Beth Lincoln, Claire Powell (Illustrator)

The Swifts

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Summary

'A stunning debut . . . laugh-out-loud funny' - Observer

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 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?

Winner of the Nero Book Award and the Barnes & Noble Children's Book Award, and nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

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

About the authors

Beth Lincoln

Beth Lincoln is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Swifts.

Raised in a former Victorian railway station in the North of England, her childhood fears included porcelain dolls, the Durham panther, and wardrobes that looked at her funny. She grew neither tall nor wise, and never learned to play an instrument – but she did write stories, a bad habit that has persisted to this day.

When she isn't writing, Beth is woodcarving, or making a mess of her flat, or talking the nearest ear off about unexplained occurrences. Her favourite things include ghosts, crisps, and weird old words like bumbershoot and zounderkite.

Among its many accolades, The Swifts was the winner of the 2023 Nero Children’s Fiction Award and the Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Award.

Beth lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with her partner and hopefully, by the time you are reading this, a dog.

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Claire Powell (Illustrator)

Claire Powell is a bestselling children's book illustrator who got her first book deal in 2016 and has never looked back. After spending many years in London, Claire now enjoys a quieter life in the rolling hills of Derbyshire with her partner Stefan (who may not agree that living with Claire is quiet).