The Baudelaires have left Prufrock Prep and yes, have once again outrun Count Olaf. In this installment of the series, the orphans are adopted by a very wealthy couple --- Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor and her husband Jerome --- who live in a penthouse apartment on Dark Avenue. Their new home is actually quite near the area in the city where the Baudelaire mansion used to be (before it burned down, killing Mr. and Mrs. Baudelaire). While things would seem rosy, readers of the series know that can't last for long. After much creepy adventure, including a dangerous rescue in an empty elevator shaft, the Baudelaire orphans are sure to meet up with Count Olaf (in a clever disguise, no doubt).

   --- Reviewed by Shannon Maughan