The Swifts

Written by Beth Lincoln and illustrated by Claire Powell, The Swifts series follows Shenanigan Swift and her band of sisters) as they work through tricky mysteries and suspicious circumstances…

Described by Waterstones as “Expertly combining the gothic eccentricity of Lemony Snicket with the murder mystery chops of Robin Stevens,” – you can discover the series for yourself below – if you dare!

Three animated young girls standing together, one with red hair and two with purple hair, exploring or examining something.

The books

The cover of a children's book titled 'The Swifts' by Beth Lincoln, featuring colorful cartoon characters on a pink staircase, with awards and commendations stickers on the side.

The Swifts

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?

Published by Penguin Random House
ISBN Number: 9780241536452

Buy from:

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | Find your local indie

Cover of the book titled 'The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues' by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell, featuring cartoon characters on an art gallery staircase with paintings, and a woman in a white coat at the bottom.

The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues

Shenanigan Swift hates burglars … So when the famous criminal gang Ouvolpo target Swift House and swap a valuable painting for an exploding inflatable bird, Shenanigan sets off in pursuit, determined to make them pay

The trail leads to Paris, home of her eccentric French cousins, the Martinets. The two sides of the Family have been squabbling for centuries, but when a body is discovered at the scene of Ouvolpo's latest robbery, the quarrelsome cousins must join forces to solve the mystery

Did Ouvolpo kill hotel caretaker Bernard? Why is Uncle Maelstrom wearing an earring again? And what does it all have to do with a disappearing clown?

Can Shenanigan uncover the answers and set right a century-old injustice? Or will she be left adrift as her Family pulls itself apart?

Published by Penguin Random House
ISBN Number: 9780241536476

Buy from:

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | Find your local indie

Meet the characters

Take a peek inside!

  • “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 Reviews

  • “Murder most splendid in this ghoulish debut.”

    Emily Bearn
    The Telegraph

  • “A mystery that is as clever and impish as its heroine.”

    Publisher's Weekly Starred Review

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