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Constable and Toop

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 43 ratings · 14 reviews

Sam Toop lives in a funeral parlour, blessed (or cursed) with an unusual gift. While his father buries the dead, Sam is haunted by their constant demands for attention. Trouble is afoot on the 'other side' - there is a horrible disease that is mysteriously imprisoning ghosts into empty houses in the world of the living. And Sam is caught in the middle - will he be able to...more

Paperback, 372 pages

Published October 4th 2012 by Hot Key Books

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Nov 23, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Original review posted on The Book Smugglers

Sam Toop lives in a funeral parlour with his father and this proximity to death is thought to be the reason behind Sam’s ability to see ghosts. As a Talker, he is constantly sought after by hopeful spirits wanting to put their affairs in order with Sam’s help. He is not very keen about it especially when he ends up helping the wrong sort of people.

On the “other side”, over at the Ghost Bureau, it is business as usual as long-dead clerks take care of Gh...more Original review posted on The Book Smugglers

Sam Toop lives in a funeral parlour with his father and this proximity to death is thought to be the reason behind Sam’s ability to see ghosts. As a Talker, he is constantly sought after by hopeful spirits wanting to put their affairs in order with Sam’s help. He is not very keen about it especially when he ends up helping the wrong sort of people.

On the “other side”, over at the Ghost Bureau, it is business as usual as long-dead clerks take care of Ghosts and Apparitions, setting up all the necessary documentation they need in order to be Legal Ghosts of London. But then, minor bureaucrat Lapsewood gets entangled in a dastardly plot as the terrible Black Rot spreads around Haunted Houses after their Ghosts mysteriously disappear.

In the meantime, a demon hound haunts the streets of London after being set free by the works of an exorcist bent on ridding London of its demons.

Inspired by Victorian’s preoccupation with mourning rituals, Constable and Toop is a paranormal Mystery novel set in Victorian London, a place for the poor and the rich as well as the living and the dead.

Constable and Toop offers an incredibly competent blend of mystery and paranormal especially with the way that several different threads and themes are expanded and elaborated on to form a cohesive whole. The chapters alternate between several characters’ point of view and as the story progresses, more of those are added. It is impressive how this is done with aplomb as this ever increasing number of characters and storylines never seem excessive or superfluous (although some of those threads are unfortunately a bit superficially dealt with).

It addresses life in London, the life of the poor and of the well-off, of the honest and the dishonest. There is also the life in the afterlife, and how gloomy it can be for those who never crossed over and stayed behind for different reasons. I loved the after-life world that the author created and its mixture of boring bureaucracy (firmly rooted in the Real Life, of course) and hopeful future. The storyline involving Sam’s family and its secretive past is also another highlight of this novel. There is a little bit of horror, a little bit of romance as well as a little bit of comedy.

Unfortunately, despite of its obvious positive aspects what struck me the most about Constable and Toop is how extremely male-centric it is. There are many point of view characters but apart from exactly one – a little girl named Clara – all of them are male. Even within each particular character’s storyline, the vast majority of their interaction is with other male characters. And when they do interact with female characters these invariably turn out to be either objects of their romantic interest, murder victims or appendixes to the male character’s arc. Which is a shame, because the little I saw of Clara and her drive to be an investigative journalist and a writer, was actually awesome. Nothing frustrates me more than having to say in a review “but where are all the women” because frankly, I shouldn’t have to.

All in all, a solid yet frustrating read. (less)

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Nov 02, 2012 Luna rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know how sometimes you see something in a bookshop that catches your eye? You decide to buy it on a whim? You begin reading and you fall in love? Constable & Toop is that book.

Beautifully written, wonderful characters, mesmerizing storytelling – it’s all there. Everything about this book is just what I wanted it to be. I loved all the characters, yet I despite the richness of them I never struggled to follow what was happening. With each new chapter I got pulled further into Sam and Laps...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Darren Hartwell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comedy, supernatual, adventure

This review first appeared on The Book Zone(For Boys) blog

One of my favourite horror films is Peter Jackson's The Frighteners. In my opinion, it has the perfect blend of horror and comedy, and it so deserves to be more widely acclaimed than it is. Released in 1996, and therefore some years before Jackson achieved god-like status with his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it tells the story of Frank, a guy who develops psychic powers following a car accident. These psychic powers allow him to see an...more This review first appeared on The Book Zone(For Boys) blog

One of my favourite horror films is Peter Jackson's The Frighteners. In my opinion, it has the perfect blend of horror and comedy, and it so deserves to be more widely acclaimed than it is. Released in 1996, and therefore some years before Jackson achieved god-like status with his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it tells the story of Frank, a guy who develops psychic powers following a car accident. These psychic powers allow him to see and communicate with ghosts, and he uses this power to con people into thinking their houses are haunted, so that he can charge them for an exorcism. However, everything starts to go wrong when a Grim Reaper style ghost starts killing off the town's residents and it is down to Frank and his merry band of ghosts to save the day.

