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The Dagger in the Desk

(Lockwood & Co. #1.5)

Jonathan Stroud (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 2,845 ratings · 307 reviews

A thrilling new case for London’s most talented psychic detection agency—from the global bestselling author of the Bartimaeus Sequence.

In London, a mysterious and potentially deadly ghost is stalking the halls of St Simeon’s Academy for Talented Youngsters. It lurks in the shadows, spreading fear and icy cold – and it carries a sharp and very solid dagger...

The headmaster ...more

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ebook, 44 pages

Published February 9th 2015 by RHCP Digital (first published October 31st 2013)

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Feb 27, 2015 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it really liked it

5 Words: Perfect length for a cuppa.

This was a sweet little read to fill the gaps between books, and it proves more than ever that LUCY SHOULD BE ON THE COVER!

Come on, publishers. Not only is Lucy the main character but she's the most kick ass of the lot. She made it into my top ten book heroines. She puts every other character in this book to shame. She's incredible. And Lockwood is really a barely there character.

Lucy Carlyle once again proved how awesome she is, how brave and fearless and de ...more

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May 03, 2017 Sana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, bf, shawty-so-bad

dont read this at 10 p.m while trying to do a practice regents exam bc guess who won't be able to sleep now and finish that practice exam ??

I grinned back, flushing a little, as I sometimes do when Lockwood trains his smile on me.

i lied. read this and cry with me bc lockwood and lucy are so beautiful. i am literally screaming so quietly. send help

P.S. George Cubbins is the cutest little shit, i love him so much. ...more

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Feb 19, 2017 Jesica rated it it was amazing

4.5/5 stars

I’m so excited reading about my favorite psychics agency, Lockwood & co. again ^.^ It set afterThe Screaming Staircase and before The Whispering Skull. It felt a little bit awkward at first. I suppose it’s because it’s a very short story compared to the others so it felt too fast at the beginning or maybe it’s just me, too used to the other new characters in the next three books so it’s kind of weird to see Lockwood & co. without the Skull, Holly, Flo, even Kipps. I almost forgot it u 4.5/5 stars

I’m so excited reading about my favorite psychics agency, Lockwood & co. again ^.^ It set afterThe Screaming Staircase and before The Whispering Skull. It felt a little bit awkward at first. I suppose it’s because it’s a very short story compared to the others so it felt too fast at the beginning or maybe it’s just me, too used to the other new characters in the next three books so it’s kind of weird to see Lockwood & co. without the Skull, Holly, Flo, even Kipps. I almost forgot it used to be just the three of them. But it’s just as exciting though I missed their usual bickering that goes to minimum here due to the short length. I’m not saying it’s less funny.. George, as usual, managed to make me laugh even as the others gone more serious. It was a scary moments, all dark and silent, angry dangerous ghost out, and the Source near.. and George startled everyone (including me) by mistaking a mop for a ghost!

‘I thought it was a very thin ghost. But it’s only a mop. Look! It’s got the floppy bit at the top. I ask you. Who does that? Who stores a mop upside-down?’

Well, to answer George’s question, I do store mop upside-down but I don’t jump and scream in the middle of the night, thinking it’s a ghost :p. There’s the usual Lucy and George funny bickering too.

I stopped short. ‘Was that your stomach, George?’
He looked at me blankly. ‘Was what my stomach? I didn’t hear anything.’
‘Nor me,’ Lockwood said. ‘What did you get, Lucy?’
That’s my Talent, you see. I hear things other people don’t. ‘A horrid wrenching creak. Sort of like a rusted door hinge, or a coffin lid opening.’
‘What?’ George said. ‘And you thought that was me?’
‘Your belly makes weird sounds when you’re hungry.’

I got to say it’s not like what I thought it would be. I thought I’d find out about the phenomenal Mrs. Barrett’s tomb case that cost Lockwood his brand new coat. They often talk about it in the next books and I don’t even know what exactly happened there unless that the ghost ripped Lockwood’s coat with it’s claw.
But this story isn’t bad either. It’s a bit fast and full of introductions at the first few pages but when the haunting started, it’s back to Lockwood & co. usual exciting creepy atmosphere. It’s a really fun and great read. On the negative side is that it’s so short that it’s all ghost and horror things the mystery and case solving is almost nonexistent. George barely had the change to read the school history. But then again it is a short story afterall. oh and the ghosts gallery at the back is just fun! ^.^ ...more

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Sep 18, 2016 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it really liked it

A fun addition to the series!

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Apr 29, 2018 Bella rated it it was amazing

So that was creepy as fuck. WOW! I still can't get over these are kids books. So deliciously scary! ...more

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Nov 15, 2017 Veronique rated it really liked it

Shelves: r2017, stars-4-0

Set after the events of book 1, this short story was a perfect little ‘taster’. Lucy, George and Lockwood deal with a new case taking them to a school in Hammersmith. It seems a nefarious ‘ghost’ is making a nuisance of himself, scaring the kids and teachers, even attacking the later by throwing knifes. Queue adventure in the cold and dark... The only bad thing about this title was that it was too short! ;0)

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Feb 09, 2015 RitaSkeeter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015, ya, fantasy

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm always a bit sceptical about bridging short stories/novellas. There are some woeful efforts out there that are nothing more than changing perspective on a scene by writing 'he said' instead of the original 'she said'. But the reason I keep reading them anyway, is there are some true little gems out there - Sarah Maas' efforts are outstanding, as they are standalone, whilst furthering the world building and characterisation.

I digress a little, but my poin ...more

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Nov 05, 2017 bella farren rated it liked it

Shelves: ghosts, books-i-own, ya, strong-friendships

3.5 / 5

a good refresher for the second book, didn’t have as much banter between my three favourites as the other books do; but it was a nice little novella.

Lucy and Lockwood is a ship I will go down with and George is the light of my life, I am so obsessed with this series already.

onto the second book!!

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Sep 07, 2019 nuin giliath rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, mystery, short-story-novella

Final rating: 3.5/5

This was a fun and quick read set within the world of Lockwood & Co. It was nice getting to go on another job with the team as I absolutely love these characters. There's nothing spoilery here, but having knowledge of agencies and how they operate would be helpful (although not entirely necessary as any crucial information is provided). The mystery is set up quickly and solved neatly. It does lack the overall charm and excitement that I've come to expect from this series, howe ...more

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May 11, 2017 Frankie Lovely rated it it was amazing

Shelves: novellas-anthologies-short-stories, middle-grade, paranormal, rtc-review-to-come, read-it-in-2017, fantasy

5 stars

The Story

Lockwood & Co. has been called to investigate a recent disturbance that has terrorized the students and teachers at St Simeon’s Academy for Talented Youngsters.

What I Liked (because let’s face it I’m Lockwood trash and pretty much have nothing bad to say!

Creepy, dark and a little disturbing … and snark (because I'm 100% here for the snark). Basically this novella had all of the Lockwood awesomeness that I am quickly becoming absolute trash for! A great addition to the series and ...more

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Dec 30, 2018 Mel (Epic Reading) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

How is that in only 40 pages Jonathan Stroud can have me looking around my quiet house nervously?
Children’s books should not be this scary, and yet these are; and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I liked this short little story that was all about reminding us of the tricks the team uses to fight ghosts. If you need a quick break from a different book take an ~30 minute break and read this spooky short story.

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Feb 28, 2018 Audrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: short-stories-comics-poetry-etc, uf-paranormal-horror

This short story takes place between books 2 and 3 but works fine as a stand-alone regardless of which books you have or have not read. It follows a case of Lockwood & Co. complete with its usual ghosts and creepiness. It’s fun.

Only about half the story is the actual story. The rest is a glossary of ghost types and the first chapter or so of book 3.

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Dec 15, 2014 Soňa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: heard

honestly how long we need to wait for next book?:-)

but to make this review a bit longer.....
find it interesting as author agreed to write it in parts as pre-halloween fun for children where they can after each chapter decide how the story will evolve by voting.

This as well means that story is not re-writen or re-read by author millions times to perfection but has natural and very action speed :-)

As always main trio is funny and entertain with good portion of chill down the spine when the ghost ...more

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Aug 24, 2016 Susan rated it liked it

Shelves: series, ghostly-goings-on

3.5*
In this short story, another dangerous case comes along for the young and intrepid ghost busting team of Lockwood & Co.
This time they must investigate a malicious presence in a school, and it's going to take all their skills and equipment to bring this nasty, knife throwing ghoul to heel.

