The Screaming Staircase Summary
Jonathan Stroud

The Screaming Staircase Overview

Jonathan Stroud's novel, The Screaming Staircase, is the first of a series about a ghost agency called Lockwood & Co. In this novel, Lucy Carlyle tells about the events leading to modern-day London – a city that is overrun by ghosts, prompting the creation of several agencies that investigate and maintain ghosts. Since only children can detect the ghosts, youngsters like Lucy, Anthony Lockwood, and George Cubbins have successful but dangerous careers. In this novel, they solve the murder of a young actress named Annabel Ward, bringing her killer to justice while ridding the region of a clutch of dangerous ghosts. The main themes of this novel are everyday traditions, the importance of a sanctuary, the realities of Lucy's world, and children in decision making roles. Throughout the novel, the elements of mysteries serve as a motif.