THE DEATH COLLECTOR
Justin Richards
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Horror/Mystery
ISBN-10: 159990148X
ISBN-13: 9781599901480
336 pages

In a series of unfortunate events, engineer George Archer ends up in possession of a burned page from a mysterious journal. The journals, kept by the late Sir Henry Glick, hold a powerful secret, but neither George nor his co-worker, Percy Smythe, know what it is. As George and Percy are leaving their jobs in the British Museum one evening, two men crash through their door, demanding Glick's diary. Percy is killed in the attack and one of the men attempts to strangle George. There's a scuffle, and one of the intruders knocks over an oil lamp.

"Where is it?...Where is Glick's diary?"

"Right now," George said slowly, "Glick's diary is on fire."

An expert pickpocket named Eddie brings George together with Liz Oldfield, an aspiring actress, and the three of them form a team to investigate Percy's murder.  Duplicitous men and not-quite human beings are trying to track them down and steal the bit of Glick's diary that George keeps tucked in his wallet, and the one man that George is sure he can trust might not be so trustworthy.

If you're a mystery fan, you've probably read a lot of roller-coaster-ride, fast-paced murder mysteries that have you holding your breath every time you turn the page. THE DEATH COLLECTOR is not one of those, but it's still definitely worth a read. The gothic style and dark historical setting aren't your usual 2006 whodunit fare, but you will be reminded of some great classic authors like Charles Dickens and Mary Shelley.

   --- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

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