Skulduggery Pleasant by Landy should be one of the first books that you are recommending to your son or daughter as they begin reading. The book has a lot of very good main character moments that will get your kids involved in the story right from the start. Landy does a great job of keeping the reader in suspense and pitting the opposing sides against each other as soon as the PCs arrive in town. These tense moments will leave you eager for the resolution of the mystery at the end.
You will find that this book is very much like it's older sister Polity: A Vindictive World, except that Landy takes on the Victorian era instead of the British. I believe that with age differences the two books start to sound similar, but they aren't exactly the same book. If you enjoy the Victorian era then you will enjoy Skulduggery Pleasant by Landy just as much as I did.
Skulduggery Pleasant by Landy is a quick and easy read that will appeal to all ages of children. It is full of well developed characters and you will laugh out loud at some of the jokes throughout the book. If you are looking for a fast-moving mystery with good solid characters then this book will satisfy your needs. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy mystery fiction.