...more

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Feb 24, 2015 Kribu rated it liked it

Shelves: short-story, read-in-2015, young-adult, ghosts

A rather nice little short story. Very short though, so not a lot of development of character or plot or such - essentially just a descriptive little story about a regular night's work for Lucy, Lockwood and George (ghost spotted, go on location, fight the ghost, wrap up, go home). ...more

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Jan 06, 2020 Leah Waters rated it it was amazing

I only have one complaint--I wish it was longer.

Every Lockwood and Co. adventure makes me so happy. Who doesn't love teenagers simultaneously bickering and and fighting malicious ghosts? ...more

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Dec 09, 2019 Lexie rated it really liked it

Shelves: ibooks, books-i-own, 4-stars

These characters are just so precious and their interactions are priceless.

Lol, poor Lockwood getting hit in the head with a book. And George and his screaming, oh my gosh that is so funny. And Lucy is just such a good character, such wit and sass.

Go have your celebratory buns guys. You precious souls deserve them, you deserve all the treats in the world.

A fun little read.

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Dec 18, 2015 Sammm rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: short-story-or-novella, read-more-than-once, reviewed-by-heart, alternate-history, holiday

Review first posted on Feb 17, 2016; edited due to typo

Okay, so I have to thank the person who created the page for this particular edition I'm reviewing on. Normally, who wouldn't want to select an edition with a nice cover? But I'm staying true here: I read the original version, the one that was published ONLINE where people could read it FOR FREE. I'm pretty sure if you Google search it, it'll still show up, but people may think it was some sort of article about the story instead of the actua Review first posted on Feb 17, 2016; edited due to typo

Okay, so I have to thank the person who created the page for this particular edition I'm reviewing on. Normally, who wouldn't want to select an edition with a nice cover? But I'm staying true here: I read the original version, the one that was published ONLINE where people could read it FOR FREE. I'm pretty sure if you Google search it, it'll still show up, but people may think it was some sort of article about the story instead of the actual story itself, so would just like to point that out.

*** The below paragraph is in respond for certain types of reviews of this story; advised to be skipped if you are easily offended and can't handle constructive criticism well ***

I'm also kinda writing this review for the people who complained about it not being worth the money and being too short. Well, of course people are entitled to their opinion, and perhaps they weren't really "complaining" per se, just stating the fact, like saying the sky is blue and water is wet. However, imo, first of all, if you had looked at the US cover; it clearly said this is a "short story". Kindly look up the definition of the term. Now, although Wikipedia has provided a specific word count for what falls under the category nowadays; I'm sticking with the easiest origin: can be read in a single sitting. Basically, it was never meant to be super duper long. Also, for the people who talked about the length not being satisfactory for what you paid for; I can only say this: Do yourself a favor, do research before you spend your money. Sites like Amazon lists info like number of pages, you should fully well know what you are going to get beforehand.

******

Now, onto the actual review about the story. I think it is a lovely addition to the series' world-building. For people who felt that due to the length, it lacks in-depth development, I'll say that, if I'm comparing this particular case with the major case in each book, then OBVIOUSLY you'd think this case was too simple, they solved it too easily etc.. However, look at it this way, (I'm not putting a spoiler tag for this because those are cases from the first book, and frankly sooooo minor that it really doesn't affect the main story arc) remember one of the very first cases Lucy had when she joined Lockwood & Co.? The Visitor in the garage that was reported by an old man whose granddaughter informed him about? They DID NOT take a whole lot of time solving that case. Another one; kids from a family of four saying having seen a Visitor lurking around the tree in their backyard; this one was done in a shorter period of time!

What I'm trying to say is, I think it's fairly realistic that there's different severity in the cases they were approached; keep in mind that the agency Lockwood & Co. is the SMALLEST in Lodon, to me, it simply wouldn't make sense if ALL of their cases are on the life-threating level that takes weeks or months to solve. We have the main books for those, and we have little snippets for those super short cases, so again, like I said earlier, I think this is a nice addition, a "middle-lenghth case" treat. Just because it is considerably shorter, doesn't mean it couldn't be just as suspenseful and exciting, (this one I AM putting the spoiler tag because it's a case from the 3rd book, though again it honestly won't affect the main story arc even if you knew about this prior to reading the actual book)
(view spoiler)

The Dagger in the Desk to me more or less is on that level, the only difference is that this time it's not a flashback, and that we are finally getting to read a "non-major case" when the story was happening in real time, rather than a quick retelling from Lucy.

