be highly dangerous, and he wants it found.

The author of the blockbuster Bartimaeus series delivers another amusing, chilling, and ingeniously plotted entry in the critically acclaimed Lockwood and Co. series.

©2014 Jonathan Stroud (P)2014 Listening Library

Narrator

Why did you change the narrator!!! Great book but not enjoying the voice, sorry Katie

Narrator did a great job

What a great story and the narrator really did well. Recommended to everyone, especially before seeing the new TV show.

Keeps your engaged at every turn!

Amazing!!! You are captured and enthralled the entire story from one moment to the next.

Love it!

Well narrated with emotion and enjoyed listening to Katie Lyons' voice. My only problem was that it was occasionally difficult to differentiate between character voices - particularly male characters. The story was great and I enjoyed the mystery, though I thought the creepiness of book 1 was better done.

Another very good ghost story

As I said for book 1, Stroud writes a really good ghost story. This one is no exception. I've liked the first 2 so well that I'll be buying the rest of the series as they come out.

The narrator for this one is different from the first book, but she does an excellent job. The ghosts' whisperings she did are particularly creepy. I could easily see her telling fantastic stories around the camp fire. I don't see her listed for any other books on Audible, but I'll be surprised it stays that way for long. Lyons clearly has the talent for narrating books.

Between the story and the performance, this was a very enjoyable book to listen to.

Fun book for the family

Would you listen to The Whispering Skull again? Why?

I would listen to it again.

What other book might you compare The Whispering Skull to and why?

I would say a Sherlock Holmes with Artemis Fowl and magic. The book was fun to listen to and the world that Jonathan Stroud creates makes you want to read/listen. There were a few times that I laughed out loud. I have already purchased and listened to book 2 and will be listening to book 3 soon. This is a book for the young preteen and teen readers but still interesting enough to keep parents listening/reading.

Any additional comments?

I would like a more sophisticated version of something similar for my own reading.

Scarier

This book is more intense then I remembered the first book. The stakes haven't changed but the story run longer at a high level of tension. I am a chicken and skip for 90 sec forward twice when the author warned about a scary description. This book follows well from the first story and gives you a better look and the characters. Likely if you enjoy book one you'll like this one. If book one was at your scary limit this one might be more then you want.

Narration is same as the last book- note book 3 is by someone else.

A worthy sequel

The Whispering Skull certainly grabbed my attention and kept it. There were some moments particularly with the team interactions that made me chuckle, but other times I wondered how Lucy, Anthony and George were going to solve the case. In fact I was so wrapped up in the story I finished listening in one day.

We love Lucy

Always a very satisfying read. I've read it multiple times: by myself, with my child, and with my clients at work. All of us have enjoyed the mystical action packed environment and the camaraderie depicted in this story.

A captivating and spine tingling adventure

Jonathan Stroud's "The Whispering Skull" is a thrilling and captivating read that had me hooked from the very first page. As the second installment in the Lockwood & Co. series, Stroud effortlessly builds upon the foundation of the first book and takes readers on an even more exhilarating and spine-tingling adventure.

The book is set in a unique and imaginative world where ghostly hauntings are a part of daily life, and young agents of Lockwood & Co. are tasked with battling these supernatural threats. Stroud masterfully weaves together an engaging plot, filled with suspense, action, and just the right amount of humor. The character development is exceptional, and I found myself fully invested in the lives and relationships of the protagonists.

The Whispering Skull introduces new, intriguing elements to the story, including a mysterious and chilling artifact that adds an extra layer of depth to the narrative. Stroud's writing style is engaging, making it easy to get lost in the story and difficult to put the book down.

Overall, "The Whispering Skull" is an outstanding continuation of the Lockwood & Co. series, with a perfect balance of supernatural chills, suspenseful action, and captivating characters. I highly recommend this book to fans of the first installment and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted, spine-tingling adventure. Jonathan Stroud has once again delivered a fantastic read that leaves you eagerly anticipating the next installment