Rejoice, fellow Lemony Snicket fans! The "reclusive" pseudonym of Daniel Handler is back with a new series tied to the beloved Gothic children's books. Following the character Lemony Snicket in his childhood makes for a great setup for the plot of Who Could That Be at This Hour?, as we saw glimpses of the character-author's life throughout the series. We meet young Lemony as he abandons his parents in favor of his apprenticeship with the typically oblivious S. Theodora Markson. While this new novel doesn't make quite the impact that The Bad Beginning, the first novel in A Series of Unfortunate Events had, it has built a foundation for what promises to be a quirky and fabulous detective series for middle-grade readers.
The novel follows Markson and Snicket on their search for a missing statue of a creature called the Bombinating Beast. While the initial mystery seems to be easily solved, there is much more going on underneath the surface, which should be expected from this writer. Mysterious characters pop up regularly, from bumbling police officers to dastardly dames. The mysteries and intrigue of the novel will keep adult readers of A Series of Unfortunate Events curious interested to the end. And when you get there, you'll be hungry for the next book.
Bottom Line: Not quiet the strong opening of his previous series, but Lemony Snicket's All The Wrong Questions cycle is poised to offer a similar experience. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to see a Baudelaire make a cameo appearance.
You can find Lemony Snicket's Who Could That Be at This Hour? at your local chain bookstore, online, or at an independent bookstore near you (click here for a list).
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