I keep waffling between four and five stars. I’m going with five. I love Abigail: she’s such a rebel. I hope we get to see her learning magic and moving into adulthood as the novels continue. She’s funny and resourceful.

“Ghost Hunter, Fox Whisperer, Troublemaker,” the title of the last chapter says it all.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this whole story, two aspects stood out: the foxes and a new type of genius loci. I wonder if the story of man losing his gifts and the fox regaining its voice is a real myth or created for this universe. Abigail’s connection to the foxes and their willingness to support her on this case is wonderful. They become real characters.

—-------- Here be spoilers…

Once Abigail decided the house wasn’t haunted and began considering that it was a genius loci of its own, I wondered how Aaronovitch would explain that possibility, then we get a quick introduction to the witch. When she realizes she’s a memory, not even a ghost, her first question of Abigail, who is from the far future relatively, is about the state of women. Are they respected in the future?

I was surprised that Abigail isn’t aware of the female practitioners encountered in the other novels… but maybe that happens after book five. Hmmm… It’s hard to keep the timeline of some events because I read many of the novels in quick succession.