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The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels Paperback – January 2, 2024

by Beth Lincoln (Author), Claire Powell (Illustrator)
Editors' pick Best Children's Books of 2023
See all formats and editions
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#1 New York Times bestseller!

The critically lauded, wickedly smart whodunit with a “Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket,” now in paperback.

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 Swift: Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker.

Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme: 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.
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  1. Reading age
    9+ years, from customers
  2. Book 1 of 2
    The Swifts
  3. Print length
    352 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    3 - 7
  6. Lexile measure
    810L
  7. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.92 x 7.81 inches
  8. Publisher
    Dutton Books for Young Readers
  9. Publication date
    January 2, 2024
  10. ISBN-10
    0593533259
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0593533253
  12. See all details
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From the Publisher

The Swifts 1
The Swifts 2
The Swifts crosslinking The Swifts 2 crosslinking
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues
Customer Reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
366
—
Price $7.98 $17.99
Read the whole series: The critically lauded, wickedly smart whodunit with a “Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket,” now in paperback. Shenanigan Swift is headed to Paris, where new mysteries await in the hilarious, quick-witted sequel to Beth Lincoln’s #1 New York Times bestseller, The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels.

Editorial Reviews

Review

★ “Lincoln’s love of lexicon shines. A delightful pick for sharp readers enamored of gothic sensibilities and clever prose.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review

★ “A Gothic novel of corrosive values… Lincoln’s manor-set murder mystery maintains a Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket… But crackling puns outpace the body count as this archly told, never muddled debut whodunit reveals a roster of distinct characters, a labyrinthine setting and plot, and a mystery that is as clever as its heroine.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “Taking the classic manor house whodunit for a wild ride, Lincoln mixes hidden rooms and agendas, a sprawling family with unusual naming practices, gender identity discoveries, high comedy and low punning, murder, and more, then stirs briskly. While clues, suspects, and terrific set pieces pile up, the author not only pitches her young investigators into situations both life-threatening and comical, but pulls in a large supporting cast—memorable for more than just their monikers—for perceptive explorations of family ties, pressures, and responsibilities.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “An absolutely delightful debut with heartwarming character growth and a clever, genre-savvy country-house mystery.... The narrative voice includes jokes and viewpoints that will be appreciated by sophisticated younger readers as well as those who are older than Shenanigan; overall, the humor and action are spot-on for middle-grade audiences.” —Kirkus, starred review

“Lincoln whips up a witty confection of highly colorful characters, dynamic wordplay, and a plot dense with action, suspense, double-dealing, innovative murder weapons, and a well-orchestrated eleventh-hour reveal.” —The Horn Book Magazine

“The Swifts celebrates the wonders of wordplay and the complexity of identity while serving up a compelling murder mystery and a twisty treasure hunt.” —BookPage

About the Author

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 favorite 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 etymology, 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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton Books for Young Readers (January 2, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593533259
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593533253
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9+ years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 810L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.92 x 7.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Beth Lincoln

Beth Lincoln

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
366 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the story interesting and fun, with fun characters. They also describe the writing style as impeccably written and a fun read. Readers also mention the descriptions of dead bodies are not gruesome.

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Writing styleStory
9 customers mention "Writing style"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style fun, clever, and unique. They also say the story is cute, funny, and well written.

"A bit of a mystery, a fun and interesting story, and fun characters. It manages to have murder and suspense without being creepy or very dark...." Read more

"This is a great book for young people. The story is engaging and funny." Read more

"We read this as a read-aloud and all of us thoroughly enjoyed it! Very well written, excellent characters!" Read more

"This book is so good....very unique, funny and would be good for a school classroom." Read more

7 customers mention "Story"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the story interesting, suspenseful, and fantasy-filled. They also say the descriptions are not gruesome and the book is sweet and realistic.

