An image of the artwork of the front cover of The Swifts by Beth Lincoln. It is an illustration of the characters in The Swifts standing on a staircase.

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The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

The Swifts

'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 &amp; Noble Children's Book Award, and nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

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.

Murder most splendid in this ghoulish debut

Gothic mystery brimming with bonkers characters and boundless energy

A fun read with diverse characters and an enticing setting.

A mystery that is as clever and impish as its heroine

A witty confection of highly colourful characters

A delightful pick for sharp readers enamoured of gothic sensibilities and clever prose

This witty, imaginative entry deserves a prominent space on the MG shelf.

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?

The Swifts: A Garden of Vipers

The third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling middle grade mystery series. 
 
In the depths of winter, Shenanigan Swift and her family are summoned to America, where Daisy’s brother, Dandelion DeMille, is in danger. 
 
Racing to DeMille family home – a 72-storey greenhouse in the heart of New York City – Shenanigan is too late to stop a murder. But it’s Dandelion’s Uncle Charlie who has fallen victim to a mystery assassin. 
 
As a snowstorm rages outside, Shenanigan, Felicity, Phenomena and Erf must uncover both motive and means. But when every room is packed with poisonous plants and deadly creatures, how will they ever uncover what really happened in The Greenhouse?

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.

In the depths of winter, Shenanigan Swift and her family are summoned to America, where Daisy’s brother, Dandelion DeMille, is in danger. 
 
Racing to DeMille family home – a 72-storey greenhouse in the heart of New York City – Shenanigan is too late to stop a murder. But it’s Dandelion’s Uncle Charlie who has fallen victim to a mystery assassin. 
 
As a snowstorm rages outside, Shenanigan, Felicity, Phenomena and Erf must uncover both motive and means. But when every room is packed with poisonous plants and deadly creatures, how will they ever uncover what really happened in The Greenhouse?

Beth Lincoln

Claire Powell

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 
 
The Swifts won the 2023 Nero Children’s Fiction Award and the Barnes & Noble Children's Book Award, and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

Beth Lincoln

Praise for The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues

Another smart, silly whodunit

Books by Beth Lincoln

Series by Beth Lincoln

The Swifts

Articles featuring Beth Lincoln

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

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