Book summary

The next to last book in the outstanding Series of Unfortunate Events collection--the most exciting and event-filled one yet--carefully careens through the hapless Baudelaire children's transformation from merely piteous orphans into spies, complete with jaunty little hats. Hotel Denouement, camouflaged to the point of insanity with the Dewey Decimal system, is the center of activity for the V.F.D., a mysterious, besieged secret organization for which the children now volunteer. Through a thicket of both evil and good operatives, including many familiar faces, they must maneuver to keep the world safe from the nefarious machinations of Count Olaf and his henchpeople. This is the 12th book in this fast-paced, long-winded middle-grade series. With B&W illustrations that take after Edward Gorey's work.