Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 1) by Derek Landy

Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 1) by Derek Landy

She's twelve. He's dead. But together they're going to save the world. Hopefully.

The iconic first book in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series.

"So you won't keep anything from me again?"
He put his hand to his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."
"Okay then. Though you don't actually have a heart," she said.
"I know."
"And technically, you've already died."
"I know that too."
"Just so we're clear."

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction.

Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source - the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture... Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

“A high-intensity tale…Readers, particularly Artemis Fowl fans, will be skipping meals and sleep to get to the end.” 
   — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Utterly charming…perfect for the Potter crowd.”
   — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Rich fantasy that is as engaging in its creative protagonists and villains as it is in the lightning-paced plot and sharp humor.”
   — BCCB

“Landy keeps the action brisk, his characters slightly macabre, and uses humor to take the edge off.” 
   — ALA Booklist

“Skulduggery Pleasant serves up a thoroughly satisfying blend of humor, magic and adventure. Once you’ve met Stephanie and Skulduggery, you’ll be clamoring for a sequel.”
   — Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series

Derek Landy lives near Dublin. Before writing his children's story about a sharply dressed skeleton detective, he wrote the screenplays for a zombie movie and a little thriller in which everybody dies.

As a blackbelt in Kenpo Karate, he has taught countless children how to defend themselves, in the hopes of one day building his own private munchkin army. He firmly believes that they await his call to strike against his enemies (he doesn't actually have any enemies but he's assuming they'll show up sooner or later).

The reason Derek writes his own biographical blurb is so that he can finally refer to himself in the third person without looking pompous or insane.