Somewhere between Dickensian and Gothic in feel, The Black Book of Secrets is a suspenseful, dark tale that should appeal to fans of Lemony Snicket. Ludlow Fitch's life certainly starts off badly enough - with abusive, alcoholic parents who force him to steal to support them. Ludlow though makes his own luck and gets away. Having learned to read, Ludlow is hired by Joe Zabbidou, the "secret pawnbroker", to write down the secrets that people tell to unburden themselves and make some cash in the process. Ludlow must never reveal these people's secrets; he has a secret of his own, and Joe seems to have some as well...

This is a good book for middle grades.