updale

The secret to instant height? Stand on a box.
Want to make your money go further? Roll it down a hill.
The answer to smelly feet? Wear a clothes pin on your nose.

Eleven-year-old Johnny Swanson is in business. He's raking in the money with his advertising scams and his advice columnist persona, who offers advice on absolutely anything in return for a shilling. But his money-making schemes are getting him in too deep with the wrong kinds of people. Everything is spiralling out of control, and now his own mother is in mortal danger. There's only one thing to be done: Johnny must assume another role as undercover detective!

In the spirit of Roald Dahl, this is a funny and delightful story with a satisfying mystery, a wonderful cast of characters, and an unlikely but completely likeable hero.

ELEANOR UPDALE has been writing books since the turn of the century, including the Montmorency series, which has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic. She worked in radio and television, mainly on British news programs including The World at One and Newsnight. She is a governor of the children's charity, Coram, and a member of the Clinical Ethics Committee at Great Ormond Street Hospital. She also has a PhD in History and all those interests have influenced this book.

To learn more about Eleanor and her books, please visit EleanorUpdale.co.uk.