Faith and Charlie’s Pick
September 2026
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels
Beth Lincoln
Dutton Books for Young Readers, February 7, 2023
This month’s review is a two-fer. After reading the blurb on the back of Beth Lincoln’s The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels, which I had purchased for my 10-year-old son, Charlie, I was intrigued. As a lifelong lover of mysteries—from Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie to Nita Prose and everything in between—this one seemed right up my alley. So Charlie and I read (and listened to the audiobook) together and we have both reviewed it for you below. Reading together was a fun and enlightening experience. It allowed us to discuss the themes and plot points of the book and share our suspicions about whodunnit, while making it easy for Charlie to ask questions about anything he didn’t understand (the definition of Schadenfreude, for example). We hope to continue our 2-person book club with more titles in the future.
From Faith:
What’s really in a name? Would that which we call a rose by any other name smell as sweet? With a name like Shenanigan, are you destined to cause trouble and leave only chaos in your wake? Every member of the Swift family is named on the day they are born by opening the sacred family dictionary to a random page. The names are believed to dictate destiny—whether you become a brilliant scholar, a ruthless scoundrel, or a troublemaker. And so it is that we are introduced to Shenanigan Swift, a clever girl who embraces her name’s mischievous nature but constantly wrestles with whether she is trapped by a definition or free to write her own story.
When the extended Swift family gathers for a grand reunion and treasure hunt, the festivities turn deadly when someone tries to murder family matriarch, Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude. And perhaps Shenanigan’s proclivity for…well…shenanigans isn’t the liability her family has always made it seem. Alongside her scientifically minded sister Phenomena, proper sister Felicity (in possession of such a “traditional” name that the rest of the family takes pity on her), and quiet cousin Erf, Shenanigan must use her trouble-making prowess to crack codes, uncover hidden rooms, and identify a killer before it’s too late.
What sets The Swifts apart is its wit and celebration of language. Lincoln fills the pages with inventive wordplay and eccentric characters, but what makes the Swift household so charming is its effortless generosity toward individuality. Whether it’s cousin Erf quietly claiming a name outside the traditional family lexicon, or Uncle Maelstrom (a sea captain, obviously) bringing warmth and distinct flair to the family gathering, the novel celebrates the idea that who you are isn’t fixed by an assigned definition (though Aunt Inheritance, the family historian and keeper of the Dictionary might beg to differ). The family simply meets everyone where they are, making this eccentric world feel grounded and welcoming (murderous relatives notwithstanding).
Paired with Claire Powell’s lively illustrations, The Swifts is an inventive, fast-paced page-turner that mystery lovers of all ages will devour (at least they did in our house).
From Charlie:
My mom and I both read The Swifts and very much enjoyed it, so this is my book review of it for the Tewksbury Library.
Our main characters are three sisters named Felicity, Phenomena, and Shenanigan Swift. Shenanigan is full of shenanigans, Felicity is a bossy older sister (in my opinion), and Phenomena often does experiments that accidentally turn into cyanide (watch out if you smell almonds!). They are sleuthing around to find out who gave their Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly push down the stairs during the Swift family reunion. Will they figure it out before it’s too late?
*Bonus:
If you (or your child) like this book, the sequel, The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues (set mostly in France and featuring a Francophile offshoot of the Swift family), which is similarly charming, is also available. And the third installment is being released this month. (We have already pre-ordered our copy and will have to fight over who gets to read it first.