Skullduggery Pleasant author Derek Landy asked, according to interviews, for either the Tenth or Eleventh Doctors for his short story, because he favours fast-paced dialogue. He got the Tenth, as apparently someone had already claimed the Eleventh (or he was reserved for them), and although The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage is the funniest of this series by far, sometimes it feels like he’s writing for the wrong Doctor. Martha Jones is consistent with her on-screen persona, though. She gets to be in awe of the Doctor, slightly crushed by his aloofness at times, but also gets plenty more sarcastic one-liners than she got on screen. It makes her seem stronger than she sometimes did on screen, and although the sheer force of the Doctor’s personality overshadows her, she’s a very plausible, relatable character here. In terms of the story, Landy himself has confessed that he liked the idea so much that he wrote it before the premise was officially accepted, and so had to go back in and insert the paragraphs that explain it being conceptually similar to The Mind Robber. There are some less obvious references though, including for a couple of Big Finish plays and the foreshadowing of the series three finale. Wrapped up quickly and efficiently, the finale sees the Doctor dealing with the story’s villain both harshly and enigmatically. It’s left deliberately vague as to whether or not it survives in some form. It feels as though Landy could’ve gone on having fun with meta-fiction for a while longer, and is almost sulkily putting his toys back in the box after playing with them. Despite these minor flaws, it’s a hugely enjoyable read, even if it’s a shame that Doctor Who storytelling means that Landy has to explain it. Witty, inventive, and with some great literary references, it’s not a hugely surprising narrative, but it is a lot of fun. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
