BAD MACHINERY POCKET ED GN (2025)

"The first volume of the beloved Bad Machinery series, now at a new size and $10 introductory price! The Case of the Team Spirit introduces readers to Jack, Linton, Sonny, Shauna, Charlotte, and Mildred: six kids navigating the treacherous waters of school and adolescence while also exploring the strange mysteries that abound in their peculiar English town of Tackleford. Jack, Linton, and Sonny look for cures to their football club's unexplainable woes, while Shauna, Charlotte, and Mildred try to find a way for compassion and justice to triumph in the face of die-hard sports fanaticism. But all of them should probably be more concerned with keeping on the good side of their history teacher, Mr. Bough. That is, if he has a good side..."

"Everyone's favorite pre-teen British detectives are back for another case! With toddlers disappearings and rumors of a large, beast-like creature roaming the woods, Tacklefore is in serious danger. And then there's Mildred's new dog Archibald... If you can even call it a dog. After all, what kind of dog drinks tea out of a cup? Everythings comes to a head once the boys get a picture of the beast and Archibald goes missing. Is there a connection? And what does it all have to do with the magical pencil Mildred won from a carnival con game?"

"The Tackleford gang is back with a new case that demands solving! When Tackleford's derelict barns begin going up in flames, Linton and Sonny are on the case with a moderately mysterious new friend. Paths cross, however, when Lottie and Mildred meet a terrifying yet misunderstood creature living beneath a bridge! Throw in an overly enthusiastic fire brigade, a transforming skate ramp, and a new French teacher and you've got the kind of charming genius that can only be found in John Allison's BAD MACHINERY. "

"The second year at Griswalds Grammar brings new challenges, new socks, and a mysterious new classmate for Tackleford's mystery-crazed children. Who is this secretive character? What is the acrid aroma that accompanies him wherever he goes? And why would anybody want anything to do with him? Seriously, he stinks of onions. The Case Of The Lonely One pits Shauna WIckle against her most mystifying enemy yet, forcing her to take sides, form new alliances, and make a lot of promises that she doesn't want to keep. What are the secrets of the onion farm? Why is the newcomer 'a right good laugh once you get to know him'? What is an orc? And can too much coffee send you NUCLEAR?"

"The new year brings the all the joys and near-drownings of young love in The Case of the Fire Inside, the fifth volume of the award-winning series Bad Machinery! Sonny meets a mysterious new girl who seems to have climbed out of the sea itself, while Mildred falls for the bad boy of Saturday detention. But can either of them succeed in the face of jealous exes, overprotective fathers, and the persistent tide of DESTINY?"

"School is out for summer, and for the Tackleford mystery team, that means lazy days, balmy evenings, and... creeping existential dread that threatens the whole city. With half the team gallivanting off to exotic locales (like Aunty Kath's in Margate), can Linton, Jack, and Lottie solve this season's most dire case? The Case of the Unwelcome Visitor, the sixth book in John Allison's award-winning Bad Machinery series, pits our young heroes against the terrors of the unfamiliar and unknown. Lottie's mum and sister have both fallen in love (thanks to the internet), Linton is determined to save his father from the soul-sucking responsibility of a promotion, and why is Jack working at the local paper with team nemesis (and hot-shot reporter) Erin Winters? Isn't print meant to be dead? Could the link between these tangled threads be The Night Creeper, who prowls Tackleford's streets and leaves people in the hospital with a blank stare and a terrible smile on their face?"

"Time is a fickle creature, especially when there's wormhole in the science cupboard. When a strange boy who seems far too entranced by cell phones appears, it's up to Lottie, Shauna, and Mildred to figure out his strange purposes. The Case of the Forked Road, the seventh book in John Allison's award-winning Bad Machinery series, finds our young sleuths facing the intricacies of time and space itself. What is their science teacher hiding? Who is the mysterious Calvin, why is he dressed like it's 1960, and why is he obsessed with Communists? And another thing just what is going on with Jack, Sonny, and Linton?"

"From the bestselling author of Giant Days comes the latest pocket-sized volume in his beloved Bad Machinery series! It's that classic feud: mods versus rockers! As the boys get caught up in the allure of mod culture (the scooters! the hair! the fashion!), Shauna is testing her mettle as the queen of metal. But when the new King of the Mods is crowned, he sparks an all-out war between the musical factions, with the mystery team caught in the mix! The Case of the Modern Men, the eighth book in John Allison's award-winning Bad Machinery series, finds our intrepid mystery-solvers at an age-old crossroads. How does a person become cool? Why can't we all just get along? And could that shiny new scooter be... cursed?"

"Against all odds, Detective Bixel and Emie must work together if they want any chance at saving Wayne from his deadly slumber. But with every neon crook they travel in search for clues, another hour passes and more questions arise with no answers to the mysterious coma that's sweeping across New Delith."

From the bestselling author of Giant Days comes the final pocket-sized volume in his beloved Bad Machinery series! The mystery-solving teens of Tackleford are finding out that not every summer is a perfect one. Charlotte and Shauna, once inseparable, are decidedly on the outs. Mildred bounces between the formerly best friends while trying to save up money for a car. Amy's rent at the antique store gets tripled, casting doubt on the future of her career. Meanwhile, the boys are channeling their energies into finding love down by the river, with only Jack's acoustic guitar between them and "romance." But tragedy strikes when they find that a developer has started building a huge condominium in their favorite swim spot. Unable to get a moment's peace at home, Charlotte has no choice but to force her way into an internship at the local newspaper, unleashing her brand of maverick sleuthing on... blood pouring out of public art? Strange ooze coming up out of the ground? Shifty doings at the Chamber of Commerce? Classic Tackleford! The Case of the Severed Alliance pits our favorite crew against the changing tide of time itself as friendships and romantic bonds are tested, and the inexorable wave of gentrification remakes Tackleford itself. Summer is just beginning... but it feels like The End for our heroes? That's because it is the end: of Bad Machinery!