In this second book in the exceptional Curiosity House series by bestselling author Lauren Oliver and shadowy recluse H. C. Chester, four extraordinary children must avenge their friend's death, try to save their home, and unravel the secrets of their past ... before their past unravels them. Pippa, Sam, Thomas, and Max are happy to be out of harm's way now that the notorious villain Nicholas Rattigan is halfway across the country in Chicago. But unfortunately their home, Dumfreys' Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, is in danger of closing its doors forever. But their troubles only get worse. The four friends are shocked when their beloved friend, famous sculptor Siegfried Eckleberger, is murdered. As they investigate, they find clues that his death may be tied to the murder of a rich and powerful New York heiress, as well as to their own pasts. This is the second book in the series and so boasts many wondrous and mysterious things inside, such as: Howie, the "Human Owl," whose head turns just about all the way aroundA mean but important house catSome perfectly ghastly wax sculpturesA very thin boy named ChubbyAn awful mechanical leg It continues not to have: A cautionary tale about running with scissorsA list of time-consuming choresNutritious and decidedly not delicious vegetablesA perfectly sweet bedtime story about a wayward bunnyTwo wet kisses on the cheek from your aunt Mildred

Portrait

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with her first novel, the New York Times bestseller Before I Fall, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. She followed that up with Delirium, the first book in her New York Times bestselling trilogy, which continued with Pandemonium. Oliver is also the author of Liesl & Po, a book for middle-grade readers, which received three starred reviews and was described as "a gorgeous story--timeless and magical" by Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead. A graduate of the University of Chicago and NYU's MFA program, Oliver lives in Brooklyn, New York.