Book 1

The Fall of Fergal

by Philip Ardagh

Published 2 March 2002
The setting is an unidentified country, suffering from an unexpected outbreak of very large holes. The McNally children find themselves in The Dell hotel surrounded by a strange assortment of ridiculous characters ranging from Charlie 'Twinkle Toes' Tweedy, the house detective, to Mr Peach, a ventriloquist with a conveniently-large moustache. With young Fergal McNally falling to his death on page one, the only way for the McNallys is up...Expect the unexpected with Philip Ardagh pulling out all the stops that make his fiction so unique and so absurd.

Book 1

When Le Fay McNally becomes a finalist in the "Tap 'n' Type" typewriting competition, she and her four unusual siblings stay at the Dell Hotel, where they encounter joy, tragedy, and a variety of interesting characters.

Book 2

In their second adventure, the four remaining McNally children are drawn to the mysterious Fishbone Forest in search of their dead brother's stolen brain, only to discover the terrifying Mr. Maggs and his sinister plan to change the world.

Book 2

Heir of Mystery

by Philip Ardagh

Published 7 April 2003
Book Two in Philip Ardagh's darkly hilarious new trilogy, Unlikely Exploits, charting the extraordinary change in fortunes of the downtrodden McNally family. The setting is an unidentified country suffering from an unexpected outbreak of very large holes. In Book One we saw the unfortunate young Fergal's demise, and Le Fay's triumph in the Tap 'n' Type typing competition. In this second unlikely exploit, full of surprising twists and turns, the remaining McNally children - Jackie, Le Fay and the twins Josh and Albie - 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 humour, excitement and sadness, this is another sure-fire winner.

Book 3

In their third and final adventure, the McNally children meet Lionel Lyons, who asks their help to fix problems that were created by time travelers.