I am new to the Winterhouse series, although I am certainly aware it exists and has its fans. While the author does seek to catch readers up on the current plot status, their efforts are primarily of use as a reminder for past readers. New readers are left with the facts, but no particular reason to care about the characters or the plot. This may well be an excellent book, but it is a poor place from which to enter the series.

The conclusion to the Winterhouse trilogy contains the same charm and clever puzzles as its predecessors (even if it lacks something by not being set over the Christmas holiday). The ending is tidy and satisfying, but a few loose ends never really come together: the revelation of why Elizabeth's aunt and uncle were so cruel to her is too distant and sudden to feel real, we don't get a satisfying answer to Elizabeth's future role in Winterhouse, and was the budding of romantic tension between her and Theo really necessary? Also, at this point Gracella has come back from the "dead" so many times and in so many ways that the main storyline reads as predictable and low stakes. Nevertheless, overall a clever, atmospheric read. The series will appeal to fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Book Scavenger, or Winterhouse series.

I really liked this series! It wasn't what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. I liked the characters and loved the setting of a hotel. This one had a good mystery and it wrapped up the series nicely.