Dead Boy Detectives Vol. 1: Schoolboy Terrors

by Toby Litt | Graphic Novels |
ISBN: 9781401248895 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 9/17/2020
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, September 17, 2020
I found this ex-library softcover in this Little Free Library in Methuen MA while dropping off some books of my own. It contains new adventures for the Dead Boy Detectives, who originated in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series and inspired other authors to create more stories for them. I enjoyed some in Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives, and was glad to find more here.

The back story: Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland each died horribly at a vicious boys' school in England - many years apart, though Edwin's ghost was on hand at Charles' death. Having joined forces to continue their existence after the Goth-girl Death overlooked them (perhaps deliberately - she's nice that way), they've undertaken some detective work, sometimes for other ghosts.

The first case here is one such: a mother and daughter want the boys to find their lost cat. (All three lost their lives in a traffic accident, but want to stay together.) The lads manage to find the cat, while evading a nasty ghostly schoolmaster - but when they return to their treehouse home base they find that the client-ghosts have made it their home! Charles has a soft spot for the girl-ghost and cedes ownership, and he and Edwin (who's not pleased) set out to find somewhere else to settle.

But they have duties all too soon. They encounter a young girl whose parents are performance artists, willing to do pretty much anything for media attention. The girl rebels against being used as a prop, and is sent to a boarding school - yep, school again. And this time it's the same school where our heroes died so long ago... They follow her there, rather reluctantly (after some flashback scenes showing how awfully they were treated back in the day), and find that some of their old nemeses still hang around in ghostly form, and have not forgotten them...

How they deal with their former bullies and murderers - while helping the girl escape, and revealing some secrets about Charles' past - makes up the majority of the story, and very satisfying it is.

The book ends with a shorter case, in which Crystal, Charles, and Edwin unite to try and help a girl ghost free her longtime companion from the mirror where she's been trapped halfway in for a very long time indeed. While this one has its scary moments, overall it's more lighthearted and amusing - especially regarding the philosopher-in-cat-form.

Released 3 yrs ago (10/20/2020 UTC) at LFL - Main St. #263, Revive Recovery Center in Nashua, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Guidelines for safely visiting and stocking Little Free Libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the LFL site here.

I left this book in the Little Free Library outside the Revive center on this warm autumn day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2020 Spooktacular October challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2020 Tick Tock challenge. ***

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