The Screaming Staircase Summary

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud opens 50 years after the invasion of ghosts in England. The ghosts appear daily to haunt the residents of England, which has pushed the authorities to launch investigative agencies to eliminate the source of ghosts. The primary role of the agencies is to ensure no interaction between human beings and ghosts. The only people who can detect the presence of ghosts are youngsters. Lucy Carlyle is one of the youngsters who can hear the conversation of ghosts. At age 9, Lucy is recruited by Jacobs' agency to work as an investigator alongside five other older children. The role of Jacobs' agency is to investigate the source of ghosts at a haunted mill. Unfortunately, the five children investigators die during the assignment, but Lucy survives. Lucy later relocates to London to find a job to support her family, which is struggling financially.

When Lucy arrives in London, she applies for an investigative agent job at Lockwood and Co. Fortunately, Lucy is invited for an interview, and Antony Lockwood and George Cabins welcome her. Lucy passes the interview, and she joins the team. The team comprises three youngsters, Lockwood, George, and Lucy. Lockwood invites Lucy to live in his home's attic before she stabilizes to purchase her home. Lucy enjoys working with her fellow team members, but sometimes it is challenging. For instance, there are confrontations when the team investigates the ghosts haunting Mrs. Hope's home. Lucy and Lockwood rush into the investigation before waiting for George to finish his research. Lucy and Lockwood make a wrong decision to burn Mrs. Hope's house to eliminate the source of the ghosts. The owner of the house later sues them to pay for the damages.

After Mrs. Hope's investigation is completed, Mr. Fairfax, who wants the team to investigate the haunting ghosts at his estate, approaches Lockwood and Co. Mr. Fairfax offers a huge substantial amount of money and seeks assurance that the task will be accomplished as agreed. George starts his research immediately, and the team embarks on the assignment. Paradoxically, Mr. Fairfax expects the three-team members to die during the investigation. Lucy discovers the scheme and summons the ghost called Annabel to kill Mr. Fairfax.

Towards the end, Lockwood and Co. become famous for its next assignments. Lucy plays a vital role in the success because she can listen to the conversation of ghosts, which helps her to identify their sources easily. In addition, George is a vital team member because every assignment is only conducted after he has finished his research. Thus, the collaborative effort of Lockwood, George, and Lucy plays a significant role in their success.