The first children's book from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Reverend Richard Coles. Twelve hilarious TRUE crime stories for kids — illustrated throughout by Eve O'Brien.
Dive into the world of dastardly heists, daring escapes, and bungled burglaries.
Did you know that Albert Einstein's brain was stolen? Or the true tale of the million-dollar McDonald's heist? Or the story of the maple syrup mystery?
Discover all about these scrapes, escapes, and more in this collection of twelve super-silly and utterly unbelievable true stories — from the theft of the Mona Lisa to the man who tried to sell the Eiffel Tower for scrap, from the great Cottingley Fairies hoax to the bear break-ins of Lake Tahoe, from the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to the giant bug-zoo robbery.
Told with Reverend Richard Coles's signature wit and warmth, and brought to life with funny cartoon-style illustrations by Eve O'Brien, these unbelievable-but-true stories are bedtime reading at its most outrageous. Each story is bite-sized at around 15–20 pages — perfect for one-a-night reading, or for devouring the whole book in a single sitting (no judgement).
Perfect for readers aged 9+
Confident and curious readers will love the mix of history, mystery, mischief, and laugh-out-loud retellings.
About the author
The Reverend Richard Coles is a writer, broadcaster, and former pop star — once one half of the 1980s band The Communards (and before that, Bronski Beat). He is the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Canon Clement murder mystery series, beginning with Murder Before Evensong, which was adapted for television in 2025. A Heist Before Bedtime is his first book for children. He writes regularly for the Sunday Times and co-hosts the popular history podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives.
About the illustrator
Eve O'Brien brings a vivid, witty cartoon style to the book — perfect for the playful tone of Coles's storytelling.
