Title:

Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright

Author:

Chris Riddell

Category:

Fantasy / Science Fiction

Rating:

Date Reviewed:

January 12, 2025
oth Girl and the Wuthering Fright is the third book in a four book series featuring Ada, the young girl who lives in Ghastly Gorm Hall with her father, the famous Lord Goth, England's most renown cycling poet. In this episode, a literary dog show is held at the hall. Famous authors are invited to Ghastly Gorm, along with their dogs. But the sinister Maltravers, the indoor gamekeeper, is interested in competing and winning - and he is known to skirt the rules. Can Ada keep the integrity of the contest intact while all the famous authors visit her father's place?

The thin plot is mostly a vehicle for Riddell to make jokes and include more of his signature artwork. Riddell is an award winning artist, and this book features many black and white ink drawings. It seems as if there is artwork on almost every page, some of the drawings fill the entire page. These drawings are the reason I checked out this book from the library. Riddell uses a fine-tipped pen that draws thin lines, he includes lots of detail. It is clear a lot of effort went into the making of this book.

There are a number of famous authors who bring their dogs to the literary dog show. There are the Vicarage Sisters: Emily, Charlotte and Anne. Sir Walter Splott (author of Drab Roy). Plain Austen (Northanger Cabbie, Nonsense and Nonsensibility). William Timepiece Thackery (Vanity Fete). Georgie Eliot (The Floss on the Mill). And from America came Homily Dickinson (Of What I Speak Thou Knowst Knot). The judges at the show are Hands Christmas Anderson and Pippi Shortstocking. Each author has a special breed of dog. Dr. Cabbage, who has been working on his difference engine, has trained three monkeys to perform various tasks - their names are William, Heath and Robinson.

The mystery is the strange howling that is heard at night. Someone or something has broken into the kitchen and stolen a ham. Shoes left unattended are found gnawed in the morning. Ada calls to together her friends for a special session of the Attic Club, where the children discuss the strange events and debate how to solve the mystery.

I have enjoyed all of Riddell's books. They are fun to look at and the silly humor did make me smile. Only one more book left in this series, alas: Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony.