The Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter: Books 1-4 shows would-be sleuths how to hunt for JK Rowling’s clues in a fun-to-read manner. With this Guide in one hand and the Harry Potter books in the other, you’ll read the series in a whole new light as you:

• uncover the detail with which Rowling has crafted her story and her world • delve below the surface to ferret out Rowling’s sly clues

Not only will you be amazed at how deceptively Rowling’s hidden those clues, you’ll learn how to discover new ones on your own! There are questions in Books 1-4 Rowling still hasn’t answered, even after Book 6! Do you know what they are?

The Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter is for you if:

• You’re new to the series and want a leg up or • You’ve read all the books, but it’s been a while.

Pull out your memories for another look and tighten your skills!

Do you know how to solve Snape's poison bottle puzzle in the room "through the trapdoor?" Did you know there are actually 2 solutions to that puzzle?

Do you know what Rowling told us in the first four books about the secrets Neville and Professor Snape hold? Do you understand exactly how Dumbledore's "Mirror of Erised" worked? (Rowling’s said we’ll see it again!) Are you aware that what Harry saw in the Mirror was not accurate?

Here’s what the Guide says about spotting a clue: "In chapter 16 of Book 1, J.K. Rowling writes that Harry 'watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth.' Even after reading the book several times, it still catches readers by surprise when they realize that this note was the message used to trick Headmaster Dumbledore into leaving the school for a trip to London. That clue doesn't help us solve the plot of the book and it was never explained or mentioned again, but when we then see a similar clue in Book 4, we need to pay much closer attention! Look for yourself - it's awesome!"

The Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter is best read alongside JK Rowling’s books—not as a replacement! It does not give the plot away in advance, but there IS a spoiler warning because it discusses the endings of each of the books in chronological order.

No Harry Potter collection is complete without the Guide. Written by fans for fans, it is the perfect holiday gift for the Potter fan in your life—or yourself!

• science fiction/fantasy