The Screaming Staircase is a middle gradethriller novel by Jonathan Stroud. It is the first book in a series titled Lockwood & Co., and was released on 29 August 2013 by Random House in the United Kingdom, and by Disney-Hyperion in the United States on 17 September 2013. The story is set in an alternate modern day London which experiences an event called "the Problem", where ghosts appear throughout the city by nighttime and attack the living. Agencies have arisen to fend off the ghosts and protect the public, for a fee, but put themselves in extreme danger in the process. However, only children and teenagers have the "talent" to sense the ghosts; they gradually lose this once they reach their twenties. And so the agencies under with the leadership of people who have passed their ghost-sensitive ages and with the youth whose talents are instrumental in solving a haunting. All of the agencies but one. That one exception is Lockwood & Co. The story follows Lucy Carlyle and the agency of Lockwood & Co. The agency is run and led by Anthony Lockwood and has only one other member prior to Lucy's joining: a boy named George Cubbins. Using their different skills and "talents", they investigate and solve hauntings. As the series progresses, deeper mysteries unravel about the truths behind the ghosts and the Problem.
Synopsis
A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, and spectres are appearing throughout the city, and they are not exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see and eradicate these unnatural foes. Many different Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business. In 'The Screaming Staircase', the plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co, a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood & Co. survive the Hall's legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day?
Characters
Lucy Carlyle: The newest member of Lockwood & Co. and the narrator of the book, Lucy is 15 years old. and is described as quick to start a fight. She was known in earlier revisions as Lucy Purser. The daughter of a stationmaster in the North of England, she joined a local agency at an early age. However, after a disastrous case resulting in the loss of her fellow agents, Lucy left her former employment and family to start again in London. Lucy's Talent lies in her hearing and empathy through touch.
Anthony Lockwood: The leader of Lockwood & Co., often referred to as just Lockwood. He is described as "dashing" and "a bit reckless". His Talent is a sharp "sight" - seeing ghosts and deathglows, the psychic residue left by a violent death. Lockwood is known for his quick yet thorough approach to hauntings and prides himself on his abilities. He is a mysterious young man; orphaned and left with the family's property.
George Cubbins: Anthony's deputy, and quite cynical. He is rather portly and a little slovenly. George is much more focused on research and preparation than the other two agents, and prefers a longer waiting time between assignments. He rarely gets along with his fellow agent Lucy, however shares a strong passion with Anthony Lockwood. He is also quite attached to a skull in a glass jar which he owns. The skull is possessed by a ghost.
Suzie Martin: The daughter of Mrs. Hope, she meets Lockwood & Co. in her mother's absence, so they can investigate the presence of a Visitor in her family's home. She is quite sceptical of how young the agency is.
Annie Ward: A young woman who returns as a type-two ghost following her death. Lockwood & Co. encounter her at the beginning of the book, and then go on to solve the mystery of her murder. Her Source is a locket which Lockwood and Co. found around the neck of her corpse. Both she and Lucy share a strong psychic connection.
Inspector Barnes: An investigator of DEPRAC, which is based at Scotland Yard. Barnes seems to disapprove of and possibly dislike Lockwood and George, however cooperates with them in the case of Annie Ward
Sir John William Fairfax: The wealthy industrialist who owns the haunted Combe Carey Hall, assigns Lockwood & Co. the mystery within the mansion and offers them the money needed to save the company from debt.
Hugo Blake: Annie Ward's 22-year-old boyfriend, who was accused of murdering Annie Ward.
The film rights were acquired in December 2012 by Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, making this the first live-action project for the former. The film, titled Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, was to be produced by Illumination Entertainment CEO Chris Meledandri. However, in September 2017 it was announced that Big Talk Productions had optioned the rights to Lockwood & Co., with plans to adapt it into a television series.