Why am I telling you this? Because Constable & Toop, the latest book from award winning writer Gareth P Jones, reminded me so much of that film, but in a Victorian setting. It is funny, scary, occasionally gruesome and has a great cast of characters, in both main and supporting roles. Oh yes, and it is beautifully written as well. I don't give starred reviews on this blog, but I gave this one five stars on Goodreads after I finished reading it.

The 'Frank' character is Constable & Toop is Sam Toop, a young boy who can see ghosts. And he sees a great deal of them - partly due to living and working in the funeral parlour where his father is a partner. Sometimes ghosts come looking for him, as they need closure in order to move on and he is a nice boy who will give up his time to help them. However, one fateful night his estranged uncle, a career criminal and murderer, comes crashing into his life. All of a sudden Sam finds his beliefs and his relationship with his father challenged, as dark secrets from the past gradually come to light.

In addition to Sam's story, there is also that of Lapsewood, a ghost who has for many years worked meekly as a ghostly civil servant. Finding himself suddenly transferred to another department and out of his comfort zone, Lapsewood stumbles across a dark and dangerous mystery - ghosts are going missing and houses that have previously been harmlesley haunted are becoming deadly for the ghostly entities that inhabit them. Lapsewood's and Sam's stories begin to intertwine and soon they find themselves racing to save both of their worlds, thwarted along the way by a pretty nasty piece of work in the form of an exorcist (and as villains go, this one is brilliant!).

Constable & Toop is brilliant from beginning to end, as Gareth P Jones skilfully weaves a fantastic and well plotted story of mystery, thrills and chills. Everything about the story is spot on - the characters, the descriptions of the Victorian setting and its inhabitants, the ghosts and their lives in their world, and the attention to detail. I would not be surprised if the author wins more awards with this book to add to those he has received for his previous works.(less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-after-university, read-in-my-twenties, childrens-fiction

Set in 1884, during the forty-seventh year of Queen Victoria's reign, Constable & Toop is a marvellous Victorian ghost story told by a hoard of extraordinary characters. I knew I was about to embark on something a little different as soon as I opened the book and was confronted with 'Praise', not from press or reviewers, but from famous ghosts: 'I wish I had written this story' says The Ghost of Charles Dickens.

Sam Toop is an undertaker's son and it's all he's ever known. He's used to death,...more Set in 1884, during the forty-seventh year of Queen Victoria's reign, Constable & Toop is a marvellous Victorian ghost story told by a hoard of extraordinary characters. I knew I was about to embark on something a little different as soon as I opened the book and was confronted with 'Praise', not from press or reviewers, but from famous ghosts: 'I wish I had written this story' says The Ghost of Charles Dickens.

Sam Toop is an undertaker's son and it's all he's ever known. He's used to death, but he cannot possibly get used to his unusual gift - he can see, hear, and talk to ghosts. They constantly plead to be heard and ask for help to accomplish things they can no longer do. On the other side: Lapsewood, a conscientious ghost whose work is unappreciated. Lapsewood is horrified to discover that haunted houses throughout London are losing their ghosts and that a mysterious Black Rot, undetected by humans, is trapping new ghosts and acting as a blockade. And don't mention the terrifying demon hound roaming London's streets.

Before I start to write a review, I sit down and list the main things I enjoyed about a book. But I'm struggling; I want to put everything down. Constable & Toop is full of wonderful, believable characters with colourful personalities. These characters – from Sam, our protagonist, to Clara, the journalist-in-practice daughter of wealthy Londoners – are a joy to read about. They're extremely witty, but the sort of skilful wit that I do not come across often, such as Marquis, who has a tendency to burst into inspirational speeches during inappropriate situations, and the Artful Dodger-esque Tanner who's determined to defy the Bureau. Every character has a fascinating history and although we do not read about them all in detail, each offers us a glimpse into how a character came to be, allowing us to appreciate the richness of the story.

Constable & Toop is a mystery set at a perfect pace, with excellent foreshadowing and impeccable characters. It's almost wasted on children (joking, joking!). Even if you do not usually read children's fiction, you need to pick this up. I sometimes read younger books and wonder if I'd have appreciated them more as a child, but Constable & Toop offers something for all ages. I'd have never understood the subtle references as a child. It tackles mourning, morality, and ethics, but it's not a lecture on good behaviour. It's one of those stories that once finished, you want to pick up and read all over again.