"A bit of a mystery, a fun and interesting story, and fun characters. It manages to have murder and suspense without being creepy or very dark...." Read more

"...Some of the messages were very positive and it is as an exciting coming of age story. However I didn't think it was suitable for my 10-year old." Read more

"...violence and murder including dead bodies, but descriptions are certainly not gruesome...." Read more

"...because of “inappropriate content” but more because this is a complicated story. I enjoyed it very much." Read more

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2 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

L. Carter
5.0 out of 5 stars fun and different
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
A bit of a mystery, a fun and interesting story, and fun characters. It manages to have murder and suspense without being creepy or very dark. There is a non-binary child which is dealt with in a very gentle way, and I felt the main character's reaction to it was quite sweet and realistic. (Something to the effect of, oh, I didn't realize that was an option, and then moves on with life.) Probably best for middle school+ or advanced late elementary kids. Also, adults like me that enjoy a good "kid's" book.
9 people found this helpful
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Terry D
5.0 out of 5 stars Easier to read and fun
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024
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This is a great book for young people. The story is engaging and funny.
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Mrs. B
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but Not Necessarily Appropriate for Kids
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
I read this book and hoped to share it with my 10-year-old granddaughter afterwards. I decided not to, both because of the non-binary character and the multiple murders and the family's reaction to these murders. Some of the messages were very positive and it is as an exciting coming of age story. However I didn't think it was suitable for my 10-year old.
34 people found this helpful
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MelMcL
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a fun book.
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
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We read this as a read-aloud and all of us thoroughly enjoyed it! Very well written, excellent characters!
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Judi Easley for a thoughtful reveal
5.0 out of 5 stars Living up to your name, literally!
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Shenanigan is a misfit in a family of misfits. In the Swift family, when a baby is born, the family dictionary is consulted for a name. The family honestly believes that the dictionary will give the new baby the appropriate name, and the child will grow to be what its name means. Yes, the definition of its name. Aunt Inheritance is obviously meant to be the family archivist. Just as Shenanigan is expected to cause trouble and always be a problem. Aren't you glad you aren't Cousin Atrocious? Ones with almost normal names, such as Flora and Fauna, are pittied as they aren't expected to make much of a mark in life. What happens if the dictionary gets it wrong? Or what if there's more than one meaning to a name? Could a person turn into something unexpected?
In the Swift family, they have family reunions at which they search for the Hoard. The Hoard is the long-lost treasure of their ancestor hidden on the estate. The estate is typical of any other old family property in that it has been added on to, and things have been torn down. Change with time and needs. No one knows just where all the old passageways are or lead to. At this year's reunion, one of the family members is willing to go further than just searching to find the Hoard. And he wants it all for himself. He's not willing to share with the family. Will he go all the way to murder? Find out! Recommended.
4 people found this helpful
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Roxie1
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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This book is so good....very unique, funny and would be good for a school classroom.
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J Duncan
3.0 out of 5 stars Great Concept - mediocre execution
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
As you’ll easily see from the synopsis, the book is about a family who gets names from a dictionary and then assumes everyone will live up to those names — good or bad. There’s some clever word play, but younger kids will often need a dictionary. Now, here’s the stuff I didn’t notice in other reviews:
* Many parents check these reviews for content and trigger warnings, so let’s get those out there first. The book contains violence and murder including dead bodies, but descriptions are certainly not gruesome. What’s more alarming is that none of the characters seem to find the deaths gruesome or disturbing. It’s all very desensitized, but maybe that’s what folks expect from this type of mystery.

This book is very LGBTQ+ affirming. There’s a male character who refers to his husband, a child who questions their gender, and an adult who is trans. The strangest thing about this, in this book, is that the plot is all set up by saying that the family names someone and then a person can never break out of that identify. That’s totally unsupported in terms of gender in the story though. Is the audience supposed to accept that Fauna was allowed to transition in gender but didn’t need a name change? Or that Uncle Maelstrom literally takes time to define matriarchy and patriarchy and then say he hopes the next family leader is neither gender and they’ll figure out what to call them? It just doesn't make sense in the novel. The transitional/ gender fluidity theme could even have been carried out better without these additions. I realize this info may affect some buyers, so it should be in an honest review.

* At times, the author gets too caught up in her own cleverness and the wordplay overtakes the story. An example of this comes in a very unnecessary and strange prologue to the US edition that basically talks about the differences between British and American spellings. It’s in no way relevant to the story and doesn’t even really affect the books’s editing.

* It’s a long read for kids and doesn’t move at a particularly quick pace. The actual sentence structures and word choices often make reading aloud difficult. The pacing is also strange. Chapters are too short to just read one if doing this as a read aloud book, but you could potentially read 2 and literally make no progress in the plot. (I guess on the positive side, even when we didn’t read it for a week, the plot repeated so often the kids could easily remember what had happened.)

