The Last Bogler (How to Catch a Bogle #3) by Catherine Jinks

After Alfred loses both Birdie and Jem to an acting company, he is left with Ned Roach to be his final apprentice. However, Ned is not a bad choice. Ned is enthusiastic and inventive as the pair tackles more official bogling jobs due to their status in The Committee for the Regulation of Subterranean Anomalies. During one bogling job, Ned kills his first bogle, but accidentally destroys Alfred’s legendary spear.

The Last Bogler is a fairly satisfying conclusion to Jinks' bogle trilogy. There are, however, some inconsistencies that seem to deflate the rousing plots and foundational character development Jinks established in her previous books. For example, in the first two novels, both Birdie and Jem felt profoundly loyal to Alfred for giving them a purpose and place in life. In this book, both Birdie and Jem quickly cast aside their devotion to Alfred when the acting company hires them. No consequences were really shown of how that made Alfred feel. Then Jinks’ treatment of ridding London’s society completely of bogles seems almost a copout to quickly end the series. Yet, Jinks is still gifted at creating suspenseful, heart pounding scenes without describing lots of gore. This book was a little more graphic because she describes, in few details, the death of Salty Jack Gammon. At the end of each book, Jinks includes a glossary of colloquial terms that were popular in 1870’s London. Overall, Jinks’ series is still a fun, inventive trilogy for fans of thrilling, monster-based books.

A Plague of Bogles (How to Catch a Bogle #2) by Catherine Jinks

Jem Barbary has left his thieving life behind since his past employer, Sarah Pickles, sold him to be bogle bait. With Sarah Pickles still at large, Jem is having a difficult time finding his place. But with Birdie leaving Alfred to live with Miss Eames, Alfred accepts Jem as his new apprentice. However, the two notice that one London neighborhood is swarming with bogles, an odd behavior for these solitary demons.

Jinks does it again by maintaining the same level of heightened suspense, wit, and pacing she started in How to Catch a Bogle. In this book, readers see Jinks’ world through Jem’s eyes. Jem has only known a life of petty crime. When that lifestyle betrays him, he has a hard time doing regular work for orphan boys his age. Luckily his bogling experience leads him back to the stern, but kind Alfred Bunce. However, Alfred tries to forgo his bogling job for a safer career, but too many missing children return him to his profession. Like Birdie in the first book, Jem starts to feel threatened his apprenticeship will be taken away by Birdie, Ned Roach, or by his own unwise actions. This fear is fostered by his past treatment from Sarah Pickles. Through Birdie, Jem learns that Alfred has a caring heart and he would never turn Jem away. Again, violence is only eluded to and not shown except when a bogle is destroyed. The final book in the trilogy is called The Last Bogler.

How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks

Ten-year-old Birdie McAdam is in a dangerous apprenticeship working to destroy London’s bogles. These child-eating demons hide out in various places waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting juvenile victim. The bogler, Alfred Bunce, and Birdie have steady employment since it’s such a rare profession. Soon their work catches the attention of Miss Edith Eames, an educated woman who thinks there are more scientific approaches to killing bogles than using young Birdie as bait.

How to Catch a Bogle is an innovative, page-turning adventure with thoughtful character development. For Birdie, life as a bogler’s apprentice gives her purpose and direction, even though bogling is a life-threatening profession. But when Miss Eames enters Birdie’s life, everything seems to be turned upside down. Miss Eames tries to convince Alfred that Birdie should give up bogling for her safety sake. At first, Birdie feels threatened that her whole existence is being taken away. But as Birdie sees Miss Eames’ courage, intuition, and bravery in the face of perilous conditions, Birdie gives Miss Eames’ advice a second thought. Even though bogles thrive on eating children, Jinks has done a good job making this story element more suspenseful than gruesome. Parents, librarians, and teachers have no need to worry about their young readers coming across any violent or graphic scenes.