[ 
Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Getting ready to go get groceries. ]
Stephanie Edgely is eleven years old when her beloved Uncle Gordon, a famous (and wealthy) horror novelist dies. He leaves her his mansion and fortune (not to mention the rights to his books – caching!) Unbeknownst to her, he has also left her something that someone thinks is worth killing over. Because, according to his dear friend, Skulduggery Pleasant, Uncle Gordon was murdered.
Skulduggery, easily one of the best names in children’s literature, is a living skeleton He was killed many years ago, but brought himself back to life through his righteous rage. Skulduggery, conveniently a private investigator, helps Stephanie navigate through this new world of magic, monsters and intrigue as they try to figure out what object the bad guys are after.
Author Derek Landy has created a rollicking good read full of puns, slapstick humour and breakneck action. He has also populated this world with well drawn characters. Skulduggery, the title character and real star of this novel is what Harry Dresden would have behaved like if he had been played by Nathan Fillion. Stephanie is also an asset, a strikingly drawn, strong female that drives much of the action rather than being a simple sidekick.
This will end up in an upcoming After Harry.