Swindled - by Dianne K Salerni (Paperback)

About the Book

At the beginning of the twentieth century, eleven-year-old Nico lives as an unpaid servant and virtual prisoner at the Precipice Inn in the Pocono Mountains, whose innkeeper he believes killed his artist grandfather--until the surviving members of a tontine check in for a meeting.

Book Synopsis

Clue meets Knives Out for the younger set in this twisty-turny middle grade mystery-comedy with dry humor, impeccable plotting, and fun interactive bonus content.

Eleven-year-old orphan Nico Lombardi has been unfairly indentured at a remote mountain inn for five years now.

Just as he gathers the courage to escape, the inn gets booked by the remaining members of a "tontine," an investment scheme where a cash prize is awarded to whomever lives the longest. In other words, every guest wants access to the fortune. Preferably as soon as possible.

During their stay, a chaotic race to control the fate of the tontine takes over the normally sleepy inn. Nico watches in horror as a series of comically disastrous events unfolds--some of which might aid his escape, and some of which might get him in big trouble. Before he can even put the right clues together, three unexpected revelations change the course of everyone's future!

Arch humor and an incredible cast of strange and calculating characters keep the pages turning in this Wes Anderson-esque mystery filled with funny mishaps and misunderstandings.

With illustrations, a hotel map, character dossiers, a personality quiz, and a test to see how YOU would fare in a tontine caper, this read is perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and The 39 Clues series.

Published in hardcover as The Tontine Caper

Review Quotes

Charming, droll, and widely appealing.
--Kirkus Reviews

Salerni creates a feisty puzzle mystery with a hearty dollop of humor in this intriguing novel. . . Humorous cartoonlike spot drawings illuminate the characters and inclinations of the inn residents. A well-constructed adventure sure to amuse and entertain readers.
--The Horn Book

A comedic murder mystery.
--Publishers Weekly

With fast-paced chapters, character illustrations, and intriguing mysteries to unwind and unlock, the Tontine Caper brings Salerni's unique voice, lilting prose, and curiosity to this historical mystery, which feels like it could be set just off the trail of the modern day Poconos.
--Booklist

About the Author

Dianne K. Salerni has written many books for children and young adults, including The Carrefour Curse, which received three starred reviews and was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts and Jadie in Five Dimensions. She attended the University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania before teaching fourth and fifth grades for many years. Now Dianne spends her time hanging around creepy cemeteries, climbing 2,000-year-old pyramids for book research, and volunteering at her local rescue animal shelter. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family. Visit her at www.diannesalerni.com.

Matt Schu is an artist and children's book illustrator from Portland, Oregon. He is the illustrator of the picture books Cut!, written by CE Winters, which received a starred review from The Horn Book, and My Cat Does Ballet, written by Robert Heidbreder, which was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, as well as the Cosmic Collisions books by Dr. Marc Kuchner. Thanks to growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he draws a lot of trees, houses, and cloudy skies. Visit him at www.matt-schu.com.