Author(s): Ben Guterson

Fantasy, Magic and Science Fiction

Back at the Winterhouse hotel for another holiday season, Elizabeth and Freddy dig deeper into the mystery surrounding Riley S. Granger, a hotel guest who left behind odd artifacts- one being a magical book that the evil Gracella Winters attempted to use the year before to gain destructive power over the entire Falls lineage. The two friends follow a trail of clues, inadvertently attracting the attention of a suspicious new hotel guest: Elana Vesper.The clock is ticking as Elizabeth and Freddy struggle to figure out whether Elana is merely a pawn or a player in the plot to revive the spirit of Gracella. If that wasn't enough, Elizabeth suspects she is coming into her own magic ability - and she's fearful it might lead her right into Gracella's web.

Kathleen's review - Gracella is too good a villain for the author to have finished with her after just one novel, but once again the adults are trying to keep things from Elizabeth. She's too smart not to figure things out, but it makes her angry that they don't trust her. Is she going to be able to control that temper that sometimes gets the better of her? What if she's heading for the dark side?

Great wordplay again, and excellent occasional illustrations. All told, a great sequel, and I'm looking forward to the next.