Do you love escape rooms?

If so, make sure you pick up The Mystery of Locked Rooms immediately. This middle grade novel gives major The Ambrose Deception and Mr. Lemoncello's Library vibes.

Sarah, West, and Hannah are the best of friends. They love to solve mysteries and puzzles in their town's escape rooms. Sarah might have to move and break up their friend group after she sees an eviction notice on her front door. Since her father has not been able to work in recent years, the eviction notice means her family might have to move out of town. Sarah, nor her besties, want that to happen.

Hannah tells the group about the Stein siblings who created a funhouse back in the day. The Steins supposedly hid a treasure for people to find in the house they built. To their knowledge, no one ever survived the house and found the treasure. Sarah sees this as the only way out for her and her family. The threesome researches the Steins and their house. They decide to give it a go to ensure their friend doesn't have to leave them. Once they get in the Stein funhouse, they realize their decision might not have been the best idea. Will they make it out? Is there even a treasure?

The friendship between the three is beautiful. and realistic. They pick on each other, but love and care for each other deeply. The three capitalize on their strengths throughout the novel...just like true friends do. Sometimes your friends know more about you and your talents than you yourself realize.

I would definitely recommend this book for all middle school libraries and most elementary school libraries. I also think some ninth graders would enjoy the book as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this middle grade mystery.

I really enjoyed this and can think of a number of students who will love this one. Along the lines of the Mr. Lemoncello and Mysterious Benedict Society books, this is a great puzzle quest for those who like those adventures!

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is an incredibly fun book with so much heart. I loved every page and I know MG readers will too. Three friends who love escape rooms decide to challenge themselves with the ultimate escape room: visiting an abandoned fun house/escape house in hopes of finding the long-lost prize. Sarah is determined to win, despite it being very hard and very risky, because her family may lose their house and the prize could help save it. What will happen when the three 12-year-olds break in and try to escape? Readers will be dying to know!
I love how readers who might not love spooky stories will have a Lindsay Currie story to enjoy! Readers will not be disappointed!

Thanks to netgalley for providing an ARC for an honest review.

Fun read! If you like escape rooms and choose your own adventure stories, this book is for you. Some heavy themes are mentioned (chronic illness, money troubles, bullying), but they do not pull too much focus.

I am so excited to share this book with you! A huge thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. I am a huge fan of Lindsay Currie and have enjoyed her Middle Grade spooky books immensely! This time she is taking a different kind of adventure. Think The Goonies mixed with an escape room thriller, all starring middle school kids. This was by far my favorite book of the year. It is of course perfect for middle Grade kiddos on up, but this adult enjoyed it so much. I keep thinking what a great movie it would make. The kids in the action are all so relatable and fun. They all have a great depth of character. Their friendship is what makes this book really special. I love to see pre-teens and teens reflected in a way where they are supporting each other and lifting each other up. These kids aren't perfect but they care about each other and each support each other through their trials and support their strengths. This is a book I would be proud to share with my kids and any kids I know. It would make a great gift this spring!

Do you have what it takes to solve the mystery of the locked rooms? Sarah, West and Hannah are confident they can find the treasure that's supposedly hidden in an abandoned funhouse built in the 1950s, but they've never been in escape rooms like these! This is a fast-paced, funny mystery perfect for fans of the Mr. Lemoncello series.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms was such a pleasure to read! Known for her signature spooky stories, this is a bit of a departure for Lindsay Currie. She, instead, applies that sense of suspense and mystery to a tale of three friends Sarah, West, and Hannah, who find themselves faced with the ultimate escape room—an abandoned funhouse. Such a challenge reveals much about their character, pressures, and fears. What would you do to help your family? Fans of puzzles, codes, riddles, and adventure will love this book. My students are already uber fans of Lindsay Currie and this is sure to keep her at the top of their reading list. I’m looking forward to the day I get to read this aloud to them.

When I say I devoured this book! I was already a huge fan of Lindsay Currie and her spooky stories. At first I wasn't so sure how I'd feel about this divergence but wow! I'm so glad I read this book.

(spoilers ahead)

Sarah Greene is a middle schooler whose family is having a hard time. When she discovers a foreclosure note taped to her front door, her world completely falls apart. Sarah's dad is chronically ill and her mother's been working two jobs to try and make up for the loss of income--and failing. And if the bank takes their house, Sarah will have to move to another state and lose everything.

Together with her best friends (the Deltas), a trio who enjoy puzzles, adventure, math, and challenges, Sarah devises a plan to visit a boarded up funhouse created by triplet brothers in the 60s. Legend has it that they left a treasure behind and encouraged the public to find it. But then tragedy struck and they never finished the funhouse in time to open it up.

Once in the funhouse, Sarah and the other Deltas realize that finding the triplet treasure might be harder--and more dangerous--than they thought. In a brilliant series of rooms, the Deltas not only face the very real threat of not making it through the funhouse and finding the treasure, but also their own insecurities.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a heartwarming story of friends who encourage each other, are supportive, and teach kids that differences aren't bad. It's also a wonderful tale about letting go and trusting that things can work out in the end. Lindsay Currie truly is a master storyteller, no matter what genre she writes in. I was hooked from the first chapter and the quick and exciting pace kept me turning the pages.

Imagine entering a real-life escape room where your family's future depends on your success of finding a decades-old treasure that you aren't even sure really exists. A charismatic trio of friends, Sarah, West, and Hannah, also known as the Deltas, take on the suspenseful challenges of the fittingly-named Delta Game--a game that three brothers created in an attempt to build the greatest fun house ever--in hopes of winning the money to save Sarah's family from losing their home and having to move away. The Deltas' determination to crack each code, beat each challenge, and move through the intricate mazes will keep readers eagerly turning the pages in anticipation of what will happen next. Additionally, readers will enjoy trying to solve the puzzles the three friends encounter. The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie is an action-packed, mysterious adventure that is a thrill-ride from beginning to end.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite reads was Goosebumps: One Day at HorrorLand. I love that The Mystery of Locked Rooms has those same funhouse, mysterious, “will we get out?” vibes.

My students love, love, love BreakoutEDU and the concepts that surround breaking into those locks, as well as the clue hunting, problem solving, and creative thinking challenge that these and escape rooms present. The mere mention of that being the premise will beckon them in to read this book, and the fact that the creation of the game is done so intentionally and skillfully will keep them in suspense reading and trying to figure it out with the Deltas along the way.

I love the way the Deltas persevere through their mistakes and the way they approach teamwork. Currie weaved the challenges of the game with the personal challenges of each of the three main characters in a beautiful, meaningful, insightful way. Readers will both be able to relate and be able to vicariously pick up life lessons along with them. I found myself bookmarking quite a few of the revelations the Deltas made on their journey because they felt like exactly the right words and sentiments that would be useful time and time again.

Lots of authors are amazing storytellers, but a step even above that is the way Lindsay Currie’s writing flows so beautifully that it makes the pages turn effortlessly without any barriers that make you stop reading or want to put down the book. I am always transported fully into the story with her characters and their worlds.

Also worth mentioning: Fantastic pacing and a first chapter that acts as everything a perfect one should be! (And… I did have some tears in my eyes toward the end…)

An easy call to add this to my school library collection and to recommend others do the same!

Fortune favors the bold in this high-stakes, middle-grade adventure where turning back is not an option.

Goonies meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library meets Willy Wonka in a mystery adventure that combines the most brilliant and unique challenges with a bit of wit and lots of excitement.

Readers will not be prepared for the caliber of riddles and clues that will stump even the most experienced escape room player.

From a circus-themed fun house to swinging ropes and trapdoors, there are 16 rooms that need to be escaped and none of them are for the faint of heart. Three main characters must face mysterious hanging boxes, giant statues, and even one lipstick wearing goat.

Lindsay Currie delivers a fast paced high tempo book that will keep readers up way past their bedtime, trying to uncover the mystery for themselves .

Every item is a clue, and every clue is its own riddle. Proving that the impossible is not truly impossible if you work together as a team.

This book is sure to be a top read of the season, proving the adventure, friendship, and solving mysteries is still the winning combination.

A sweet adventure story about three friends who conquer the ultimate escape room together. Sarah, who is a bit of a misfit and struggling with her home life, joins up with two friends as the Deltas, making quick work of nearly any puzzle. Her friends are believable and supportive, even if the premise really isn't.

This is a gentle adventure story that is full of positive messages and accessible for most young readers. Adults who aren't specifically interested in escape rooms probably won't find it too compelling.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Kids for an eARC of The Mystery of Locked Rooms! This is a fun middle grade read, and I shared it with my ten year old son via bedtime read aloud over the last few weeks, and he and I both loved it so much!

MC Sarah’s family has been struggling financially ever since her father developed a chronic illness, but she believes she can help them out, if only she can find the treasure locked away in an abandoned funhouse with the help of her best friends, Hannah and West.

Sarah and her friends, “The Deltas” (as they call themselves), are obsessed with escape rooms. Several people have tried to solve the mystery of the abandoned funhouse over the years, but perhaps the Deltas are the ones with the skill set to finally crack the seventy year old codes?

This story, and the writing, are nearly five star material, in the vein of The Mysterious Benedict Society, a wonderful and sensitive introduction to the mystery genre with an underlying message about friendship and teamwork. The only thing that caught me (trying not to leave a spoiler!) was at least one instance of a rhyming puzzle “clue” that absolutely made no sense in light of plot continuity (just *how* exactly did the person who left the note seven decades ago know that the person who found it would have made exactly three attempts at guessing the answer to the puzzle before finding the note? It made no sense to me, but my son did not pick up on it and it didn’t bother him at all- I didn’t mention it to him, either).

Overall, while not perfect, it was a fantastic, exciting story, and we loved it. My son says five stars, I say four- so, an easy 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - we will recommend it to our friends, for sure!

"The Mystery of Locked Rooms" by Lindsay Currie is an action-packed adventure novel targeted at children. The story revolves around twelve-year-old Sarah Greene and her two best friends, West and Hannah. Sarah's primary goal for her seventh-grade year is to conquer the most challenging escape room in town with her friends. However, a foreclosure notice on Sarah's house changes everything, pushing her to seek an alternative solution.

The trio learns about a hidden treasure rumored to be concealed within the walls of an abandoned 1950s funhouse. According to legend, three orphans named Hans, Stefan, and Karl Stein built the funhouse, incorporating elaborate riddles and secret passages. The triplets claimed to have hidden a treasure inside, and now Sarah, West, and Hannah embark on a quest to find it.

The funhouse proves to be unlike any escape room they've encountered before. The challenges feel personal, almost as if the triplets anticipated their arrival. As they navigate the mysterious funhouse, Sarah grapples with the realization that their future might be at stake.

"The Mystery of Locked Rooms" combines elements of mystery, adventure, and friendship, making it an engaging read for children. The novel invites young readers to join the characters on a thrilling journey filled with puzzles, secrets, and the quest for hidden treasure.

I absolutely LOVED this ARC! I found the mysteries and puzzles to be compelling, and I loved the strong friendship between the three main characters. I am very much looking forward to getting this book for my school library, I believe my middle school students will love it!

The Mystery of Locked Rooms was described to me as a mix of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and Willy Wonka, and I totally agree. I loved meeting and reading about friends Sarah, West, and Hannah. The trio call themselves the Deltas and pride themselves on working together to conquer escape rooms.

When Sarah's family is facing foreclosure, the friends decide to try and beat the ultimate escape room, a mythical "fun house" built by mysterious triplets who hid the "triplet's treasure." It's the only way to keep the Deltas together.

When they finally reach the house, Sarah, Hannah, and West work together to beat each room while learning more about themselves and conquering their own fears. It becomes a race against the clock since the trio didn't exactly get permission from their parents...

I loved the growth of each character and the way they worked together. I cannot wait until I can share this book with ALL of my middle schoolers!

This middle grade mystery is fun and exciting. Although, I am not the intended reader, I found this story about three friends exploring a fun house that was abandoned some seventy years earlier to find a mythical treasure a very enjoyable read. Reminded me of the film The Goonies, and had to chuckle when that reference even appeared in the book. If you are a fan of escape rooms (like these three adventurous kids are), then you will enjoy this novel. I have never tried an escape room but want to now! Full of thrills, mystery, and the strong bond of friendship makes this top notch!

As a huge escape room fan, this book was a ton of fun to read! And I bet it was a ton of fun to write too. ;)

I am sure this is going to be a big hit among middle grade readers with excitement and tension in every cliff-hanger chapter. A treasure hunt, puzzles, codes, mysteries, plus lots of great subtle character details that make each person unique from the others. With adequate age-appropriate warnings about the daring feats the children engage in, and plenty of "will they make it?" nail-biting scenes, kids will devour this book and clamor for the next!

Escape rooms are easy; try an escape house!

Great, fast paced read! Made me think of Lemoncello’s Library mixed with deeper characters that had challenges all their own to overcome. Loved the Deltas friendship, courage, and heart throughout the book. Love that it dealt with issues many kids face, but at an appropriate level for kiddos to identify with. Super fun and can’t wait to share with my readers!

Sarah, Hannah and West, AKA The Deltas, make up a talented escape room team and have the T-shirts and accolades on various bulletin boards to prove it, but the stakes are higher on this latest endeavor. Built in the 1950s by triplets, a long abandoned “funhouse” is supposed to have a treasure hidden somewhere in the 16 rooms but it remains undiscovered despite attempts by many, some being arrested after vain attempts. Faced with losing her home, Sarah and her friends resolve to put their gifted skill set to the ultimate test-West with his eidetic memory, Hannah with her bravery, strength and flexibility and Sarah’s research and observational skills.

Readers of Currie’s earlier works may need to be warned that this isn’t her usual scary page-turner for middle grade readers, but more of a thrill ride that leads three young people on a journey of self-discovery that further cements their friendship trio. The action and adventure start quickly with only a small number of pages spent on setting the stage and introducing the characters making this a great choice for the impatient reader who may give up on books with lengthier expository sections. Each room in the so-called funhouse is unique and described so well they will be crystal clear in readers’ minds and through the course of each room, the distinct personalities of Hannah, Sarah and West come through loud and clear. Of course there is a happy ending, after all, this is middle grade lit, but the trip to get there will have those in grades 4-7 trying to figure out the clues and wondering the whole time.