"Who Could That Be at This Hour?": All the Wrong Questions, Book 1

Fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events will enjoy learning tidbits about the origins of Lemony Snicket's involvement in the secret organization V.F.D., although it's never referred to as anything but "our organization" in this book. Readers will get a feel for the noir mystery genre and encounter sophisticated vocabulary, such as "bombinating," "laudanum," "aberration," "obsequious," and "imperiously." Some words are explained in context, in the trademark Snicket way, but it could be a good idea to keep a dictionary handy.

Lemony Snicket is a brave, imaginative boy who outsmarts the buffoonish and menacing adults around him, yet he's polite and well behaved -- unless he defies orders to avoid capture by bad guys, for example, or get closer to solving the mystery. Three girl characters are interesting, as well: Moxie Mallahan, a young journalist who's always typing on her typewriter; Ellington Feint, who's clever and will do anything to save her father; and Snicket's unnamed associate, who's involved in a dangerous scheme back in "the city" and tends to ask the right questions.