Expertly combining the gothic eccentricity of Lemony Snicket with the murder mystery chops of Robin Stevens, Lincoln's page-turning debut centres on a spate of slayings in a very unusual family home and the diminutive detective determined to crack the case.
Exclusive Edition with sprayed edges - a Standard Edition is also available
Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for January 2024
Winner of the Nero Children's Award 2023
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2024 Younger Readers Shortlist
Longlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024
Shortlisted for the CrimeFest Best Crime Fiction for Children Award 2024
Discover the hilarious New York Times bestselling mystery adventure perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and Lemony Snicket. On the day they are born, each Swift is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary.
They are given a name and a definition, and it is assumed they will grow up to match. Unfortunately, Shenanigan Swift has other ideas. So what if her relatives all think she's destined to turn out as a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can be whatever she wants - pirate, explorer or even detective.
Which is lucky, really, because when one of the Family tries to murder Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude, someone has to work out whodunit. With the help of her sisters and cousin, Shenanigan grudgingly takes on the case, but more murders, a hidden treasure and an awful lot of suspects make thing seriously complicated.
Can Shenanigan catch the killer before the whole household is picked off? And in a Family where definitions are so important, can she learn to define herself?
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
ISBN: 9780241705032
Number of pages: 464
Weight: 367 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 28 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
A stunning debut . . . This is an exquisitely written book about identity and wordplay that's as warm, masterful and up-to-date as it is laugh-out-loud funny. - Kitty Empire, Observer
Deliciously, quirkily Gothic - Robin Stevens, New York Times Book Review
Murder most splendid in this ghoulish debut - Emily Bearn, The Telegraph
Gothic mystery brimming with bonkers characters and boundless energy - Daily Mail
A fun read with diverse characters and an enticing setting. - Alice Clifford, The Sun
A mystery that is as clever and impish as its heroine - Publisher's Weekly Starred Review
An absolutely delightful debut - Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
A witty confection of highly colourful characters - The Horn Book
A delightful pick for sharp readers enamoured of gothic sensibilities and clever prose - Shelf Awareness Starred Review
This witty, imaginative entry deserves a prominent space on the MG shelf. - PaperBound