All in all, I think this would serve as a perfect trial run for those who are hesitant on spending money to buy the actual books, yet are too polite to obtain them in ways that aren't legal (lol). This will not spoil anything from the main books, but you get a decent glimpse on how the characters are like. Plus, you can read it for free and it's not that long anyways, so yes! Would def. suggest to give it a go!! ...more

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Jan 01, 2017 Pranta Ghosh Dastider rated it liked it

Nice little story about ghost hunting. Not too good, not too bad. Lockwood, Lucy and George go to investigate about a disturbance in a school as the headmaster request them. And they get hunted by the ghost as soon they step inside. Then one thing after another happens. They reach the root of the problem and try to stop the ghost once and for all.

Lovers of ghost stories may find it nice. I would advice them to give it a try. Also at the end of the book there are some photos of different ghosts ...more

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Feb 08, 2015 Stuti Rai rated it did not like it

Shelves: short-stories

Basically everything that I disliked about the first novel was more pronounced in this novella. The pattern of behaviors haven't really changed. And the story seems to lose steam just when it need it the most.

Still, I loved the atmosphere. ...more

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May 15, 2017 ✶Rachelle✶ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, series-of-my-heart, ya

Fun little short story to keep me in Lockwood-land as I wait to get the next book

I love these characters <3

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Jan 16, 2018 Jocelyn rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-stars, 2018-reads

Too short tho that I find it a bit uneventful but still a nice, quick read to make you want more from Lockwood and his friends. On to the next book then.

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Oct 31, 2019 Caidyn (he/him/his) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile-fiction, mystery-horror-thriller, shorties, paranormal, online-for-free

Fun read! It just made me want to reread the series again to get those fun, crazy cases back in my life.

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Dec 27, 2018 Nighteye rated it it was amazing

Shelves: short-stories-and-novelettes

Ok, single case in a former school, short.

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Jun 24, 2015 Majanka rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ghosts, reviews-june-2015, middle-grade

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...

After solving the puzzle of The Screaming Staircase, our three favorite ghost hunters, Lockwood, Lucy and George, get handed a particularly interesting but potentially deadly case by the headmaster of St. Simeon’s Academy for Talented Youngsters. As usually, the plot is original, has so many surprising twists I can’t count them on two hands, and it holds true to the lore and atmosphere I’ve come to live in the Lockwoo ...more

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Sep 30, 2015 Rebecca rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy-entertaining, young-adult

Update: It's good to be able to read these all in a row, instead of a year apart as they get released. It's easier to remember minor characters who later become important to the plot.

A fun short story available for free on NOOK and the internet. I like these tales about 3 British kids working for a ghost busting agency in a dystopian England where ghouls and ghosties run amuck.

Lots of fun and highly recommended. ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Valerie Best rated it did not like it

Uhhhhh, what? This supposedly takes place between books one and two, but, I honestly don't know where it actually comes from. It speaks to the reader as though information amply given in the first book is completely foreign. Even the opening chapters of the first book don't lay the groundwork as clumsily as this micro-story does.

What I love most about the Lockwood & Co. stories are their cases (the ones independent of the larger story arc), and I was looking forward to reading something freestan ...more

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Jun 17, 2018 Anna Kalashnikova rated it really liked it

I wonder if there are more novellas. Truly enjoyed this one specifically, exploring the haunted boys' academy and catching the "flying" daggers in the air. Lol ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Erin Milham rated it it was amazing

This was just great honestly. No faults whatsoever. I really appreciated the pictures of the different types of ghosts cause I was never able to picture them clearly.

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Jan 11, 2018 Anastasia rated it liked it

3.5/5

It was a fun little novella, an interesting case. I do wish we got a bit more characters, though. Don't know how to explain. Like, more dynamics between them? But it's only a novella, so I'll let it pass. Glad I've read it. ...more

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About Jonathan Stroud

Jonathan Stroud

7,937 followers

Jonathan Anthony Stroud is an author of fantasy books, mainly for children and youths.

Stroud grew up in St Albans where he enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories. Between the ages seven and nine he was often ill, so he spent most of his days in the hospital or in his bed at home. To escape boredom he would occupy himself with books and stories. After he completed his studies ...more

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“A small plinth sat on the wall between the central windows. On it was a marble bust of a stern, well-fed Victorian-looking man sporting an enormous pair of muttonchop whiskers. I went to take a look.” — 0 likes

“You could stuff a cushion with all that hair. I wonder if—” “Hold it!” I said.” — 0 likes

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(Lockwood & Co. #1.5)

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