THE SWIFTS

The Swift kids are called from England to New York to solve a murder in this third series entry.

Shenanigan Swift’s cousin Atrocious calls in a favor: She wants Shenanigan and her “whole merry band”—sisters Felicity and Phenomena and nonbinary cousin Erf—to protect her friend Dandelion DeMille (Daisy’s brother) from a murderer. Inspired by The Swindler’s Handbook by Deuce Blotts, excerpts of which are included throughout, Shenanigan agrees. One rickety flight across the Atlantic later, the crew arrives at the Greenhouse, a skyscraper filled with plants that’s owned by the DeMilles, a family of florists, just as a blizzard sets in, creating the conditions for a perfect locked-room mystery. The multiracial Swifts meet the DeMille children, who are Black: efficient, roller-skating Delphinium and observant scientist Moss, who has a cochlear implant and uses ASL. When a murder occurs, they begin investigating; each child uses their special talent, although Shenanigan’s ability to detect lies has started to fail her. Poisonous plants, threatening bouquets (Rose DeMille’s book, Say It With Flowers!, provides a crash course in floriography), additional attacks, and a power outage ratchet up the tension and stakes in this superlatively clever, twisty, trust-no-one mystery. Shenanigan’s fear of abandonment fuels her desire to be a “lone wolf,” but animal expert Erf brings her back into the pack, and romance stirs between Phenomena and Moss. Final art not seen.

Another marvelously inventive outing.