Festergrimm

The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea #4

by Thomas Taylor

Festergrimm

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2022

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

Reviews

[Jade Ratley · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.00 on CAWPILE

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Це цікаво, але 0 пояснень щодо батьків Гербі та Вайолет, тільки постійні натяки. Плюс, головний антагоніст, Себастьян Вугорс, вже набрид, хотілось би якогось нового, а то відчуття, що він якийсь безсмертний, і єдиний хто полює на всякі міфічні предмети.

[Milou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eerie-on-Sea is a seaside town out of season, and you can feel that Thomas Taylor knows these towns. He manages to perfectly capture its atmosphere with the somewhat curious shops and quirky villagers. The Flotsamporium, fish and chips on the pier, the bookdispensary with the mermonkey that doesn't give you the book you want but the one you need, the doctor who also runs a museum,...

We follow Herbert Lemon, who is an orphan who as a baby showed up in a crate of lemons. He works in the Grand Nautilus Hotel (owned, like most of the town, by Lady Kraken) as a Lost-and-Founder. This year he has decided to do NOPE-vember... saying nope to adventures all month. But then a familiar villain arrives back in town and he and Violet are the only ones to see through his lies.

The adventure brings us creepy waxworks who are a bit too alive and a giant mechanical man, and of course a new town legend. As this is the penultimate book, we also really get the feeling that we are getting close to finding out about Herbie's past and the biggest secret... and I'm here for it!!!

This series, starting with Malamander, is definitely one I would highly recommend. It has the fun and adventure of a good middle grade read, but also has real danger and proper villains and doesn't simplify things for its audience. They are perfect reads for the colder months, great to get through on a rainy afternoon with a big cup of tea.

[Sivu kerrallaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐. Aaveranta on tapahtunaympäristönä yksi parhaimpia, joita olen nuorten fantasiakirjoissa lukenut. Tämän kirjasarjan parissa tulee aina hyvä mieli ja on jotenkin sellaista kotoisaa luettavaa. Ihana juttu, että sarja jatkuikin vielä kolmannen osan jälkeen.

[Debbie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Taylor has done it again! What a sheer delight to be back in Eerie-on-Sea with Herbie and Violet ready for another adventure. This time, Herbie has declared he’s not doing any adventures in November, however just a few days before the end of the month the arrival of a VIP guest heralds the start of a new adventure. With their arch enemy Sebastian Eels set to reopen the old Festergrimm’s Wax Works, Violet can’t believe he’s not really up to no good. Get ready to join them in an adventure full of scary wax works, spooky trains and a giant robotic monster as the legend of Ludo Festergrimm resurfaces.
Everything’s we’ve come to love and look forward to in the Eerie-on-Sea adventures is packed in the pages and will delight its fans young and old. It’s a fast paced adventure, full of some wonderful twists and turns and some great edge of the seat moments.
I can’t wait to return for the next adventure and the Mermedusa!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a review.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve just finished this… and what a ride!! Let me tell you, there’s something so gripping and OMG I HAVE TO READ THIS ENTIRE BOOK RIGHT NOW about this series. Festergrimm is a glorious mix of big iron monsters, familiar villainous faces and legend that just had me from the get go. I love Herbie and Violet so much… you wouldn’t catch me in the waxwork museum tho! These books are a glorious mix of detective mystery and a tiny little bit of horror in them too!

[Kirjoihin kadonnut || Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tämän sarjan kirjat ovat parasta, mitä nuortenkirjallisuudella on tarjota - heti Pottereiden ja Nevermoorien jälkeen. Jälleen ällistyttävän hyvä, sopivassa suhteessa jännittävä ja äärimmäisen otteessaan pitävä seikkailu. Näitä lukee mielellään aikuinenkin, mutta ainakin meillä, tämä on myös yksi lasten lempikirjasarjoista. Jäämme odottamaan suurella innolla ja mielenkiinnolla seuraavaa osaa, sillä tämä tarina päättyi jälleen mielenkiintoiseen Cliffhangeriin ja vaikka Aaverannan salaisuuksia keriytyy auki jälleen vähän enemmän, ei tarinan päätyttyä olla kuin pienen askelen verran lähempänä Herbert Sitrusta koskevaa mysteeriä, Orvokki Parman kadonneista vanhemmista puhumattakaan. Mutta sitä parempi, mitä enemmän näitä kirjoja saadaan, sillä ainakaan vielä ei taso ole laskenut piiruakaan.

[Salla Hiltunen (haikuja_kirjoista) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tällä kertaa Aaverannassa selvitetään Festergrimmin Aavemaisen Vahakabinetin mysteeriä. Vahakabinetti oli aikoinaan suosittu turistinähtävyys, mutta skandaalin seurauksena se suljettiin ja jätettiin rapistumaan. Herbert ja Orvokki eivät ole kuulleetkaan koko paikasta, ennen kuin heidän arkkivihollisensa Sebastian Ankerias palaa Aaverantaan ja aikoo avata kabinetin uudelleen. Mutta kuka oli Festergrimm, mitä vahakabinetissa on tapahtunut, ja mitä Ankerias siitä oikein haluaa?

Tämä sarja tuntuu vain parantuvan osa osalta! Aaveranta mielenkiintoisine rakennuksineen ja lukemattomine salaisuuksineen on upea ja tunnelmallinen tapahtumapaikka. Harmi, että tämän jälkeen on enää yksi kirja.

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[ResetGame1998 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute detective story that fueled my imagination and want to write again. Also fun fact: The author illustrated the cover of the first Harry Potter :D

Kinda want to read more. This is book 4 but it managed to not make me feel lost, just because I started this late in the series.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the story opens, Herbie Lemon (Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel) and his friend Violet (Vi) are accompanying Mr. M0llusc (the manager of the hotel) to the train station. A special guest is due to arrive at any moment, and Lady Kranken (the owner of the hotel) demanded a grand welcome. When the train finally pulls into the station, they're surprised to find none other than Sebastian Eels waiting for them on the platform. As you may or may not recall, Sebastian Eels has caused Herbie and Vi many a problem in previous books, to the point that he's even tried to kill them a time or two. Herbie and Vi feel that he's still up to no good, despite Sebastian Eels stating that he's changed his ways and the only thing he wants to do now is to reopen the towns long-shuttered waxworks museum. Convinced that he has nefarious plans, Herbie and Violet begin to investigate. Soon the duo uncovers clues to the town's past and find links to the famous toymaker and inventor Ludovic Festergrimm. What ensues is a wild chase to prevent Eeels from controlling the one thing he desires.

Taylor's books are always slightly creepy (the elevator that reminded me of the haunted mansion), are exciting and filled with moments of danger (the Netherways). With a few twists thrown in. I quite enjoyed the story within the story in Festergrimm, that explained the tragic past of Pandora, Mr. Festergrimm's daughter. There's lots of fast paced action, adventure and a mystery. Sebastian Eels is the perfect villain, a sort of vaudeville style villain in a top hat, long cloak, with a wicked smile. One moment sniveling about being innocent and then the next striking out at you with his cane. Always hinting that Herbie has property of his that he wants back, and that Herbie is a crucial part in the key to Eerie's deepest secret. Not to mention that the story includes these clockwork robots that sound equally delightful and terrifying. And a waxwork museum, that's creepy in itself. So yeah, lots of fun. It's best if these books are read in order so I'd start with Malmander. The illustrations by Tom Booth were absolutely wonderful. I just love seeing Herbie in his Lost-and-Founder cap and Bagfoot the seagull rapping on the window was quite comical. Poor Violet. It's utterly delightful reading each of the books in the series. Sad to see that the final book, Mermedusa has been released, but I am eager to read it now.

**A huge thank you to Walker Books US for the hardcover copy in exchange for an honest review. **

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's just something about Eerie-on-Sea that sparks such joy in my (not so) inner child. It's the creepy feeling it gives you that makes you think back to those first Halloweens you'd enjoy as a kid. When you'd like to scare yourself a little bit not too much. Where you'd like to have something in the back of your mind thinking 'something's not quite right here'. Or of the old children's TV shows like Goosebumps or Are you afraid of the Dark? That did the trick on those nights where it'd get dark not long after finishing school and you were sat in front of the TV.

Just pure joy from start to finish.

I'm not a newbie to Eerie-on-Sea and have been visiting since the Malamander pulled me into it's pages and wouldn't let me out until I had reached the end of Herbie and Violet's adventure.

This book is just as brilliant as the other instalments. From the night-time opening scene set on a misty train platform to the nightmarish walk around an abandoned waxworks I was enthralled. Thomas Taylor really knows how to set a scene.

Another absolute delight of a book and another 5 stars from me!

[romantasyreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Even though I had never read any of the Eerie-on-Sea series, getting into this delightful book was easy. Taylor's background as an illustrator shines through as the world-building was amazing. That said, I felt like there was a tad too many elements within this book. Between the wax-work figures and the clock-work robots, I found it rather difficult to focus. That said, I believe that it sets things up nicely for the final instalment of the series which I am now curious about.

Given that the main character's name is Herbert Lemon, its similarities with Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is also noted. While there are many plot similarities like the parallels between Count Olaf and Sebastien Eels, I do find that the book sets itself apart sufficiently from Snicket's without being too much of a rethread of the iconic series through its evocative and beautifully-crafted setting.

[Jess Trow · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Uuuummmmm … I did not sign up for a cliffhanger ahead of the final book in this series?! Like, HUH?! I loved this instalment, even if the idea of moving waxworks and animatronics have me major creepy vibes (hello autonomaphobia, we meet again!), and I need Mermedusa now, please and thank you. Will we finally learn the deepest secret of Eerie-on-Sea, and how does Herbie fit into all of this? I guess we’ll find out next year 👀

[:¨·.·¨: `·. izzy ★°*ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to love this one more than the others, but I think my enjoyment grows with each book.

I love following Herbie and Vi and my love for the characters and the setting grows more and more with each book.

[Dinnu Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite seriously one of the best middle grade series I have lately read. Such fun quirky characters and exciting adventures. Love it! 🥰😍

[Björndotter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tror tyvärr 3an är den nya uppläsarens fel.... gav inte samma vibe som tidigare 🙄 svårt att få en känsla för storyn med en uppläsare som överspelar röster.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the narrator for the audiobooks but it drives me crazy that he changes the voices and accents for the characters between books 😭 how hard is it to be consistent??

[Totoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/8RBLPLQXCNU?si=ZDoaI...

[Ka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 of 5! Things really heating up in the meta-story now. Lots of clues being dropped about the history of the town and about Herbie himself. While there's loads of mystery, there's no resolution, since it's all set to resolve in the next book, where presumably all the questions will be answered and all the secrets will be unspun.

This book contains mechanical wonders, giant robots, wax pirates, and someone waving a blunderbuss around, so yeah. Exciting!

SUMMARY AND THOUGHTS ON THE PLOT, FOR MY MEMORY WHEN I READ THE NEXT BOOK:
Our book opens maybe a month or so after the previous one. Herbie, Violet, and the hotel manager are waiting at the train station for a mysterious VIP visitor to the hotel... Violet saves a large seagull from a malicious plastic bag, and in return, it bites her and steals her bag of fudge, which sounds about right. Then they find out that the visitor is, in fact, SEBASTIAN EELS. Yep, he's back, right out of the gate.

His face is still tentacle-free, and he continues to have 2 hands, so I guess he's recovered from being a tentacle monster in book 2.. He goes to see Lady Kraken at the hotel and explains that he has changed his ways, is no longer a psychopath willing to murder any children who get in his way, and is totally gonna re-build one of the town's wonders, the old waxworks museum. What was that last thing? Oh yeah, there is a super-creepy old wax museum in town (which is Eerie-on-Sea themed... no wax sculptures of Queen Elizabeth here! Instead you get statues of such local luminaries as Purple Pim the lady pirate, Mayor Bigly Kovfefe or whatever his name was, and so on).

A hundred or so years ago, there was a guy named Ludo Festergrimm, an incredibly gifted clockwork toy maker. Naturally, there is a legend associated with him: he made awesome lifelike clockwork toys such as little crabs, butterflies, and so forth for the children of the town, as well as larger cooler clockwork devices. Hey, don't we have a strangely complex and lifelike clockwork crab RIGHT NOW? Even if it is in pieces. Another little toy that is very specifically described in such a way that you know it's important is a clockwork mouse with a little "brain" device inside it, which somehow automatically maps out where it's been so that it can solve mazes. Gee, do we know anyone who'd want such a thing?

Anyway, Festergrimm would come to town for the winter festival, and he would bring his clockwork daughter Pandora. She was so lifelike that people thought she was probably a real girl just made up to LOOK like clockwork. One day, a kid loses his toy down a drain, and Pandora jumps down to look for it and is unable to climb back up; when her father is unable to get her out, she wanders off to find another way (despite his pleas for her to stay put) and she is never seen again.

In despair, Festergrimm uses all his skillz to create a giant robot to look for Pandora. It contains the clockwork "brain" from the mouse, so it can map the Netherways under the city while looking for her. However, it returns empty-handed a few weeks after being set loose under the city. After it mindlessly walks through a few walls and maybe accidentally destroys some stuff, the fisherfolk in the town lose their shit and attack it. Someone breaks off a piece of the internal mechanism, and the next thing you know, the eyes are glowing with red light and it's actively trying to murder everyone. Good times.

Around this time, it happens to be standing on a cliff with Festergrimm, and the Navy of the time shoots it with a mortar or something and blows them both into bits. The bits (of both the robot AND the inventor) were allegedly gathered together by the Lord Kraken of the time, who wanted the secrets of the robot, and Mrs Fossil's ancestor Felix, a gifted mechanic who was tasked with rebuilding the robot from Festergrimm's blueprints. Felix also created the waxworks, ALLEGEDLY with bits of Festergrimm's machines and maybe also bits of Festergrimm himself inside the wax figures! SPOOOOKY!!

Herbie and Violet deduce that Sebastian didn't suddenly become a good person, and in fact, he's just looking for the robot's head (which was allegedly found and hidden somewhere in the wax museum by Felix, presumably to keep Lord Kraken from getting a murderbot), because it must contain a ton of stored information (somehow) about the Netherways, like a map, which we learned Sebastian was searching for in the previous book.

After guessing that Clermit the clockwork crab was probably made by Festergrimm, Herbie manages to put the pieces back together and restore it to working order. He then does not wind it up and also keeps forgetting to grab the key, because why the fuck would he do something that might help them? Sigh.

Herbie and Violet use the Netherways entrance in the hotel basement to sneak over to the waxworks and after some adventures, they discover the location of the robohead, whereupon Sebastian immediately steps out of the shadows with a loaded blunderbuss, tells them he will murder them if they don't carry it down to the robot for him, and thanks them for finding it for him. As they're always getting in his way, he figured that this time, he'd let THEM do the work of solving the mystery, and it worked, because they couldn't resist sticking their noses in his business! You really have to admire this douchebag sometimes.

Book 4 of 5! Things really heating up in the meta-story now. Lots of clues being dropped about the history of the town and about Herbie himself. While there's loads of mystery, there's no resolution, since it's all set to resolve in the next book, where presumably all the questions will be answered and all the secrets will be unspun.

This book contains mechanical wonders, giant robots, wax pirates, and someone waving a blunderbuss around, so yeah. Exciting!

SUMMARY AND THOUGHTS ON THE PLOT, FOR MY MEMORY WHEN I READ THE NEXT BOOK:
Our book opens maybe a month or so after the previous one. Herbie, Violet, and the hotel manager are waiting at the train station for a mysterious VIP visitor to the hotel... Violet saves a large seagull from a malicious plastic bag, and in return, it bites her and steals her bag of fudge, which sounds about right. Then they find out that the visitor is, in fact, SEBASTIAN EELS. Yep, he's back, right out of the gate.

His face is still mysteriously tentacle-free but he still has his re-grown hand and seems as slimy as ever. He goes to see Lady Kraken at the hotel and explains that he has changed his ways, is no longer a psychopath willing to murder any children who get in his way, and is totally gonna re-build one of the town's wonders, the old waxworks museum. What's that last thing? Oh yeah, there is a super-creepy old wax museum in town (which is Eerie-on-Sea themed... no wax sculptures of Queen Elizabeth here! Instead you get statues of such local luminaries as Purple Pim the lady pirate, Mayor Bigly Kovfefe or whatever his name was, and so on.

All this was created by a guy named Ludo Festergrimm, an incredibly gifted clockwork toy maker from a few hundred years back. Naturally, there is a legend associated with him: he made awesome lifelike clockwork toys such as little crabs, butterflies, and so forth for the children of the town, as well as larger cooler clockwork devices. Hey, don't we have a strangely complex and lifelike clockwork crab RIGHT NOW? Even if it is in pieces. Another little toy that is very specifically described in such a way that you know it's important is a clockwork mouse with a little "brain" device inside it, which somehow automatically maps out where it's been so that it can solve mazes.

Anyway, Festergrimm would come to town for the winter festival, and he would bring his clockwork daughter Pandora. She was so lifelike that people thought she was probably just made up to look like clockwork. One day, a kid loses his clockwork toy down a drain and Pandora climbs down there to look for it and is unable to climb back up; when her father is unable to get her out, she wanders off to find another way (despite his pleas for her to stay put) and she is never seen again.

In despair, Festergrimm uses all his skillz to create a giant robot to look for Pandora. It contains the clockwork "brain" from the mouse in order to map the Netherways under the city in order to find her. However, it returns empty-handed a few weeks after being set loose under the city. It mindlessly walks through a few walls and maybe accidentally destroys some stuff, and the fisherfolk in the town lose their shit and attack it. Someone breaks off a piece of the internal mechanism, and the next thing you know, the eyes are glowing with red light and it's actively trying to murder everyone. Good times.

Around this point it happens to be standing on a cliff with Festergrimm, and the Navy of the time shoots it with a mortar or something and blows them both into bits. The bits (of both the robot AND the inventor) were allegedly gathered together by the Lord Kraken of the time, who wanted the secrets of the robot, and Mrs Fossil's ancestor Felix, a gifted mechanic who was set to rebuild the thing. He also created the waxworks, ALLEGEDLY with bits of Festergrimm's machines and maybe also bits of Festergrimm himself! SPOOOOKY!!

Herbie and Violet deduce that Sebastian didn't suddenly become a good person, and in fact, he's just looking for the robot's head (which was allegedly found and hidden somewhere in the wax museum by Felix, presumably to keep Lord Kraken from getting a rebuilt robot), because it must contain a ton of stored information (somehow) about the Netherways, like a map, which we learned Sebastian was searching for in the previous book.

After guessing that Clermit the clockwork crab was probably made by Festergrimm, Herbie manages to put the pieces back together and restore it to working order. He then does not wind it up and also keeps forgetting to grab the key, because why the fuck would he do something that might help them? Sigh.

Herbie and Violet use the Netherways entrance in the hotel basement to sneak over to the waxworks and after some adventures, they discover the location of the head, whereupon Sebastian immediately steps out of the shadows with a loaded blunderbuss, tells them he will murder them if they don't carry it down to the robot for him, and thanks them for finding it for him. As they're always getting in his way, he figured that this time, he'd let THEM do the work of solving the mystery, and it worked, because they couldn't resist sticking their noses in his business! You really have to admire this douchebag sometimes.

Down in the basement, where they discovered a giant robot body earlier, Sebastian makes Herbie put the robot's head back on the body (this is apparently required in order to open the locked hatch on the head which contains the "brain")... Herbie attempts to warn Sebastian that it's not a good idea, but after being threatened with death, he attaches the head to the body, at which point of course the robot immediately springs to life, destroys the entire underground room and creates a hole to the surface, and then climbs up to go on a rampage in the town. Sebastian is lost someplace under the rubble (but we can assume he is fine) and the kids go to try to stop the robot.

Herbie realizes that the missing piece of the robot, the bit that was broken off all those years ago and caused it to go berserk, is actually Clermit, the machine's heart! Some ridiculous action scenes happen and he eventually manages to restore Clermit to its rightful spot in the robot's chest, which stops it from rampaging. Herbie and Violet are riding on its shoulders as it starts to return to the
Netherways (presumably to resume its search for Pandora after all this time) when Sebastian pops out of someplace, jumps on its head, opens the hatch, and steals the brain. The robot immediately deactivates, falls into a pit, and is presumably smashed into a million pieces. Sigh.

The fisherfolk think Sebastian actually did something good by destroying it and won't listen to the kids, so Herbie and Violet are forced to just accept that Sebastian is back for now. Lady Kraken does kick him out of the hotel, but he just moves back into his house.

Herbie realizes that he might have actually gone looking for Pandora with the robot if they hadn't been stopped, and that he is drawn to the Netherways for some reason deep within that he can't remember. Find out why in the last book!!them put the robot's head back on (this is apparently required in order to open the locked hatch on the head which contains the "brain")... Herbie attempts to warn Sebastian that it's not a good idea, but after being threatened with death, he puts the giant robot back together, at which point of course it immediately springs to life, destroys the entire underground room and creates a hole to the surface, and then climbs up to go on a rampage in the town. Sebastian is lost someplace under the rubble (but we can assume he is fine) and the kids climb up to try to stop the robot.

Herbie realizes that the missing piece of the robot, the bit that was broken off all those years ago and caused it to go berserk, is actually Clermit, the machine's heart! Some ridiculous stuff happens and he eventually manages to restore Clermit to its rightful spot in the robot's chest, which stops it from rampaging. Herbie and Violet are riding on its shoulders as it starts to return to the
Netherways (presumably to resume its search for Pandora after all this time) when Sebastian pops out of someplace, jumps on its head, opens the hatch, and steals the brain. The robot immediately deactivates, falls into a pit, and is presumably smashed into a million pieces. Sigh.

The fisherfolk think Sebastian actually did something good by destroying it and won't listen to the kids, so they're forced to just accept that he's back for now. Lady Kraken does kick him out of the hotel, but he just moves back into his house.

Lastly, Herbie realizes that he might have actually gone looking for Pandora with the robot if they hadn't been stopped, and that he is drawn to the Netherways for some reason deep within that he can't remember. Is it something related to the deepest secret of Eerie-on-Sea? Of course it fucking is! On to the last book!!

[Mrs C. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Thomas Taylor. Sad that it’s finished, but one of those you just have to keep reading. Now for the long wait until next September the get the closing book from the series.

[Maria Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

love this series ❤️

[Leaders_are_Readers · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

What a suspenseful read! The eerie seaside town, the book dispensary, the museum... all so atmospheric and fun to explore. Loved the mystery and the vibe, but kinda sad we still don’t know what really happened to Pandora. Still, a great read if you’re into strange towns and spooky adventures! 🌫📚👀

[Birte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the drops of backstory we got and it was another fun adventure.

[Annaleise Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eerie-on-Sea is one of my favourite series: excellently written with a superb seaside setting, a cast of quirky characters, heart-pounding danger, and a gorgeous friendship between lovable Lost-and-Founder Herbie and his near-fearless best friend Violet. Book four, Festergrimm, did not disappoint with its creepy waxwork museum, sinister baddie, and collision of old Eerie-on-Sea legends with Herbie and Vi's adventures. I'm looking forward to the fifth and final instalment, Mermedusa, already!

[Mrs Kuyateh - Primary Teacher Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s nearly the summer holidays and I was ridiculously excited to be granted an early mini-break in the legendary seaside town of Eerie on Sea. And my goodness… there was never a dull moment! Creepy wax works, a conniving villain a colossal clockwork robot reminscent of Ted Hughes’ Iron Man…adventure drips from every sea-soaked page. Oh, and watch out for the seagulls…you have been warned!

Our favourite ship-wrecked orphan Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, once again finds himself at the centre of an Eerie Mystery of epic proportions along with trusty side-kick Violet Parmer.

It’s late November and Herbie and Vi have been sent to greet a VIP guest of The Grand Nautilus at the railway station by morngy hotel manager Mr Mollusc. But nothing could’ve prepared the duo for who is about to step out from the swirling mist. A shocking blast from the past is back to wreak havoc on the town, plotting and scheming to their own gains and of course it’s down to the duo to save the town from disaster.

I feel the beauty of this series is that in each instalment, Thomas Taylor allows us to discover and explore different elements of the seemingly dilapidated town, steeped in myth and legend. As well as dropping into familiar locations such as Seagoll’s diner, Mrs Fossil’s Flotsamporium and paying the Mermonkey a visit at the Eerie Book Emporium, much of this adventure takes place in Fargarzi Round and the boarded up and very creepy Festergrimm’s Wax Works.

Formerly a hit with the tourists, the wax works has long stood derelict and abandoned, but it seems that amongst the dust and cobwebs is something of real value and key to unlocking the Great Legend of Eerie on Sea. And one cunning and conniving character is desperate to get their calloused hands on it.

The children break into Festergrimm’s and bravely explore (at night of course) you wouldn’t get me in there! It really is scary amongst the exhibits with their unblinking eyes and the ghost train that would whirr into action to transport tourists around the gallery. Bumps in the night lead our explorers to the cellar, where they discover their treacherous nemesis tearing apart the wax mannequins limb from limb, feverishly searching for something – it’s like a scene from Frankenstein!

After all the chilling thrills and spills, it’s time for cake and hot chocolate at Mrs Fossil’s and she sheds some more light on the legend. Turns out she has a personal connection to the wax works and is harbouring a shocking family secret. The answer lies in Festergrimm’s legendary robot and a missing part of the clockwork giant. It’s a race against time and Herbie and Vi must solve the mystery and set the cogs in action before their arch enemy gets there first…

This is my absolute favourite Middle Grade series. For me it has everything; gripping mysteries, just the right level of threat and such a well developed location and characters that each visit feels like returning to old friends at a much-loved childhood holiday destination.

Erwin the talking bookshop cat stole the show for me in this adventure. Always on hand to deliver purrrrrrls of wisdom in his trademark deadpan way, he dutifully directs the duo away from danger and hints at clues that they’ve missed. I imagine his voice to be that of Ian McKellen or Stephen Fry and I’d love to discover more of his back story – there is definitely a human trapped inside that feline body!

This is a series I don’t want to end, yet I am absolutely desperate to find out once and for all how Herbie came to be washed up in a crate of lemons in Erie on Sea and what happened to Violet’s parents. At the end of Festergrimm there is the usual teaser for the next adventure and I can’t wait to see how Thomas Taylor ties it all together in MERMEDUSA.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sebastian Eels is back in town. And he's not hiding. He is telling all the adults he has changed his ways and he wants to restore the local waxworks museum, Festergrimm's, into a working museum and tourist magnet. Herbie and Violet didn't even know there was an old waxwork's museum in town. They learn it was actually originally a toy shop that belonged to a brilliant inventor, but closed after a robot the creator built to find his missing daughter went haywire and destroyed much of the town. Violet and Herbie are sure Eels must have a sinister reason to want access to the old waxworks or inventions. But most of the town eagerly welcomes the idea, while Violet and Herbie's guardians are a bit more hesitant. They decide to err on the side of grace, and give Sebastian a chance to prove himself. Violet is determined to find out what he's really up to, and Herbie is inevitably along for the ride.

Reading this I realized that Eerie-on-Sea adventures are like the best B scifi movies meet Scooby Doo. There are rather serious situations but you are always pretty sure the kids will make it out ok, and there's a kind of cartoon-like not quite real quality to the world of Eerie-on-Sea that makes it easier to disassociate yourself and not feel nearly as tense or horrific as it could be. There are some rather subtle nods to Frankenstein and King Kong in this Eerie-on-Sea story. I like that the town is willing to offer second chances; it's a good reminder that we all sometimes need a second chance (and they talk about that). Of course, their trust in Eels is misplaced, and he does have a somewhat sinister goal. There are huge teasing questions about Herbie's background this specific adventure brings up and will keep readers clamoring for the next book in the series. Hand this to readers who want a creepy but not nightmare-inducing scary story and like kid investigators/adventurers.

Notes on content:
Language: 4 minor swears.
Sexual content: None
Violence: In the past the navy took out the robot with a bomb that also impacted his human owner and it talks about body parts being found and possibly used in future waxworks. This grosses out Violet and Herbie, understandably. Eels is dismantling waxwork sculptures of people with a saw and the kids walk in on him talking about chopping off heads and other body parts (only wax ones).
Ethnic diversity: The setting feels European-ish, there aren't a lot of descriptors of main characters.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Creepy waxworks at night, AI controlled robots, a sneaky lying adult taking advantage of others' trust.

[Puck · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's not fair Taylor, you brought the Iron Giant into this story - that already wins me over. But wow, the plot really takes off in this book: not only by building on parts from book 2 and 3 - The Netherways, the elevator, Herbie's past - but the whole mystery around Ludovico Festergrimm is so fascinating! The decision to end with a cliffhanger is a great choice, but even before that I couldn't wait to uncover the biggest secret of Eerie-on-Sea with Herbie and Violet. Bring me Mermedusa!

Read here my other reviews of The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea books: #1 Malamander | #2 Gargantis | #3 Shadowghast | #5 Mermedusa

[AnneB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this quirky little series so much. This installment is really bringing the cosy, creepy vibes I love so much to the table and I really enjoyed the ride (and the author's sense of humour). We're finally getting some hints about Herbie's past, too. Can't wait for the next one!

[One tiny sidenote: there is a bit where the chef is shouting in Belgian and, well, that's not actually a thing. We speak Belgian Dutch (also known as Flemish), French, or in the case of a small minority, German. Belgian isn't a language, and as a Belgian, that was a weird sentence to read, haha.]

[Mehmet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok sevdiğim serinin dördüncü kitabını bitirip sona yaklaştığım için biraz hüzünlü olsam da nasıl muhteşem bir kitaptı anlatamam. Tuhaf Deniz Kasabası evrenine ve içinde yaşanan her olaya bayılıyorum. Nefes kesici derecede heyecanlı bir kitaptı. Beşinci kitabın çıkması için gün saymaya başlayabilirim.