cover image The Body Thief

The Body Thief

Stephen M. Giles, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $12.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-4022-4090-4

Giles makes it clear from the outset of this launch to the Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom series that the Winterbottom clan has faced some unfortunate events. A family tree that opens the book reveals that one ancestor was trampled by an elephant; two were killed by a volcano. In newcomer Giles’s capable hands, the surviving Winterbottoms are a delightfully dysfunctional bunch. Silas, a dying old man with a menacing pet crocodile, has summoned two nieces and a nephew to his mansion in a swamp, promising he’ll select one to inherit the estate. The Mr. Burnsian elder’s interactions with his would-be heirs and the dynamics among the kids are quite funny, particularly the machinations of uppity, greedy Isabella, who convinces unassuming Adele that she wants her to inherit the wealth, while doing her best to doom that innocent’s chances. The nasty and convoluted plans Silas has for all three are revealed in a fast-paced denouement. Giles delivers even the macabre twists of the tale with a light touch, giving readers plenty of incentive to stick with the series. Ages 9–12. (Aug.)