With the Halloween season approaching, you might be looking for a good ghost story to read.

The fifth and final installment of the spooky Lockwood and Co. book series, The Empty Grave, was released on September 12. The Empty Grave closes the story line of the previous four installments (in chronological order): The Screaming Staircase, The Whispering Skull, The Hollow Boy, and The Creeping Shadow.

The Lockwood and Co. book series takes place in an alternate London, where a ghost epidemic- The Problem- has overtaken Great Britain. These ghosts need to be eradicated, and agencies are formed for this purpose. However, only kids are able to see the ghosts. Because of this, agencies are formed with adult supervisors and children operatives to combat the ghosts at night.

Unlike most agencies, Lockwood and Co. has no adult supervisor, and is instead headed by the charismatic and enigmatic Anthony Lockwood. Lucy Carlyle and George Cubbins are the two other main members of Lockwood and Co., with Lucy being the narrator of the story. Holly Munro and Quill Kipps are later additions to the team.

The previous installment, The Creeping Shadow, left the reader with a significant cliffhanger: Penelope Fittes, head of the prestigious Fittes Agency,  is actually Marissa Fittes, who is believed to be dead. The Empty Grave begins the story with Lockwood and Co. breaking into the Fittes Mausoleum to see if Marissa Fittes is in her grave, as she is supposed to be.

Their discoveries at the Mausoleum increase the stakes, and The Empty Grave is by far the darkest Lockwood and Co. novel. The series finale turns from fighting ghosts to fighting people behind an unthinkable conspiracy. A theme throughout the series is that human beings can be just as, if not more, dangerous than ghosts. Death always seems to be around the corner, and Lockwood and Co.’s enemies are closing in. A near-miss with one of the principal characters reminds the reader of the real danger our heroes are in.

Another theme that the conclusion expands on is the presence of death in our world and how human beings respond to the inevitability of death. Will a person attempt to elude death, or will a person accept death as inevitable and make the most of his life?

In the climactic battle at the end of the novel, Stroud explores this theme and juxtaposes two different characters’ responses to death.

Many plot points needed to be tied up in this book, and Stroud does a great job of providing closure while also giving the reader freedom to interpret. The reader is given the freedom to speculate over the future of the inhabitants of 35 Portland Row, but is also given more backstory from the characters’ pasts to gain knowledge of our heroes’ (and villains’) motivations. Perhaps most importantly, Anthony Lockwood’s past will become clearer.

Throughout the series, Lockwood has been teasingly detached from Lucy, and only bits and pieces of his childhood have been revealed. He is dashing and charismatic, but also very mysterious and closed-off. Lockwood’s detachment from Lucy has clearly bothered Lucy throughout the series, as her feelings for Lockwood have developed. He has gradually opened up about his past, and has shared with Lucy and George the story of his sister’s death, and his motivations have slowly become clearer. However, the circumstances surrounding his parents’ deaths are still shrouded in mystery. In the final story, the mysteries from his past will be told, and Lucy will finally be able to understand the reasons behind Lockwood’s fierce ambitions.

Ultimately, what the reader will remember most from the series is the phenomenal characters. Lockwood, Lucy, and George are incredibly well-rounded and -developed characters, and the reader will always feel the pull to return to 35 Portland Row and have the privilege of fighting danger with the members of Lockwood and Co. When the reader closes the book for the last time, it will feel as if he is saying goodbye to some of his best friends.

The Empty Grave is a fantastic conclusion to the Lockwood and Co. series, and the reader will feel very satisfied with the journey that Lockwood and Co. took him on. He or she will never forget the nights lost in foggy London nights, fighting ghosts with Lockwood and Co.

Readers who enjoyed Sherlock Holmes, as well as Stroud’s previous series, the Bartimaeus sequence, will enjoy the Lockwood and Co. series. The relaxing Sherlock Holmes atmosphere of foggy London is captured perfectly in Lockwood and Co. It combines horror, mystery, adventure, and humor all into one spellbinding series.

Lockwood and Co. is a highly-recommended series. If you have not read The Screaming Staircase, you should pick it up and give it a try. Soon, you will find yourself spellbound by the ghostly London and the colorful cast of characters. This series is a must-read for any age above 10 years old.

Quick Review

The Empty Grave is a dark but heartfelt finale that closes the curtain on a phenomenal series. Recommended for all ages 10+.

Verdict (out of 5 stars)