By Beth Lincoln (author) , Claire Powell (illustrator) Part of the The Swifts series
"Cleverly plotted, hugely original, witty from start to finish, bravo for A Gallery of Rogues."
Paperback In Stock £8.99 £8.09
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September 2024 Book of the Month
Wildly inventive, extremely funny and a cracking country house murder mystery to boot, The Swifts was one of the outstanding books of 2023. The good news is that the follow up, The Swifts A Gallery of Rogues , is just as good, another dazzling cambriolage – sorry, heist story, this time set in Paris and sparked by the theft of artworks, including from Swift House and possibly by a group of art vigilantes known as Ouvolpo.
It ends up with another murder and, in Paris with Uncle Maelstrom and her sister Phenomena, and reunited with her best friend Erf, Shenanigan Swift is ready to track down those responsible and maybe in the process put right an age-old family dispute – Swifts versus their French cousins, Martinets.
There are so many delights it’s hard to single out just one, but the cast of new family members - Débris, Gourmet, Souris, Soufflé et al – is formidable. Cleverly plotted, hugely original, witty from start to finish and full of the most wonderful wordplay, this also manages to be a another proper whodunnit. Shout out for Claire Powell’s stylish illustrations too!
Bravo, and thank heavens there are more adventures to come for Shenanigan.
The second book in the New York Times-bestselling series - a gleeful gothic mystery perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Robin Stevens.
Read the full description
Having solved the mystery of Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude's non-murder and uncovered the location of Grand Uncle Vile's long-lost treasure, Shenanigan Swift might just be in the running for junior detective of the year. But when robbers target Swift House, her sleuthing skills are tested like never before.
The trail leads Shenanigan and her sisters to Paris and the Hotel Martinet, home of the estranged French branch of the Swift family. From there, the girls must track down Ouvolpo, a gang of daring thieves who design each of their crimes as audacious pieces of art. What links Ouvolpo and the Swifts?
Where will they strike next? And why has Uncle Maelstrom taken to wearing an earring again . . . ? All will be revealed in this second hilarious and mysterious adventure for Shenanigan and Co.
Praise for The Swifts series:
'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
'One to Watch' – the Bookseller’s Children’s Preview
Beth Lincoln was 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.
The Swifts is Beth's debut novel. It grew out of her love of words, the gleeful gothic, and classic murder mysteries. She lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with her partner and hopefully, by the time you are reading this, a dog.
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It is an exciting adventure, involving art, long words, family and mystery. I recommend this book to any one who likes adventures and words - its brilliant!
I loved this book, it is just as brilliant as the first book and was exciting to read.
I recommend reading The Swifts first as otherwise you might struggle to understand the characters in this peculiar family, and if nothing else the second books gives away some of the story of the first book!
This time the swifts set off on an adventure to Paris to meet with the French branch of the family who like the swifts are named using a dictionary. There are lots of French words that have found their way into the English language to enjoy and I think it made my French just a little better!... Read Full Review
A famous painting has been stolen from the Swifts and Shenanigan Swift is determined to get it back. I'd never read a mystery before and this book made me want to read the first book, and now I love all mysteries! 5 out of 5.
If you've read the first book in this series, The Swifts , you will recognise not just the title and characters, but the format of a mystery that needs to be solved. This is one of the best stories I have ever read! I like the aspect of mystery because I love trying to guess what's going to happen next and how the story is going to end.
The book is about a young girl called Shenanigan Swift and her sisters Phenomena and Felicity.... Read Full Review
A very funny and surprising quest to track down the Ouvolpo.
This book follows Shenanigan Swift and her family travel to Paris after they are shocked by a midnight burglar. Their special painting is swapped for a rubber duck! In Paris they try to find the gang who stole their painting but things take a nasty turn when they find a dead body… This book is a good book with funny and sad bits. New friendships made and old arguments came back to the surface as the clever thieves try to steal the art and tell everyone where the famous Pierrot is. Why is there no fifth floor in hotel Martinet?... Read Full Review
The second book in the New York Times-bestselling series - a gleeful gothic mystery perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Robin Stevens. Having solved the mystery of Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude's non-murder and uncovered the location of Grand Uncle Vile's long-lost treasure, Shenanigan Swift might just be in the running for junior detective of the year.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-10 years old
The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Books of the Month, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Crime & Mystery, Stories about Family and Friends, Funny, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback, Hardback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues was written by Beth Lincoln and published by Puffin an imprint of Penguin Random House Children's UK
The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues has 498 pages
Yes it is part of The Swifts series
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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