The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

mystery, some fantasy elements, puzzle-type book

age 9-12

grade  4-7

384 pages

c. 2018

The second book in the Winterhouse trilogy continues the adventures of Elizabeth and Freddy as they explore this unique hotel and discover more mysteries surrounding it. Elizabeth is now a permanent resident at Winterhouse and is delighted that she has a new home. Once again on her trip to Winterhouse she meets some very unpleasant people, the  Powter family and especially their teenage son Rodney. There are also two new guests at the hotel who are both mysterious and suspicious, Elena and her creepy grandmother Mrs. Vesper.

 Elizabeth learns that there may be another magical object left behind from the former hotel guest Riley S. Granger. In the first book Elizabeth found a magical book written by Granger that the evil Gracella Winters was trying to find to destroy the Falls family. Elizabeth suspects that the Powters and Mrs. Vesper are looking for this new object. There are also rumors of secret passageways within the hotel and the possibility of four secret doors that lead to the passageways. An unusual seal in the floor of one of the hallways in the hotel has a complicated series of numbers and words that Elizabeth and Freddy believe could be some sort of code, perhaps telling the locations of the secret doors.

Elizabeth is also noticing her own special powers seem to be increasing and there are times when she is tempted to, and sometimes does, use them to satisfy herself despite Norbridge repeatedly warning her not to do so. She is also having more trouble controlling her emotions, especially when she gets angry and feels frustrated. These result in her bring rude to guests when she is helping Leona in the hotel library. Despite these growing pains when Elizabeth, spoiler, does locate the object of power she is able to resist the very strong temptation to keep it for herself. “All she wanted to do was keep the pendant pressed within the palm of her hand, wanted to maintain the feeling she had experienced, wanted to keep it hers forever.” …”The words of the rhyme filled Elizabeth: The holder, heeding silent voice alone must make the fateful choice. …”I have to choose, Elizabeth said weakly.”…”I choose not to use this for evil. ”The depths of the evil that Gracella is willing to do is also revealed in her using the lives of those related to her to keep herself alive.

It is a little darker than the first book but also filled with many puzzles and riddles to solve and the deepening of the friendship between Elizabeth and Freddy.