Review: "The Shadow Cabinet" by Maureen Johnson

"The Shadow Cabinet" is the third book in Maureen Johnson's Shades of London series which also includes "The Name of the Star" and the "Madness Underneath"; featuring Rory Deveraux an American teenager living in London who after a near death experience gains The Sight, or the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Her new found ability leads her to working with The Squad, a secret policie organization where other young people with The Sight fight crimes that have supernatural involvement. "The Sadow Cabinet" picks up immediately following the tragic events at the end of "The Madness Underneath" (I won't say more as it would be a spoiler for those who have not read the first two installments).

Johnson's newest novel moves at a fast pace with Rory officially joining forces with The Squad to prevent Jane and her cult from accomplishing a ritual that could plunge London into chaos, and trying to rescue Rory's kidnapped classmate, Charlotte, while introducing two new (and very disturbed) villains. More so than the first two entries in the series, "The Shadow Cabinet" delves much deeper into the mythology and symbolism of death, dealing more with what keeps the worlds of the living and dead separate and introducing elements of Greek mythology and cults.

Rory, while under more pressure than ever, still remains the likable heroine, with eccentric stories from Louisiana, that we got to know in the first two books. "The Shadow Cabinet" overall features excellent character development, though I would have liked to see a little more of Boo and Callum. I originally went into this book believing that Johnson intended Shades of London to be a trilogy and that this would be the last book. When I reached the end I immediately realized that it could not be the end of the series as many plot threads were left hanging, and indeed a fourth book has been announced.