This book was so great! It really reminded me of Encanto but with more of a mystery edge. Whimsical and quirky it really captured my attention and I loved the diversity that is showcased in the cast of characters. The Inheritance Games for a younger audience, I can't wait for the authors next book.

Such a fun read. Shenanigan comes from a large, eccentric family, all of whom are named by the Family Dictionary and most of whom live up to their names. The story opens at the start of the latest Reunion, a traditional gathering that turns into a hunt for the fabled family treasure. When someone attempts to murder the head of the family, Shenanigan & her sisters and cousin set out to discover the culprit. This is a very engaging middle grade read. The plot is pacey and the dictionary definitions throughout, which explain the family names, will increase young reader's vocabulary! Great fun!

Fun, quirky murder mystery with a brilliant main character and a great message of being true to yourself. I really enjoyed this.

This was brilliant read that I couldn't believe was a debut novel. It was well written with a funny and engaging storyline and well developed characters that I loved.

Well that was a hoot, and no mistake. Shenanigan is a wonderfully feisty heroine and is bound to be a huge hit with readers. The story is modern, gleeful and simply zings off the page. This is a brilliantly fun read by an author with a very distinctive voice and wit and great plotting skills to boot.. What’s not to like?

Distinctive, if over-long, middle grade story. The bonkersly large Swift family have all descended on the main mansion for a week-long reunion, quibble-settling, and the typical hunt for the mysterious fortune family legend claims is still around somewhere. Oh, and all the Swift people have bonkers names, and bonkers levels of nominative determinism – meaning when we meet our lead Shenanigan we can tell there will be no end of jaunty scrapes for her to get through. But to her disappointment much opportunity to hunt the treasure goes missing when something completely different interrupts the plot.

What follows is almost a PG "Knives Out" equivalent, with oddball characters galore, some glamour, much in the way of the home being a character itself, and an ever-spiralling list of suspects. She, her sisters, an annoyingly woke genderless character for no reason, and various adults try and work out what is going on, which is all engaging stuff, but stuffed these pages are, and I felt a slightly brisker telling would have been more universally enjoyable. Still, three and a half stars.

Oh, and dawn light would not travel up a mansion's frontage – it would hit the top first and go down.

WOW! This debut from Beth Lincoln is utterly brilliant. I honestly wouldn’t think this was a debut book, the depth and intricacies of this story is outstanding.

An immediately gripping book full of wordplay and wit. If I had to compare it to another book it would be Lemony Snicket but Lincoln blows that out of the water in my opinion!

Our leading lady, Shenanigan, is like no other, very memorable and definitely feisty!

I really hope there is another book on the way soon as I can’t wait!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

As a debut, this is phenomenal. The entire story leaps off the pages and I could barely tear myself away for any reason.
We meet the Swift family as they rehearse for Aunt Schadenfreude’s funeral, something they have been doing for a long time. Uncle Maelstrom, sisters Phenomena, Felicity and Shenanigan and John the Cat. They all have a role to play in the ceremony, while Aunt stands back and makes comments and bosses them about.
This great family live in a strange old house, added to with each generation of Swift and with rumours of a vast treasure hidden somewhere on site. Every so often, a family reunion is called and Swifts descend in their masses with tools and tricks to find the hoard. This time, accidents and murder seem to be keeping the family busy and no one has enough time to hunt.
The names of each family member are chosen from a vast dictionary, hence the names like Candour, Pique, Flora and Fauna. Believing their names to be the crux of their personalities, each family member assumes a different role. Even without the events of the reunion, there is so much fun to be had in just meeting the characters. A long story that flies by as you read and get immersed in the mysteries, murder and mayhem.

I love a slightly weird middle grade that works on many levels - fun for children and humorous for grown ups.

Blurb:
On the day they are born, each Swift is brought before the Family Dictionary. They are given a name and it is assumed they’ll grow up to match the definition. Unfortunately, Shenanigan Swift has other ideas.

Her relatives all think she's destined to turn out as a troublemaker, just because of her name. Shenanigan instead thinks 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 complicate things.

Review:
Some books are so assured and possess a style of their very own, it’s hard to believe they’re a debut. Lincoln shoots out of the gate from page one with wit, weirdness and wordplay. If you could draw a comparison there are elements of Lemony Snicket, Benedict Society and Knives Out - but with a flavour all of its own. Shenanigan is a wild, lovable and flawed lead in a sea of memorable quirky characters.

Representation here is subtle with a beautiful discussion of being non binary, and the ease with which correct pronouns can be adapted.

The setting of a rambling tumbledown mansion full of secret passages and peepholes is irresistible, and the idea of basing a children’s novel around nominative determinism is fantastic. The names of the family dictating their character and working out in what way they will embody their moniker is entertaining.

The novel is so eccentric and stylised it might not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and I can’t wait to see what Lincoln does next!

My copy was a proof #gifted by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so had placeholder art but the finished illustrations by @misspowellposts are wonderful and compliment the chaotic air of the book so well.

A delightfully dark mystery story for lovers of mischief and words.

The names of the Swift family babies are always chosen at random from a dictionary, and expected to grow up to suit their descriptor. The main character, Shenanigan Swift, finds this a bit of a burden, for obvious reasons!

The extended family have been summoned by their matriach, Aunt Schadenfreude, to conduct their traditional treasure hunt, seeking the fortune stashed somewhere in the mansion or grounds by a particularly devious ancestor. It's a dangerous undertaking to begin with, since the house (particularly the library) is heavily booby trapped. But when Aunt Schadenfreude suffers a suspicious fall down the stairs, and Cousin Gumshoe looses his head to a booby trap, Shenanigan, suspects there's a murderer in their midst...

This book is tons of fun - just dark and dangerous enough for the age group. It plays beautifully with words, using some gorgeous vocabulary without ever feeling overwritten or difficult for children to read. Great stuff.

This is one of the most quirky books I have read recently and this really adds to the enjoyment to the already excellent murder mystery. All of the family members are given their names by the family dictionary being opened randomly when they are babies; hence Shenanigan the heroine of the book,who definitely lives up to her name. This is a fantastic addition to the mystery genre that is so popular with young people. It would be lovely to see more adventures for this young sleuth.

WOW. What a debut. A stunningly original and wickedly funny murder mystery with the quirkiest cast of characters. Had me at SHENANIGAN SWIFT. It was billed as Knives Out for kids and it's true - it's genius. Makes you wish you had that kind of creativity. Makes you smile hard as you read. Loved every second of it and the art by Claire Powell is such a treat - the perfect illustrator for this book.

The children really enjoyed this mystery story, they attempted to solve the mystery as they went along (with some hilariously mad solutions). Could easily become a family classic.

Well this book was a delight! So many fun and quirky characters and who doesn't love a good mystery? Hard to believe this is the author's first book! I was swept up in the chaos of it all and loved it.

Thank you to netgalley for early access to this title. A sweet middle grade. A great way to introduce young readers into the murder mystery genre.