The Crims

The Addams Family meets Despicable Me in the first book of this new trilogy, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Pseudonymous Bosch!

The Crim family is full of notorious criminals. Notoriously inept, that is. Uncle Knuckles once tried to steal a carnival. Great-Uncle Bernard held himself hostage by accident. Aunt Drusilla died slipping on a banana peel. But Imogen is different. She was born with a skill for scandal. A knack for the nefarious. A mastery of misdemeanors.

Despite her natural talent for all things unlawful, Imogen got out of the family business years ago. But when the rest of the Crims are accused of pulling off a major heist—which seems doubtful, to say the least—Imogen is forced to step in to clear their names. Because only a truly skilled criminal can prove the bumbling family’s innocence….

• Quirky Characters: Meet a family of crooks so bad at crime, their rap sheet includes accidentally holding themselves hostage and trying to steal an entire carnival.
• Reluctant Hero: Imogen Crim has a natural talent for being bad. But she’ll have to use her skills for good to clear her family’s name.
• Middle Grade Mystery: Who really pulled off the impossible heist the Crims are blamed for? Imogen is on the case to find the real culprit and prove her bumbling family’s innocence.
• Boarding School Story: For Imogen, proving her family’s innocence isn’t just about justice—it’s her only ticket back to the posh, law-abiding life she’s trying to build for herself at school.

“This series opener is filled with unique, memorable characters. The mix of sophisticated wordplay and gut-busting potty humor will attract a wide range of readers. Hand this to fans of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events or Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series.” - School Library Journal

“Fans of broad humor and outsize antics will enjoy this off-kilter romp.” - Publishers Weekly

“Fans of English humor will enjoy the airily convoluted plot, kid-focused absurdities, and broad satire, all adorned with sly humor, tricky details, and hefty swaths of slapstick. Jolly good criminal fun.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Davies’ light tone, throwaway lines, and inventive details let readers know they’re in for a hilarious, eccentric romp.With Mysterious Benedict Society flair, Davies’ novel is packed with ridiculous criminal plans, secret hideaways, wordplay, and heart. In other words, it delivers the goods.” - Booklist