Winterhouse (#1)

Local Description

Kathleen's review - This is a charming mystery with a hint of the supernatural and some great wordplay.  The set-up is well done with an excellent opening, and there's a nice mixture of bafflement and determination on the part of Elizabeth and Freddy, the boy she gets to know (who comes to Winterhouse every year). Good questions (for all of us, really) in Who do you trust? How far will you step outside of what is allowed?

 

Description

An enchanting urban fantasy middle-grade debut - the first book in a trilogy - set in a hotel full of secrets. Orphan Elizabeth Somers's malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms - most notably its massive library. It's not long before she locates a book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family.

But the deeper she delves into the hotel's secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel's curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself?

Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut richly set in a hotel full of secrets. 

Reviews

"Clever and captivating." --Kirkus Reviews

"A charming, atmospheric mystery with some fantasy elements, for fans of Kate Milford's Greenglass House and Trenton Lee Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society. . . . Bristol's art is whimsical and enhances the spirit of the story." --School Library Journal