This isn’t one I’d recommend largely because the troublesome aspects outweigh the fun of the book and could not down early chapter book readers, but the tone is far too young for more advanced readers (say Harry Potter fans, for instance).
62 people found this helpful
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Amy Eisenbach
5.0 out of 5 stars Super fun book.
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
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Impeccable shaft and fun read.
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Top reviews from other countries

Ebz
5.0 out of 5 stars Book club for kids
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
My 8yr old and her 2 friends setup a book club for themselves after school 1 night a week and this was their chosen book. At first they all struggled with some extensive articulation and what they all felt was a slow burner. They came across their first non binary character and all characters have names that are picked from a dictionary (Phenomena, Shenanigan, Malstrom) which gave them a topic of discussion and an avenue to research and gain knowledge on word definitions and how English is amazingly simple having 3 words of the exact sound but different meanings (Peak, peek, Pique) they haven't quite finished it but are loving the mystery, intrigue and who dunit. As a shared book it's expanding their comprehension together and giving them several avenues for discussion on what is a quirky, engaging murder mystery withing .somewhat crazy family.
2 people found this helpful
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Margot
4.0 out of 5 stars Great fun.
Reviewed in Canada on July 31, 2023
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A quirky, funny mystery. Think kids would love this.
Even as an adult, I enjoyed it.
One person found this helpful
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Kayleigh
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Read for adults too!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Swifts - from page one I felt I was welcomed into the home of this kooky family and I was absolutely hooked. With twists, turns and a few red herrings, it’ll keep you guessing until the end.

Read this if you love clever word play and utterly marvellous, lovable characters.
I hope the wait for the next instalment goes fast!
4 people found this helpful
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Holly R
5.0 out of 5 stars Enormous fun
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
A glorious romp of a MG mystery, featuring all the wordplay, a mischievous MC and equally mischievous house, an enormous, rag tag family who you will variously love and hate, and So. Much. Heart. I'm so happy that there will be more books in this series.
One person found this helpful
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Paul Tapner
4.0 out of 5 stars What's in a name?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2023
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
A fantastical mystery adventure book for younger readers. Aged nine and up is probably best. That down to the general level of the writing. I call it fantastical because it involves eccentric characters with outlandish names. There's some very mild violence. And one other thing we will talk about later. But nothing else should bother anyone.

It is a complete and self contained story in one volume. Although the product listing does say 'one'. So I wouldn't be surprised if the characters returned in due course.

It runs for four hundred and fifty pages. Has three parts. And thirty five chapters. The print is quite large, so it is smooth reading.

This is the story of Shenanigan Swift. She's a young girl. Her family live all around the world. And gather at one house every so often for a reunion. The Swifts choose their first names from the dictionary. So there's people with outlandish first names like Shenanigan. Or Phenomena. Or Candour. Or less amazing ones like Daisy. Which of course is in the dictionary.

The name also tells them what kind of person they should be. Thus Phenomena is into science. Gumshoe is a film noir style private detective. And so on.

There is a long lost family treasure at the house. Which swifts have been trying for a long time to find. Then murder strikes. Where is the treasure? And whodunnit?

This took less time to settle down than I thought. Shenanigan is the viewpoint character throughout, and it works to have just one person viewing the story. Initially it felt a bit eccentric for the sake of it, and was alright but not quite coming to life for me. Then somewhere around page fifty it rather clicked, and I started to enjoy what I was reading.

Shenanigan never quite lives up to what her name means. She is a solid lead though. I absolutely adored Phenomena though. She was great. Her scientific inquiring mind really appeals. The mystery does bobble along quite well in the background. I will confess to not having seen anything about the ending coming. I'm not sure if was really solved or if the reader could do that, or if it just happened. It was a good resolution though. With more than one surprise.

There is theme here. About finding your identity. And this is a pretty clever way to do that. What I mentioned earlier was that we do get into the field of gender identity with one character. Yet they're just one in a big cast, so it doesn't force this on you. It does handle it pretty well. I mention it because the one star review writer and more conservative parents might not be keen. Liberal ones I am sure will though. Reviews should say all you need to know about a product after all.

There are occasional full page illustrations in here. Not many, but they are rather good. And they did help me visualise the characters in my mind's eye.

A good fun read. Worth a try.
One person found this helpful
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