Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset
Tom Angleberger
May 2011 · ABRAMS
4.3star
7 reviewsreport
Ebook
234
Pages
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About this ebook
A servant boy becomes an unlikely hero when a thief strikes in this humorous historical mystery by the author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.
There are so many exciting things in this book—a Stolen Diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, love, pickle éclairs—that it really does seem a shame to begin with ladies’ underwear . . .
It all starts when M’Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset. As a result of “the Loosening,” all the strict rules around Smugwick Manor are abandoned. Shelves go undusted! Cake is eaten! Lunch is lukewarm! Then, when the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks search for someone to blame. Could the thief really be Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can’t tell a lie?
A colorful and hilarious cast comes together in this entertaining mystery, Tom Angleberger’s loopiest novel yet!
Praise for Horton Halfpott
“A positively gleeful historical mystery farce. . . . A satirical homage to Dickens by way of Pratchett and Snicket. Short chapters, a fast pace and plenty of linguistic and slapstistic humor will have young readers hoping that a sequel is planned. The scribbly pen-and-ink chapter-heading cartoon illustrations are just icing on the cake—or pickle éclair. A romp from start to finish.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Angleberger delivers many spoonfuls of sugar alongside the moral of this Victorian fable.” —Shelf-Awareness
“Readers are in for a treat.” —Publishers Weekly
There are so many exciting things in this book—a Stolen Diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, love, pickle éclairs—that it really does seem a shame to begin with ladies’ underwear . . .
It all starts when M’Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset. As a result of “the Loosening,” all the strict rules around Smugwick Manor are abandoned. Shelves go undusted! Cake is eaten! Lunch is lukewarm! Then, when the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks search for someone to blame. Could the thief really be Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can’t tell a lie?
A colorful and hilarious cast comes together in this entertaining mystery, Tom Angleberger’s loopiest novel yet!
Praise for Horton Halfpott
“A positively gleeful historical mystery farce. . . . A satirical homage to Dickens by way of Pratchett and Snicket. Short chapters, a fast pace and plenty of linguistic and slapstistic humor will have young readers hoping that a sequel is planned. The scribbly pen-and-ink chapter-heading cartoon illustrations are just icing on the cake—or pickle éclair. A romp from start to finish.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Angleberger delivers many spoonfuls of sugar alongside the moral of this Victorian fable.” —Shelf-Awareness
“Readers are in for a treat.” —Publishers Weekly
Ratings and reviews
4.3
7 reviews
J. M. Turner
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July 1, 2022
A delightfully charming and clever book from cover to cover
Matthew B
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July 26, 2014
Good book!
About the author
Tom Angleberger is the author of the runaway bestseller The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, which the New York Times called a "delightful first novel" and which Publishers Weekly dubbed a "snappy debut." He is also a columnist for the Roanoke (Va.) Times. He lives in Christianburg, Virginia, with his wife, the author and illustrator Cece Bell.
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