The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey is a bestselling[1] children's novel written by Trenton Lee Stewart and illustrated by Diana Sudyka, published in 2008.

A series of riddles lead them to take the MV Shortcut, the fastest ship in the world, bound for Lisbon.

At the museum, they learn that the rare plant is called duskwort, capable of inducing a spellbinding sleep, and might be extinct.

In a starred review, School Library Journal described the book as "not just a rip-roaring adventure ... but also a warm and satisfying tale about friendship.

"[2] Kirkus Reviews was less positive, saying that the book "may wear down less patient readers", citing the prose and needless elaborations in several areas.

[2] The beginning of the novel came in for particular criticism, with Horn Book Magazine complaining of "a few treacly initial scenes"[4] and School Library Journal saying that "[t]he action takes a while to get going".

[2] However, comparing it overall to its predecessor, Horn Book Magazine felt that it was "a worthy successor"[4] - although Kirkus Reviews said that it "has more of an air of trading on the previous one's cleverness than building on it.

Because of this, Dr. Curtain's kidnapping of Mr. Benedict and Number Two is the result of putting them front and center to his plan instead of holding them ransom.