Heir of Mystery: The Second Unlikely Exploit (Unlikely Exploits) - Hardcover

Ardagh, Philip

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805074775 ISBN 13: 9780805074772

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2004

Synopsis

First and foremost, this is a book about death. Okay, so it doesn't start with an actual death like the Unlikely Exploit which precedes it . . . but you'll find a lot of it about. Life's like that, though, I'm afraid. Then again, if we didn't have death, this little planet would be a very overcrowded place. Not only that, most buildings would be old people's homes and entire continents would be taken up with retirement village after retirement village, populated by some very old and wrinkled people indeed.

The second in the darkly hilarious new series that started with The Fall of Fergal

In this, the second Unlikely Exploit, Fergal McNally's brain-last seen in a pickling jar in the basement of the Sacred Heart Hospital-is stolen, and the remaining McNally children are mysteriously drawn to Fishbone Forest and the forgotten crumbling mansion which lies at its heart. Here they meet the terrifying teddy-bear-clutching Mr. Maggs who is planning to make sweeping changes to the world . . . which is all rather unlikely, isn't it?

Packed with humor and excitement, this is another surefire winner.

About this title

About the Author

Over six and a half feet tall, with a bushy beard, Philip Ardagh is not only very big but also very hairy. When not writing silly books, Mr. Ardagh is quite serious and frowns a great deal. He lives in a seaside town somewhere in England with his wife, and their son, Fred.

Reviews

Grade 4-6–Young Fergal McNally died in The Fall of Fergal (Holt, 2004), and in this sequel, his preserved brain has been stolen and it's up to his siblings to get it back. Unfortunately, this is no easy task as it's being held by the terrifying Mr. Maggs in a dilapidated mansion located in the heart of Fishbone Forest, from which no one has ever emerged alive. Ardagh's meandering narrative, loaded with deadpan humor and macabre details, and the many events and characters will make this entry hard to follow without having read the first book. Excellent black-and-white illustrations add to the book's creepiness.–Heather Ulesoo, New York Public Library
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Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805074775
• ISBN 13: 9780805074772
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Roberts David
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144