Beth Lincoln

In her family, Shenanigan Swift has always been synonymous with mischief. As Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude always says, "She can't help her name." When a family reunion suddenly turns into a murder mystery, Shenanigan is determined to catch the perpetrator. A celebration of words and individuality, this remarkable debut is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic. shenanigan, noun 1. Tomfoolery, skulduggery, mischief of all varieties 2. A devious trick for an underhanded purpose On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred family dictionary. They are given a name and a definition, one it's assumed they will grow up to match. Unfortunately, Shenanigan Swift doesn't much like being told what to do. Troublemaker and mischief enthusiast Shenanigan rattles around the grand old Swift house rehearsing Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude's funeral with her older sisters Phenomena and Felicity, plotting future crimes, and wondering whether she is herself by choice or design. When the Family Reunion floods the house with people, Shenanigan is excited to meet her rogue's gallery of relatives--until one of them gives Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs. Shenanigan had planned to spend the reunion hunting for Grand-Uncle Vile's hidden treasure. But more murders and an awful lot of suspects--from newcomers Daisy and Atrocious to beloved Uncle Maelstrom--keep complicating Shenanigans plans. With some help from her sisters and their newly befriended cousin Erf, can Shenanigan catch the killer? And in a world where definitions are so important, how will she define herself?

Shenanigan Swift is headed to Paris, where new mysteries and new relatives await. The hilarious, quick-witted sequel to Beth Lincoln’s instant bestseller. Now that the murderer has been caught and her family is safe, Shenanigan Swift can return her attention to important projects, like combing the lake bottom for the family treasure. But the routine won’t last for long, because a new adventure is about to begin--in Paris. Shenanigan, Phenomena, and their uncle Maelstrom are off to France to unravel the mystery of a strange series of elaborately staged art museum heists. The A Gallery of Rogues is the highly anticipated sequel to Beth Lincoln’s celebrated debut, The A Dictionary of Scoundrels . Beloved characters are back, joined by a fresh flock of relatives—the Martinets, the French branch of the Swift family tree. There are new mysteries—and more dead bodies—in this delicious sequel that once again celebrates words, family, and lots of shenanigans.

On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name, and a definition. A definition it is assumed they will grow up to match.  Meet Shenanigan Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker. Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great hunting for Grand-Uncle Vile’s long-lost treasure. She’s excited to finally meet her arriving relatives—until one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs. So what if everyone thinks she’ll never be more than a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And she’s determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer. Deliciously suspenseful and delightfully clever, The Swifts is a remarkable debut that is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic. A celebration of words and individuality, it's packed with games, wordplay, and lots and lots of mischief as Shenanigan sets out to save her family and define herself in a world where definitions are so important. Cover may vary.