Greenglass House

Greenglass House
Kate Milford

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 9780544052703
Publisher: Clarion Books
Date of publication: August 26, 2014
Age: Grades 5 - 9
Genre: Mystery

Themes: inn, thievery, smuggling, adoption, family,

Christmas is just around the corner, and Milo is looking forward to a quiet holiday with his parents at the inn they own in Nagspeake. But when the guest bell starts ringing--and ringing and ringing--Milo now is dealing with a home overrun with odd and secretive guests. They all seem to be after something in relation to the inn--Greenglass House. When possessions start to go missing and it's clear there is a a thief in their midst, Milo and the cook's daughter, Meddy, decide to investigate. The deepening mystery will reveal a lot about the house--and themselves.

First, to get this off my chest: this book was really slow to start. In all honesty: I stopped reading it and read another book, then went back to finish. There was also a lot of focus on stuff I (personally) couldn't relate to, like adoption and role playing games (which other kids might love). Now for the good stuff: it is thorough and detailed (part of the reason it's slow) and I had a lot of fun imagining the house, it's residents, and Milo himself. I wish I could visit the place in real life. And the ending? Well, let's just say that pretty much made up for it all. A fantastic twist that I did NOT see coming. Loved it. So overall? It's a great mystery novel, almost magical in its descriptions...but somewhat slow. It's up to you.

Find it at your library or on Amazon