The Devil and Mrs. Gooch

Gwendolyn Gooch’s next entrepreneurial scheme brings her to the big city to invent predatory rental practices through the forced labor of kidnapped house spirits. The sheer evil of her capitalistic fervor awes the Devil, enticing him into a business partnership that begins to look more like a toxic relationship. In opposition to Gooch are hapless Professor Green, who longs only to retire, and Mrs. Bobkins, the porcine spirit of his newly acquired magical texts. If Mrs. Bobkins can turn Professor Green into some semblance of a sorcerer, they might have a chance to save a city literally crumbling beneath Gooch’s greed. This sequel to Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil includes amusing footnotes within the story’s pages and alongside illustrated encyclopedic entries. Darkshire’s delightful prose captivates, subsuming readers into a whimsical world that, while hilarious, isn’t particularly kind. Perhaps he wants readers to realize laughing at the world’s ridiculousness is entertaining but not the solution. As everyone from the Devil to Professor Green learns, creating good in the world requires action even when failure is likely.