Abby, Toby and Billy, youthful detectives for ghostly clients, make an engaging return, along with the gruff but softhearted medium Mr. Monsento and UnderWorld bounty hunter Zeaflin. Their newest case begins innocently enough, as a dearly departed resident of the OtherWorld StopOver requests that the Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency retrieve her ghost cat Fluffy, from a nearby pet cemetery. … cemetery. This seems to be a simple enough request, and the young detectives and Mr. Monsento set out to reunite Fluffy and owner. However, when dealing with the afterlife, nothing is ever as simple as it seems and the case soon degrades into chaos involving ghost witches, magic amulets and talking spirit dogs. Against the odds, the intrepid detectives hold fast, complete the case of Fluffy the Cat, and return to their daily routines. But their peace is soon shattered when their old undead client from the UnderWorld, Zeaflin, visits Monsento requesting help in finding a spirit who has escaped from the UnderWorld detention center.
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I didn’t read this series in order. Started with the third, jumped back to the first and now I’m on track with The Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency: And the Woebegone Oddity of the Underworld. This series, Adventures of the Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency by D.L. Dugger, has been a wonderful read with great characters that find themselves in the most interesting situations. I know this series is intended for tweens, but even I enjoyed reading the adventures of these young detectives.
Let me throw this out there now. It is not really necessary to read the books in order. I didn’t and while I had a few moments of not understanding the who/what/whys, I still liked the books. That said, I do recommend reading them in order. There’s a nice foundation that plays in this series with each story growing on each other, as the characters advance and expand, that give the reader a nice step up as situations get more interesting.
I didn’t read the blurb, so I was unprepared to get two mysteries. Not complaining here, if anything I rather enjoyed the twofer. It was like a nice re-introduction warm up. The first case was the retrieval of a ghost cat from a pet cemetery. YIKES! Having a Stephen King flashback here. Thankfully, it was a lot less gory and more of an entertaining curiosity that involved a talking ghost dog. I know right?! Ghost cats and dogs, who knew! Now on to the main event.
UnderWorld bounty hunter, Zeaflin, reappears, seeking assistance in locating an escaped UnderWorld prisoner so he can offer the unfortunate soul asylum in the OtherWorld. How hard can that be? Hold the phone folks because this one is complicated. I must tell you now, Zeaflin has been my favorite undead character and the fact that he was in trouble caught me hook, line and sinker. The agency trio and Mr. Monsento are determined to help their friend no matter what the cost. They find themselves in harry situations that had me so riveted it was hard to put this book down.
I’m really enjoying this series. Author D.L. Dugger has created quite a series here. Likeable characters in interesting situations are keeping me coming back for more. Her sophomore book has proved she is not a one-shot deal and I for one look forward to reading more of her books. If you are looking for a paranormal mystery to introduce to your tweens, this is a great one to start with. I can’t wait until my grandkids are a little older to introduce them to the series.
Stars: 4.5
Received this book as a gift from the author. I was not compensated for the book other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency: And the Woebegone Oddity of the Underworld
(Adventures of the Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency #2)
by D.L. Dugger
This is a book I requested from the author and the opinions are my own!
This book is terrific! The group of kids which is the ghost detective agency and their adult medium psychic are on a case to solve what they think may be a minor case. Find a ghost cats for their ghost client. Easy right? Wow, nothing is as it seems! The only thing that turns out to be true is the cat is dead! Boy, what a wild and mysterious case! Lots of fun!
The second case takes them to the underworld! Their friend is on trial and they have to testify or he could become a demon! Well, they have a few tricks up their sleeves.
This book is more emotional and heartwarming than the other two books. It also has plenty of danger too! They have to face things they have never faced before, in many ways, and do things they never thought they would have to do!
This is a middle grade book but I enjoyed it too! Not just for kids!
I loved this book, read it because really, when have you talked to a dog and they talked back?