Lucy Carlyle

Lucy is the narrator and heroine of this novel. Lucy lives in a world where ghosts are a part of everyday life. Though some are benign, some are dangerous and require intervention. Only children can see and hear ghosts, and Lucy shows her ability at an early age. As a very young child, she senses there is something wrong at a haunted mill, but she does not insist that the adult agent in charge call off the investigation. The other children die, and Lucy carries that guilt. This prompts her to leave home and seek a job in London. The move puts her in contact with Anthony Lockwood and George Cubbins.

Lucy is highly skilled, and it seems likely that she has not yet honed all her ghost-related skills. There has been one other agent who was able to actually communicate with ghosts, and it is highly...