B.C. Spines's Reviews > The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

I read somewhere that this is "Knives Out meets Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and I can definitely see it! The Knives Out element comes from a group of people convening in one place during which a murder mystery unfolds, and the Lemony Snicket element comes from the cheeky and witty narration, the wordplay, the quirky characters and bizarre relatives, the absent parents, and the focus on three siblings.

The beginning had a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got a feel for the characters, I felt very immersed in the mystery and the characters. Although it incorporates some very serious topics like absent parents and death, it handles it all with a fairly cavalier attitude that was truthfully a bit welcome for me--not that death is a lighthearted affair, but I appreciated that this didn't turn into a very emotional drama and maintained its cartoonish charm throughout the entire narrative.

As for the mystery, I think it was cleverly done, if not a bit obvious but plausible. As I said, this book read like a cartoon, so when we got the "cartoonish villain" moment at the end, it didn't feel out of place.

The intermittent illustrations were also a superb addition to the story!

I think this would be great for readers ages 10 and up.


Content heads up: There are a few murders in this book, multiple descriptions of blood and corpses. There is moderate violence.

Representation: There is a non-binary supporting character, a gay uncle, and a trans relative. Most of the characters read as white, but there are some racially ambiguous family members.

Morals: The topic of death is dealt with a bit whimsically. In the end, the characters learn to accept one another for who they are. Family works together and makes amends. Good triumphs over evil and wrongdoers are punished.