Synopsis: Stephanie Edgley is at low ebb. Her favourite uncle is dead and his funeral serves up a series of disillusionments, leaving her no definite goal in life but to get out of her small town home. But Uncle Gordon’s death brings two things into her life. The first is a handsome legacy; the second is Skulduggery Pleasant, an enigmatic detective with a slouch hat, a tan overcoat and a peculiar medical condition: he’s been dead for years. Soon, Stephanie finds herself immersed in a world of magic and mystery, pursued by fireproof goons, indestructible warriors and feral, ravening vampires. Now she knows that her uncle was murdered, and she will stop at nothing to help Skulduggery bring the killer to justice, even if it does mean plunging into the vanguard of a major war within the magical community.

 Review: Derek Landy’s debut novel is many things. It is a tale of adventure and suspense set amid the hidden magical community of Dublin; a sort of metaphysical coming-of-age; a buddy tale of mismatched partners; and even a ‘they fight crime’ (he’s a walking skeleton with a mastery of magic and an axe to grind, she’s a sassy kid with a whole lot of guts who’s the last heir to a race of ancient sorcerers. They fight crime!). Occasionally, and somewhat surprisingly given the generally irreverent, wisecracking tone, it even contains passages of considerable beauty (I refer the doubter to Chapter 1’s description of the bookcase door in Uncle Gordon’s living room and defy any teacher not to feel a twinge).

Skulduggery Pleasant is a supernatural mystery of the treasure hunt variety, featuring a likeable – a really likeable – young heroine and her long-dead mentor. Big whoop; that sort of thing is ten a penny. What makes the book stand out is, quite simply, that it is so well written. Aside from the aforementioned lapses into poetic eloquence, Landy has delicately crafted a magical world of considerable finesse and consistency, incorporating traditional elements ranging from the importance of names to the significance of death and inheritance. Add in a little…no, a lot of wisecracking dialogue that manages the impressive task of being actually funny, rather than just glib, and you have a book that comes close to matching up to the publisher’s hype. If Landy can continue to write at this level, expect to see his name mentioned a lot, probably alongside phrases like ‘move over J K Rowling’.

Actually, as J K Rowling may well be moving over of her own accord after the publication of the Deathly Hallows, publishers must be on the lookout for the next Harry Potter. HarperCollins may be counting on Skulduggery Pleasant and his young Girl Friday to fill that gap, with the book being accessible, despite a similar dark edge. While only time will tell which series, if any, will capture Harry’s sector of the market, Landy’s creation is a cut above much of the competition.

RED HOUSE BOOK AWARD OVERALL WINNER 2008

2007-03-08