Description

For fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Trenton Lee Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society, here comes the fifth book in the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, the acclaimed and hilarious Victorian mystery series by Maryrose Wood.

Lord Fredrick Ashton may not feel ready to be a father, but with a little Ashton on the way, he's sure about one thing: the wolfish curse on his family must end soon, before the child is born. Penelope willingly takes on the challenge; when Lady Constance's doctor prescribes a seaside holiday, Penelope jumps at the chance to take the three Incorrigible children to Brighton, where she hopes to persuade the old sailor Pudge to reveal what he knows about the Ashton curse.

But the Ashtons are not the only ones at the beach in January. The passionately temperamental Babushkinov family is also taking the winter waters.

The Incorrigible children may have been raised by wolves, but the Babushkinov children are the wildest creatures they've ever seen. Is it more than mere coincidence that these untamed children have turned up in Brighton just as Penelope and the Incorrigibles arrive?


  • A Governess on a Mission: Resourceful governess Penelope Lumley is determined to unravel the family secrets behind the Ashton curse before a new baby arrives.
  • Hilarious Victorian Mystery: Join the Incorrigibles on a trip to the seaside resort of Brighton, where clues are as scarce as sunshine in January.
  • Quirky Characters: Just when the children think they’ve seen it all, they meet the Babushkinovs—a family so wild, they make being raised by wolves seem downright civilized.
  • Children Raised By Wolves: Follow Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia as their unique upbringing is put to the test in a world of baffling grown-ups and even more baffling children.

About the author(s)

Maryrose Wood is the author of the first five books (so far!) in this series about the Incorrigible children and their governess. These books may be considered works of fiction, which is to say, the true bits and the untrue bits are so thoroughly mixed together that no one should be able to tell the difference. This process of fabrication is fully permitted under the terms of the author's Poetic License, which is one of her most prized possessions.

Maryrose's other qualifications for writing these tales include a scandalous stint as a professional thespian, many years as a private governess to two curious and occasionally rambunctious pupils, and whatever literary insights she may have gleaned from living in close proximity to a clever but disobedient dog.

Eliza Wheeler has illustrated numerous books for children and is the illustrator-author of the New York Times bestseller Miss Maple’s Seeds. The telling of her own grandmother’s childhood story in her picture book Home in the Woods ignited a passion for the process of capturing family stories and doing historical visual research, and she was honored to be invited to help Jacob capture his mother’s childhood story through pictures for What Rosa Brought. Eliza lives with her husband near the lakes of Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can find her online at wheelerstudio.com.

Reviews

Praise for THE INTERRUPTED TALE (Book IV): “Happily, the mysteries deepen at Ashton Place in this fourth volume in the Incorrigible Children series. Once again delightful wordplay and a plot that snakes itself around a suspicious family tree add to the deliciousness.” - Booklist (starred review)

Praise for THE UNSEEN GUEST (Book III): “Still howling good fun.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Whets the appetite for the next installment in this wonderful series. A must-have.” - School Library Journal

“The undercurrent of “something wicked this way comes” and the signs of impending trouble for both governess and charges make the air here thick with (dreadful!) possibilities. Questions about the children’s backgrounds, Penelope’s connections to them, and Lord Ashton’s own wolfish behavior set the stage for the next act of this most excellent adventure.” - Booklist (starred review)

“Another series of uproarious escapades. fans of the first book will be happy to go along for the madcap ride.” - School Library Journal

Praise for THE HIDDEN GALLERY (Book II): “[A] madcap sequel. Great fun, and it wouldn’t be optoomuchstic to expect more to come.” - Kirkus Reviews

Praise for THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING (Book I): “It’s the best beginning since The Bad Beginning [by Lemony Snicket] and will leave readers howling for the next episode.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket in this smart, surprising satire of a 19th-century English governess story. Humorous antics and a climactic cliff-hanger ending will keep children turning pages and clamoring for the next volume, while more sophisticated readers will take away much more. Frequent plate-sized illustrations add wit and period flair.” - School Library Journal (starred review)

“How hearty and delicious...Smartly written with a middle-grade audience in mind, this is both fun and sprinkled with dollops of wisdom (thank you, Agatha Swanburne). How will it all turn out? Appetites whetted.” - Booklist (starred review)

“With a Snicketesque affect, Wood’s narrative propels the drama…pervasive humor and unanswered questions should have readers begging for more. ” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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