Parents' Guide to

The Winterhouse Mysteries: Winterhouse, Book 3

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Last spooky vacation at Winterhouse is well worth the visit.

Book Ben Guterson Mystery 2019
The Winterhouse Mysteries: Winterhouse, Book 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

In THE WINTERHOUSE MYSTERIES, Elizabeth can't wait for spring break. Her friend Freddy is coming to stay at Winterhouse again, and her grandfather Norbridge has another exciting project for them. He pulls out boxes from storage that belonged to his grandfather and tells them to piece together a tour and history for the guests of Winterhouse. Right away there are curiosities to be found -- strange codes on the lids of the boxes and old letters addressed to Norbridge's mother concerning Norbridge's wayward sister, Gracella. Elizabeth is especially curious about the letter, and everything else they've found out about Gracella since she was entombed below Winterhouse a few months before. Elizabeth is worried she's not really gone from Winterhouse. Clues abound around Winterhouse that something, at least, is terribly off. There's a missing rare book, a cabin fire, regular rumblings under the hotel, squabbling among the usually pleasant guests, and the library parrot shouts "Gracella, Gracella, Gracella" when Elizabeth is around.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This delightful, puzzle-filled, and slightly spooky mystery series finale does what all books set in fantastic places do: makes you sad to leave, even if the ending satisfies. And the ending does satisfy, though The Winterhouse Mysteries tries to tie up every loose end a little too neatly. It's hard not to be jealous of Elizabeth for getting to live at a hotel in her own room, with a massive library down the hall, a candy factory downstairs, and unique entertainment in the dining hall every night. Kids will want to look up Tuvan throat singing and what a lithophone sounds like. They will also enjoy solving more word puzzles with Elizabeth and her friend, Freddy.

The mystery builds well, thanks to a big cast of quirky characters who could all be involved in trying to help the resident vengeful ghost. Lots of little things add up: a missing book, rumblings in the dining room, and a parrot who knows just when to shout the ghost's name to give you the willies. And why on earth did Elizabeth steal that puzzle piece? All is revealed in the end. It's hard to say good-bye to Winterhouse and its mysteries, but it was a magical vacation while it lasted.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the scary moments in The Winterhouse Mysteries. Do you like ghost stories and unexplained happenings? Do you like this book more for the scares or the word puzzles?

  • Are you better at solving word puzzles after reading this series? Do you like reading stories where you participate in solving the mysteries?

  • What other books that you read require you to solve a mystery or figure something out along with the characters? What other kinds of media require active participation like this?

Book Details

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