The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey is a 2008 middle grade novel written by American author Trenton Lee Stewart and illustrated by Diana Sudyka. It is the second novel in a series; the first book, The Mysterious Benedict Society, was published in 2007. Stewart has since released two other sequels, one prequel, and one companion book in the same series. The Perilous Journey, like the other books in the series, follows four children as they have various adventures and try to thwart evil plans. The books are notable for their use of riddles and puzzles that challenge readers to solve the mystery alongside the characters. Like the first book in the series, The Perilous Journey received positive reviews. The first two installments in the series have also been adapted into a television series called The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021-2022).

This guide refers to the 2008 e-book edition published by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Plot Summary

The plot of The Perilous Journey begins one year after the events of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Reynard “Reynie” Muldoon, an average-looking but very clever 12-year-old boy, is on his way to a remote farm to meet his best friends: Kate Wetherall, who lives on the farm with her father, Milligan (a secret agent); George “Sticky” Washington, who can remember almost everything he reads; and Constance Contraire, a three-year-old with extraordinary intelligence. The four children first met when they were recruited by the eccentric Nicholas Benedict to thwart the evil plans of Benedict’s identical twin brother, Ledroptha Curtain. They succeeded, and Mr. Benedict adopted Constance, while Reynie was adopted by his former tutor, Miss Perumal. Now, the children and their families are meeting once again to complete a mysterious scavenger hunt that has been organized by Mr. Benedict and his adopted daughters, Rhonda Kazembe and Number Two, who also serve as his assistants.

The children reunite, but their happiness is short-lived, for they soon discover that Mr. Benedict and Number Two have been kidnapped by Mr. Curtain, and the children only have four days to rescue them. Mr. Curtain wants to obtain a mysterious plant that Mr. Benedict has also been searching for. Realizing that the adults will slow them down and worry about their safety, the children decide to leave on their own, following the clues that Mr. Benedict has left for them. They rush to the harbor, where they catch a ship called the Shortcut that takes them across the Atlantic in two days. (Mr. Benedict paid for the children’s passage before being kidnapped.) Once on board, the children are largely confined to their cabin because the ship is carrying valuable diamonds, but they befriend a sailor named Joe “Cannonball” Shooter and meet Captain Noland. Noland gives Reynie a diamond, conveys Mr. Benedict’s next clue, and apologizes for the challenges of the journey.

The ship finally docks in Lisbon, Portugal, and the children rush to a castle to solve their newest puzzle. They find the clue and narrowly escape from Jackson and Jillson, two of Mr. Curtain’s lackeys. The children then flee to the train station, where they are able to open a locker filled with money and coded directions to their next stop. They board an overnight train to Thernbaakagen, a small town in the Netherlands. They ride the train all night, and because they fear that Mr. Curtain’s agents will be waiting for them when they arrive, they get off the train one stop early. Using the last of their money, they rent bicycles and head to Thernbaakagen, where they stop at a library. There, they learn that Mr. Benedict and Mr. Curtain are both searching for an elusive plant called duskwort. Mr. Benedict wants to use the plant to cure the narcolepsy that he and his brother both experience, but Mr. Curtain wants to use it to put whole cities to sleep and take over the world.

One of the library employees wants to call the police on the children as they are researching duskwort, so they have to flee once again. They arrive at the hotel that Mr. Benedict booked for them, but when they get to their room, they meet a Ten Man. (The Ten Men are Mr. Curtain’s agents. They look like dapper businessmen, but they have 10 different ways of killing their targets, mostly using modified business equipment such as extra-sharp pencils and taser wristwatches.)

Kate, the most physically capable of the children, tries to fight the Ten Man, but she is not strong enough. Kate’s father, Milligan, arrives at the last minute and rescues the children; he set out after them when they first left and has only just caught up to them. Together, Milligan and the children drive to an abandoned warehouse overlooking the harbor. There, they find a boat captain named Mr. Risker, who is being held prisoner by a Ten Man. Milligan distracts and fights the Ten Man while the children meet Risker and question him. They learn the location of the island where duskwort grows and conclude that this is where they will find Mr. Benedict. Risker reluctantly agrees, and Reynie gives him the diamond as compensation, but it turns out to be a fake.

Milligan and the children take a small float plane to the island. There, they follow a series of hidden maps across the island to reach an abandoned town. They find Number Two, who has managed to escape from Mr. Curtain, but she is exhausted and starving. Milligan leaves the children in the town while he scouts the rest of the island. After he leaves, the children are attacked by several Ten Men. At the last minute, Milligan returns, and the children escape using a combination of his help and their own skills. However, they are forced to leave Milligan in the custody of the Ten Men as they rush to find Mr. Benedict. In a cave on the side of a mountain, they find Mr. Benedict imprisoned. Relieved, Kate releases him, only to learn that he is really Mr. Curtain. Mr. Curtain reveals that he still has Benedict captive and handcuffs the children. Under duress, Mr. Benedict admits that duskwort is a moss-like plant that covers the walls of the cave; Mr. Curtain harvests it.

A Ten Man arrives and claims that Milligan is dead. He then asks Mr. Curtain to help him tend to another injured Ten Man. When Mr. Curtain leaves, Mr. Benedict manipulates Mr. Curtain’s assistant, S.Q. Pedalian, into releasing him and the children. Just as they are about to escape, Mr. Benedict falls asleep, forcing the children to build a makeshift stretcher and drag him a great distance so that they can hide in the woods. On their way, they encounter Milligan, who is alive but severely injured. Just as Mr. Curtain and his associates are closing in, the Shortcut crashes into the island, allowing the children, Mr. Benedict, Milligan, and Number Two to escape. Unfortunately, Mr. Curtain evades capture. All the children return to their families, who are angry with them for running off but relieved that they are safe. Mr. Benedict reveals that the moss in the cave was actually thwart-wort, a harmless mimic of duskwort. Mr. Curtain will surely be back, but for now, everyone is safe.