Solver

By John Allison
Publisher: Scary Go Round Books
ISBN: 9781068341502

How flipping marvellous. John Allison returns to the world of Bad Machinery with a new ongoing story, centred around one of the greatest characters in the modern age of comics: Charlotte Grote.

If this means nothing to you then what on Earth have you been doing with yourself, and, boy, are you in for such a treat catching up. Charlotte Grote started out in the Bad Machinery stories about a group of child mystery solvers. The stories followed them growing up at school, experiencing the highs and lows of discovering themselves while dealing with aliens, monsters and ghosts. A teensy-bit Scooby-Doo but only if you mix in Grange Hill and a tidal wave of slick, witty, biting dialogue. It really is good stuff.

By now, the kids have left school, but Charlotte’s struggling to find her way in the world. A previous series (Wicked Things) charted her rise to the top of her detective game, but now she’s floundering. A run in with old school friend Claire Little allows for a course correct, and, along with a somewhat bewildered careers advisor, Charlotte finds her hunger for mystery solving once again.

But the mysteries are only part of the fun. The real enjoyment, as with all of John Allison’s books (see Steeple and the exquisite Giant Days for more) is the interplay between characters, the snappy verbal back and forth, and the depth of character this creates. Even minor characters feel fleshed out.

I can’t express enough how pleased I am that we’ve got Lottie back. An absolute highlight. Don’t miss it.

And if you liked that: There’s plenty more on the way, plus all the Bad Machinery books to delve into