Thank you Hot Key Books for providing this book for review!(less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Nina at Death Books and Tea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review: Sam Toop has grown up in a funeral parlour. And from that, he’s been able to talk to ghosts. He has rather nice conversations with them actually. Not so nice is when his uncle Jack pops in for a visit-a man who has murdered a policeman and is therefore on the run. So here Sam is, carrying messages for the dead. Here the afterlife office people are, trying to stop the houses of the town being infected with a disease that traps ghosts in it. And here’s another murderer stalking the streets...more Review: Sam Toop has grown up in a funeral parlour. And from that, he’s been able to talk to ghosts. He has rather nice conversations with them actually. Not so nice is when his uncle Jack pops in for a visit-a man who has murdered a policeman and is therefore on the run. So here Sam is, carrying messages for the dead. Here the afterlife office people are, trying to stop the houses of the town being infected with a disease that traps ghosts in it. And here’s another murderer stalking the streets.
From the launch list, this was one of the nine that I thought “I have got to read that.” Funeral parlours! Ghosts! Murder mystery! Spookiness! Fun times indeed.
What we weren’t told about (or at least, I never noticed) was the inclusion of an afterlife beaurau sorting things out in the form of Lapsewood, secretaries and so on. liscences to haunt, policing the haunting, crisises to sort out, hopefully in an ordered way. I love these things so points to Gareth!
Lots of things are introduced at the start. But it takes a fair bit of time for them to all come together, so for about half the novel I was wondering where it would all converge and everything would be relevant. But all these little plotlines that are separate are interesting in their own right, so I don’t really mind them.
Sam is nice, a younger protagonist than what I’m used to, but nice on his own. He changes a bit, becomes a bit more mature, and interesting. Lapsewood and Tanner are seen so often they may as well be billed as joint main characters as well as Sam. My favourite character is Clara, not just because she’s the most prominent female character in a mainly male-driven story, but because she’s inquisitive and the opposite of a good little Victorian girl..
There’s some fun touches with the afterlife with Gareth talking about Jane Austen and Charles Dickens writing more after their deaths. The Unseen Door and not passing on if you have unfinished business is something often seen, but the idea of the Black Rot keeping people ghosts are original. The ghost have attitude and are so cool. Oh, and dog ghosts. So cute!
The chapters are short, sweet and have nice little names that sum up what happens or who is introduced. The writing has is good, fully descriptive, with little quips such as “there’s no age limit on dying” that made me happy.
I love the scenes in which the ghosts appear, especially the ones where they talk to Sam and casually remark on their family’s ways of handling their affairs. Things like that always make me laugh, and Constable & Toop is no exception!

Overall: Strength 5 tea. Funny, cute and scary- a suitable intro to mild horror for younger readers, but a great read for horror lovers of all ages.(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Lorraine Orman rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Constable & Toop is a book full of life and crammed with death. All in all, a splendidly macabre and amusing tale," says the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. I couldn't have said it better. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, many of them ghosts, but the main character is Sam Toop, a melancholy boy who lives in a funeral parlour and can talk to ghosts. Strange things are happening in the world of humans and ghosts, and it falls to some unlikely characters to sort it all out.

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Jun 05, 2013 Jennifer Holovack rated it 3 of 5 stars

More than a ghost story, Constable and Toop is a mystery about what is happening to London ghosts and the solution requires both the living and the dead to put things right. There are elements of Beetlejuice, with a bit less of that work's tongue in cheek humor. The publisher recommends it for ages 10-14, but due to the violence of the murders in it, I would put it firmly in YA.

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Jan 24, 2013 Edel rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 20, 2013 Sue Hyams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this and not just because it's set up the road from me! Fun and exciting, the author keeps a huge cast of characters in check creating a thrill of a story.

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Jan 29, 2013 Debbie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy reading it. It wasn't to my taste I found it a bit drab

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Mar 23, 2013 Booka Uhu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really liked it, very imaginative and loved the way all the threads and characters came together at the end.

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Jun 01, 2013 Emma marked it as to-read · review of another edition

BEA13

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Feb 26, 2013 Fleur Hitchcock rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a very enjoyable read - whisked through a completely convincing historical London, peppered with extraordinary and very convincing characters, we follow Sam Toop and the hapless Lapsewood as they both become involved in a complex and gripping plot. Fantastic for 9+ but probably still good for 13 year olds.

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Mar 16, 2013 Emma Woodcock rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable story with scary bits and gruesome bits and funny bits. I particularly liked the ghost dogs :-) The Victorian setting and faceless beaurocracy of the afterlife were nicely done too. Charming and very readable.

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Jun 18, 2013 Krys marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2013-releases, 2013-october, stand-alone, english-setting, ghosts-hauntings

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Jun 09, 2013 Kay marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Shelves: bea2013, genre-young-adult

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Shelves: arc-s, bea2013, own

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Shelves: 2013-release, not-released, british, young-adult, must-have, middle-grade

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