ALA Booklist

Eleven-year-old Elizabeth isn't surprised to learn that her aunt and uncle are going on Christmas vacation without her, but she's shocked that they're sending her to a fancy resort while they're away. Solitary and bookish, Elizabeth sets off for Winterhouse for what turns out to be a holiday filled with intrigue, magic, surprise, and rhaps best of all iendship. She is quickly made to feel at home in the grand old hotel by the warm welcome of Norbridge Falls (Winterhouse's eccentric proprietor), Miss Leona (resident librarian), and her new friend Freddy. A creepy couple and a legend of a hidden book attract Elizabeth's attention, fueling her desire to solve the Winterhouse's long-standing mystery. Guterson's debut is a natural fit for readers with a penchant for puzzles and wordplay in the vein of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series and Pseudonymous Bosch. Characterization is light, but the dual mysteries of the hidden book and Elizabeth's family history will keep the pages turning. Though it doesn't break new ground, this is a solid choice for middle-grade gumshoes.

Kirkus Reviews

Young Elizabeth Somers' predilection for puzzles is put to the test when she spends a Christmas break alone at the enormous Winterhouse Hotel.Elizabeth, white, an orphan, and a devoted reader, has a recently discovered magical gift of extrasensory awareness and anticipation. When her guardian aunt and uncle depart for a vacation, leaving only a train ticket and three $1 bills duct-taped to the door, Elizabeth embarks on an extraordinary adventure. Guterson provides readers a treat: mean caregivers à la the Dursleys; a vast, luxurious hotel where oddities abound; a new word-puzzle-loving friend, Freddy Knox (with black hair and dark brown skin from his Mexican mother; his father's heritage goes unmentioned); a shrouded history for Winterhouse; and sinister circumstances. A grim pair of guests, protective of the large trunk they claim is full of books, seem to have Elizabeth in their sights. The hotel's kindly proprietor, a descendent of the original founder, seems to have his own magical talents. The vast hotel library (run by a Ugandan-born librarian with a bun and a fondness for old-fashioned card catalogs) is full of potential surprises. Guterson keeps his protagonists busy discovering clues to the hotel's central mystery, a missing book, and the decades-old disappearance of the proprietor's sister, who apparently dabbled in the black arts. Chapter titles incorporate word ladders that may have young readers trying out this diverting form of puzzle. Clever and captivating. (Mystery/fantasy. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Eleven-year-old Elizabeth Somers has lived with her chilly aunt and uncle ever since her parents died in an accident that Elizabeth can-t quite remember. After her relatives accept an offer for an all-expenses-paid vacation, they ship Elizabeth off to the Winterhouse Hotel -in the middle of nowhere during Christmas with no money and hardly any clothes,- as she puts it. Though wary, Elizabeth is intrigued by the hotel and its guests, making a new friend in 11-year-old Freddy, who loves puzzles and anagrams as much as she does. But she-s troubled by recurring feelings of uneasiness that precede a variety of incidents, as well as a sinister couple that seems to be keeping tabs on her. Then there-s the mysterious book she can-t bring herself to return to the hotel-s vast library. Filled with puzzles and magic, Guterson-s debut keeps suspense high as the secrets of Elizabeth-s past unwind. This satisfying mystery leaves just enough unanswered questions to have readers eager for the next book in this planned trilogy. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 9-12. Author-s agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Jan.)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6 Puzzle-loving bibliophile Elizabeth Somers is an 11-year-old orphan living with her impoverished and disagreeable Aunt Purdy and Uncle Burlap. Right before the holidays, Elizabeth finds herself locked out of her home and sent off to the amazing and magical hotel, Winterhouse. While there, she befriends the peculiar proprietor, Norbridge Falls, and is drawn to a unique book which opens up many secrets about Winterhouse and Elizabeth herself. Elizabeth also encounters a suspicious duo who are up to something nefarious and push her deeper into the mystery of the odd hotel. Elizabeth is a daring girl trying to get to the bottom of it all with her newfound and first friend Freddy while also enjoying all the wonderful things that she has been unable to experience living with her Aunt and Uncle. This entertaining mystery romp is a must-have for all young bibliophiles; it is chock full of book titles and literary references, both contemporary ( Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabentein) and classic ( Anne of Green Gables ). Each chapter title also includes a word ladder for puzzle lovers. Bristol's art is whimsical and enhances the spirit of the story. VERDICT 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 . Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn