Reviews with content warning for Murder - Das Flammende Phantom

“I suggest we go into business together. ‘Carlyle and Skull,’ we’d call it, or possibly ‘Skull and Co.’ Yes, that’s it, with a little picture of me over the door. I can see it now….”

➽ The Creeping Shadow is probably one of my favorite books in the series! Since Lucy left Lockwood & Co. at the end of the previous book, she's now living in a rundown apartment and taking on jobs on her own. The last case left her badly shaken and she's certain that she'll bring about Lockwood's doom, so Lucy decided to isolate herself from her friends. My heart went out to her, as she just found a safe place for herself, but she knows how reckless Lockwood has been with his own life recently. Now her only company is the Skull which is hilarious as ever and has never liked Lockwood to begin with. It's delighted with the turn of events and continues badgering Lucy to let it out so they can work together.

➽ Lockwood isn't gone for too long, as he approaches Lucy about a case again. She is determined to not work with him again, but makes an exception as the prestigious Penelope Fittes personally wants their help with the Brixton Cannibal. I liked seeing the tension between Lucy and her friends, as they have to work together once again and George isn't too thrilled about how things ended. At least Lucy is slightly less harsh on Holly this time, but there is still some tension between the girls from the last case. I loved how this book had another case about a haunted village that shed some suspicion on the Fittes and Rotwell agencies. Lockwood and his friends are contacted to check it out, but find soemthing more than they anticipated. Even Kipps ends up coming along. The ending was action-packed and finally gave us some insight into the Problem and what's going on with the bigger agencies!

Content Warnings

renpuspita's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Dimulai dengan suasana canggung (yang wajar karena kejadian di akhir buku 3) dan ditutup dengan cukup solid, intense dan full action packed. Never a dull moment! Plus ditambah ciri khas tiap buku, endingnya selalu ditutup dengan informasi yang bikin ngang ngong ngang ngong.

Tentu saja typonya masih ada dan bejibun 🥲

Gue bilang suasanya awal buku ini canggung, karena ending buku 3 emang lumayan membagongkan. Kecanggungan ini terasa karena kelihatan jelas George sama Lockwood sakit hati sama sikap Lucy saat meninggalkan agency. Jadi waktu akhirnya mereka semua baikan dan bersatu kembali, rasanya kayak plong banget XD. Bahkan Lucy dan Holly pun juga akhirnya akur, hati Lucy yang mulai melunak dan bahkan menganggap Holly jadi bagian dari Lockwood & Co yang tidak terpisahkan. Plus, ada tambahan member tidak resmi yang tidak lain dan tidak bukan adalah Quill Kipps yang sekarang memilih berdamai dengan Lockwood walau masih saling ejek dengan George. Lockwood dan Lucy makin lama makin ikrib, they have the talk, walau lucunya Lockwood (dan banyak orang) mengira gara - gara Holly, Lucy pergi dari agency, padahal alasannya bukan itu. Walau emang Lucy kelihatan bucin, gue saat baca buku ini masih menganggap hubungan keduanya itu platonik aja. Kalau si tengkorak, yah masih sama kayak biasanya. Kayaknya gue termasuk sedikit orang yang biasa aja ke tengkorak yah hahaha. Karena di luar komen - komen sarkasnya, perkembangan karakter tengkorak ga terlalu banyak, apalagi misteri di balik identitas tengkorak masih belum jelas.

Untuk kasus - kasusnya sendiri, tetap menyenangkan buat dibaca. Tetep bikin merinding, walau sebenarnya kadar horrornya sudah cukup berkurang. Di buku ini banyak hal - hal yang terungkap. Seperti usaha pembakaran di tungku Fittes yang ternyata menyimpan rahasia kelam, lalu sedikit demi sedikit juga mulai kelihatan alasan di balik terjadinya Wabah Hantu, seperti apa yang terjadi di Aldbury Castle. Stroud kali ini juga mengajak pembaca untuk pergi ke dunia para hantu, yang sedikit banyak mengingatkan gue sama dunia lain di mitologi - mitologi Celtic (Annwyn). Apakah Stroud terinspirasi mitologi ini ya?

Yang jelas sisa satu buku lagi untuk menutup series yang menyenangkan ini!

Content Warnings

chris_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

More...