Unfortunately, things are piling up on my to-read list and I know I'm not going to make it through this. It's good, but a little too long and too many characters for me to handle right now. Maybe I'll return to it someday. ( )

Obviously a fun adventure, full of colorful characters and puzzles, great for fans of [book:The Westing Game|902] or [book:The Mysterious Benedict Society|83369]. But it was too cute at times, with just too many incongruous elements and unnecessary twists. ( )

Kate Milford's novel was difficult to assess: do I review from a middle-grader view point or do I "be the adult" in my evaluation? From the 'Tween perspective, it was an interesting story about an old house and the search for something hidden. Whether the 'something' was valuable and to whom was as much a part of the story as the shenanigans of the search. For that aspect it was a 3½-star read. However, the slow-moving narrative and the characters' back story-telling could well lose this intended audience.

From my 'adult' perspective, there was an unnecessary emphasis on the adopted status of Milo (the main protagonist). This focus was more reflective of Milford's state of mind (clarified in her afterword) and really, did it have much to do with the plot to be brought forward several times? While the twist with respect to Meddy was a fun reveal, it might be an aspect (especially coupled with her father's situation) that could derail enjoyment of the novel for older children or even sensitive young teens. I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend this for kids until the adults who know them best have a skim through. ( )

I found this an utterly engaging read, particularly during the holidays. A sort of The Westing Game meets Christmas. Was surprised by the ending! ( )

This middle-grade mystery was OK. The mystery itself wasn't all that interesting. The setting was delightful, as was the premise of guests stuck at a remote inn over the innkeepers' son's Christmas vacation. The plot was slow-moving. I wonder if the indended audience would lose interest. Things got a little better toward the end, and everything was wrapped up nicely. ( )