The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  It is Christmas break and Milo is hoping to use his time off from school to rest and relax.  Unfortunately, he lives with his parents in an old house turned inn located in the town of Nagspeake.  As soon as he settles in with his books and hot chocolate, Milo’s vacation is interrupted by a strange group of characters that arrive at the inn.  When some of the guests’ items go missing, Milo and his friend Meddy are drawn into deeper mysteries about the history of the house and the people  that once lived there.

My Take:  This is a finely realized mystery that will appeal to advanced elementary aged readers who do not mind wading through some exposition.   I admire Milford’s ability to develop the world of Nagspeake and Greenglass House and to settle the reader in this interesting environment.  I did find myself wishing for a mystery that was more finely focused on one point rather than spreading it out between the relationships of the guests, the missing items, and the history of the house.

One Interesting Thing About The Author:  According to her website, Kate has also written articles on such arcane topics as “self-aware ironmongery and how to make saltwater taffy in a haunted kitchen.”