The Screaming Staircase: Lockwood & Co., Book 1

The haunted scares and the descriptions of how the now-deceased, or "Visitors," died are worse than the actual injuries the trio get ghost hunting. Although there's always fear of being "ghost-touched," which causes painful swelling and then death if not treated right away. Main characters have close calls with cruel spirits (some super-creepy descriptions involving skeletal remains, curling long toenails, and blood dripping all over a room), a raging fire they must jump out a building to escape, and live people wielding guns, rapiers, and fists. Stories of other ghost hunters (all kids because only kids have "the Sight") dying on the job, two in the house Lockwood & Co. are sent to investigate and all of Lucy's young colleagues before she moved to London. A mention that Anthony's parents are probably deceased and left him the house, and that Lucy's distant father fell under a train and died. The ghosts being hunted died in many violent ways over the centuries: hangings, drownings, mass killings, torture, sacrifices, fire, murder, and much more.

Mentions of a tumultuous relationship and lost love.

"Hell," "hellish," "screwy," and talk of cursing without the words used (Lucy says, "The curse I gave would probably have curdled the milk if it hadn't been sitting out on the table for thirty-six hours already.")

One room in a haunted house smelled of whiskey and tobacco, and Lucy remembers her father's breath smelling of "strong brown beer." Lucy's first employer smoked heavily.