Thursday Next Head of Juris Fiction & ex-Spec Ops agent returns to her native Swindon accompanied by a child of two a pair of dodos & Hamlet who is on a fact-finding mission in the real world. Thursday has been despatched to capture escaped Fictioneer Yorrick Kaine but even so now seems as good a time as any to retrieve her husband Landen from his state of eradication at the hands of the Chronoguard. Its not going to be easy. Thursdays former colleagues at the department of Literary Detectives want her to investigate a spate of cloned Shakespeares the Goliath Corporation are planning to switch to a new Faith based corporate management system & the Neanderthals feel she might be the Chosen One who will lead them to genetic self-determination. With help from Hamlet her uncle & time-travelling father Thursday faces the toughest adventure of her career. Where is the missing President-for-life George Formby? Why is it imperative for the Swindon Mallets to win the World Croquet League final? & why is it so difficult to find reliable childcare?