Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas

by William Lashner

Overview

Welcome to Elizabeth Webster's world, where the common laws of middle school torment her days . . . and the uncommon laws of an even weirder realm govern her nights.

Elizabeth Webster is happy to stay under the radar (and under her bangs) until middle school is dead and gone. But when star swimmer Henry Harrison asks Elizabeth to tutor him in math, it's not linear equations Henry really needs help with-it's a flower-scented, poodle-skirt-wearing, head-tossing ghost who's calling out Elizabeth's name.

But why Elizabeth? Could it have something to do with her missing lawyer father? Maybe. Probably. If only she could find him. In her search, Elizabeth discovers more than she is looking for: a grandfather she never knew, a startling legacy, and the secret family law firm, Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned.

Elizabeth and her friends soon land in court, where demons and ghosts take the witness stand and a red-eyed judge with a ratty white wig hands out sentences like sandwiches. Will Elizabeth's father arrive in time to save Henry Harrison-and is Henry the one who really needs saving?

Set in the historic streets of Philadelphia, this riveting middle-grade mystery from New York Times bestselling author William Lashner will have readers banging their gavels and calling for more from the incomparable Elizabeth Webster.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368065207
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/15/2020
Series:	Elizabeth Webster , #1
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	1,032,490
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

William Lashner is a former criminal prosecutor with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. His novels have been published worldwide and nominated for two Shamus Awards, a Gumshoe Award, an Edgar Award, and been selected as an Editor's Choice in the New York Times Book Review. When he was a kid his favorite books were The Count of Monte Cristo and any comic with the Batman on the cover. Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleasis his first novel for young readers.

Editorial Reviews

I love this book! William Lashner delivers humor and ghost-story shivers in a mixture of wit and intensity. He creates memorable characters, at once daring and vulnerable.—Ridley Pearson, bestselling author of Lock and Key

A superb mystery....Elizabeth's spunky attitude and earnestness provide an emotional spine that couples with the novel's mystery, dovetailing together at the right moment, making for a very engaging read. —Kirkus Reviews

This blend of ghost story and mystery will satisfy readers who ask for the "scary stories."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2019

Gr 5–8—Henry Harrison, star swimmer at Elizabeth Webster's school, has asked her to tutor him. In reality, what he really needs is help with a ghost who has been haunting his house. Why Elizabeth? Because the ghost asked for her. Elizabeth's tutoring gig ends up being much more than she anticipated when she learns that her missing father and grandfather own the secret family law firm Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned. She has to learn to defend someone in court, run for her life from people and demons, and find the truth about the death of Henry's ghost. The quick-moving dialogue and witty banter keep the story moving at a quick clip. The twists and turns will keep readers guessing about who is responsible for the ghost's death and how she died. The courtroom for the underworld is an unusual setting, but it's still scary fun. VERDICT This blend of ghost story and mystery will satisfy readers who ask for "the scary stories." Recommended.—Julie Overpeck, Holbrook Middle School, Lowell, NC

School Library Journal

2019-07-14
A middle schooler discovers her calling.

Elizabeth Webster is hoping to get through middle school with as little a reputation as possible, but that gets complicated when star athlete Henry Harrison approaches her one day in the middle of the crowded cafeteria for extra help with his math lessons. It's quickly revealed that Henry doesn't need Elizabeth for math but rather to investigate a ghost that's appeared in Henry's house and is asking for Elizabeth by name. As Elizabeth and Henry work to get to the bottom of things, Elizabeth discovers secrets in her own past involving a long-lost grandfather, demons, spirits, an unsolved murder, and a profession that Elizabeth might just be destined for. Former federal prosecutor Lashner brings his legal expertise to the tale, crafting a spooky legal thriller for middle-grade readers that is just technical enough to feel grounded in reality and just unearthly enough to keep readers on their toes. This blend of ghostly apparitions and legal exposition should absolutely not work—but yet it does, engaging readers in a compelling mystery and a world that functions seamlessly. Twists and turns arise, but narrator Elizabeth's spunky attitude and earnestness provide an emotional spine that couples with the novel's mystery, dovetailing together at the right moment, making for a very engaging read. Elizabeth presents white; her best friend, Natalie, is Latinx; and Henry is black.

A superb mystery. (Mystery. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews