The Invisible Detective
Encyclopedia
The Invisible Detective is a series of juvenile adventure
novels, written by Justin Richards
. Originally published in the United Kingdom
bewtween 2003 and 2005, the series has also been released in the United States.
The books are detective fiction
with science fiction
al and/or fantastic
elements (depending on the book). Set in London
in the 1930s, the series recounts the adventures of four children, Art, Jonny, Meg and Flinch, who act as "Baker Street Irregulars
" to the detective Brandon Lake, who is known as "the Invisible Detective" as no one has seen more than his silhouetted figure in a darkened room. In fact, Brandon Lake does not exist; he was invented by the four children, who investigate all his cases themselves. Art plays the Invisible Detective in weekly sessions held in a darkened room, during which the Detective addresses the concerns of local residents, in exchange for a small fee.
Each book also has a parallel subplot set in the 2000s, where Art's grandson, also named Art, and his friend Sarah have related mysteries to solve.
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
novels, written by Justin Richards
Justin Richards
Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day...
. Originally published in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bewtween 2003 and 2005, the series has also been released in the United States.
The books are detective fiction
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
with science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
al and/or fantastic
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
elements (depending on the book). Set in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the 1930s, the series recounts the adventures of four children, Art, Jonny, Meg and Flinch, who act as "Baker Street Irregulars
Baker Street Irregulars
The Baker Street Irregulars are any of several different groups, all named after the original, from various Sherlock Holmes stories in which they are a gang of young street children whom Holmes often employs to aid his cases.- Original :...
" to the detective Brandon Lake, who is known as "the Invisible Detective" as no one has seen more than his silhouetted figure in a darkened room. In fact, Brandon Lake does not exist; he was invented by the four children, who investigate all his cases themselves. Art plays the Invisible Detective in weekly sessions held in a darkened room, during which the Detective addresses the concerns of local residents, in exchange for a small fee.
Each book also has a parallel subplot set in the 2000s, where Art's grandson, also named Art, and his friend Sarah have related mysteries to solve.
Titles
The titles in the series are:| Book Number | Title | Publication Date | ISBN | Cover Illustrator | Length (Pages) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Paranormal Puppet Show (renamed Double Life in America) | June 2, 2003 | ISBN 0-7434-6145-2 | David Frankland (current); Richard Jones (original) |
264 |
| 2 | Shadow Beast | June 2, 2003 | ISBN 0-7434-6146-0 | David Frankland (current); Richard Jones (original) |
220 |
| 3 | Ghost Soldiers | October 2, 2003 | ISBN 0-7434-6224-6 | David Frankland (current); Richard Jones (original) |
260 |
| 4 | Killing Time | October 2, 2003 | ISBN 0-7434-6225-4 | David Frankland (current); Richard Jones (original) |
227 |
| 5 | Faces of Evil1 | April 2004 | ISBN 0-7434-7871-1 | David Frankland (current); Richard Jones (original) |
264 |
| 6 | Web of Anubis | May 2004 | ISBN 0-689-86124-9 | David Frankland2 | 307 |
| 7 | Stage Fright | September 2005 | ISBN Unknown | David Frankland | 320 |
| 8 | Legion of the Dead | September 2005 | ISBN Unknown | David Frankland | 288 |
Footnotes
- 1 Original title "The Faces of Evil". When the book was reprinted, the "The" in the title was knocked off.
- 2 All the covers were redesigned by the new artist, Frankland, and all new books (Web of Anubis onwards) had Frankland's art as the original.