Dark fun for all ages
Long before Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, there was the Wolves of Willoughby Chase series, a world where heroic children are beset by wolves, work houses, dark plots against good King Jamie - a colorful, kindly Scot who never was the King of England - and many more dangers and difficulties.
Not a good series, perhaps, for the extremely sensitive or high-strung - there are some really bad people, awful circumstances, some sadness - but enthralling for anyone with a sense of adventure and whimsy. Joan Aiken is a wonderful writer - very gifted with language, plot and characters - and there's at least a touch of magic in everything she's written.