THE THIEF KNOT: Now with THREE SHINY STARS!
Now available at fine bookmongers near you!
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Ghosts, a kidnapping, a crew of young detectives, and family secrets mix in this new standalone mystery set in the world of the bestselling Greenglass House, from a National Book Award nominee and Edgar Award-winning author.
Marzana and her best friend are bored. Even though they live in a notorious city where normal rules do not apply, nothing interesting ever happens to them. Nothing, that is, until Marzana’s parents are recruited to help solve an odd crime, and she realizes that this could be the excitement she’s been waiting for. She assembles a group of kid detectives with special skills—including the ghost of a ship captain’s daughter—and together, they explore hidden passageways, navigate architecture that changes overnight, and try to unravel the puzzle of who the kidnappers are—and where they’re hiding. But will they beat the deadline for a ransom that’s impossible to pay?
Legendary smugglers, suspicious teachers, and some scary bad guys are just a few of the adults the crew must circumvent while discovering hidden truths about their families and themselves in this smart, richly imagined tale.
With cover art and illustrations by the incomparable Jaime Zollars.
Preorder your signed and personalized copy from McNally Jackson Books and get a special gift from Nagspeake, or order from your personal favorite bookmonger:
And The Thief Knot‘s audiobook is just flipping wonderful. I recommend it highly. Preview and buy it here at Libro.fm!
Praise for The Thief Knot:
*”This novel takes readers back into the world Milford created in Greenglass House, adding richly detailed layers to a well-developed setting. While kids need not have read the other installments, those familiar with the series will appreciate the references to previous books. This is a perfectly plotted and well-told mystery, and the fascinating settings and characters make it unique. Children will find the plot’s twists thrilling and immersive, thanks to Milford’s world-building talent.” -School Library Journal, starred review
*”Brimful of intrigue, plucky wannabe adventurers, and some suspiciously artful iron…The offbeat, impassioned narration twists through uncertainties, anxieties, failures, and triumphs at a jaunty clip. Observant readers will delight in piecing together the clues to puzzle out the knots alongside the Knot as these well-drawn individuals grow from awkward semiacquaintances into a close, cohesive team…A fascinating, intricate tale of friendship and rescue.” – Kirkus, starred review
*”A truly twisty brain-teaser filled with puzzles, misdirection, and adventure, all with just the right balance of emotional weight that is pitch-perfect for a middle-grade audience. The author’s painterly descriptions of objects and places offer fascinating glimpses into her richly imagined, well-wrought world building, and she manages to give distinctive, multifaceted personalities to all of her characters…Milford’s Nagspeake stories are always a treat, but this one, with its tight, clever plotting; heartening emotional growth, and dynamic setting, shines extra brightly.” -Booklist, starred review
“Milford’s mystery is a worthy addition to her already established setting of Greenglass House that will also appeal to new readers. Those who revel in higher page counts that delve into the nitty-gritty development details will be pleased with this novel’s approach to its characters and setting, with the town and the eccentric middle-school building receiving as much characterization as the cast; Milford’s descriptive writing is a treat that easily sets the atmosphere of each scene. Genre fans will appreciate that red herrings abound and twists lie around every turn, and the ending satisfyingly ties up all loose ends.” -The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“This entry shows all of Milford’s strengths: theme-expanding stories within stories, a thrilling genre fusion, swashbuckling technical mastery (here, lock-picking, cryptography, and sleight-of-hand magic), a vocabulary to delight the word-nerds, and an invented world real enough to live in. Delivering layers upon layers, convincing characters who succeed despite their emotional challenges, and a brain-tingling mystery that unfolds at just the right speed, this ghostly fantasy-adventure is a humdinger of a good read.” -The Horn Book