When Ms Nelson collects 11-year-old April from the hospital following a suspicious fire, April has little choice but to go with her. After being moved on from several foster homes her choices are limited but she is about to hit the jackpot. Winterborne Home, her new residence is not like anywhere she has lived before. It’s a mansion offering everything she could ever want.
There’s also a small group of other misfits that live there but everyone is warm and supportive. It’s the first time April has felt like she might have a home. Despite this she is already plotting to escape and find her mother. When her mother left, she gave her a key that bears the Winterborne crest and April is convinced that the key will lead her back to her mother. Now she is in the perfect place to solve the mystery – that is if she can find what the key unlocks.
However, when she starts to hear noises at night and what appears to be an ancient statue of a Sentinel come to life, she realises that she may be closer to stumbling upon another secret. Many years ago, the Winterborne family met with tragedy and all but one perished. Gabriel Winterborne was the one survivor but he has been missing for years. Will April be able to find the answer to both secrets and perhaps find a real family and home along the way?
Filled with quirky characters such as Sadie, the chaotic inventor, Colin who has a special gift for detecting fraudsters and Violet with her body guard/brother Tim, young readers will be captivated. The adults are also an interesting bunch – Ms Nelson appears to only dress in one colour (think white, head to toe), the butler Smithers has a sixth sense when it comes to emergencies and evil Uncle Evert Winterborne is a classic villain.
April has a mischievous streak and despite all manner of impediments will not let go of her goal. There’s not much that scares her and you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat more than once when she goes where not many would go… Aside from the sense of constantly lurking danger, there are many funny moments, not least Sadie’s failed inventions and the spectacularly imaginative resourcefulness of the orphans.
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour is a highly suspenseful story for those who love a good mystery. There’s comradery, gadgets and villains along with endearing characters – you can’t ask for more than that. The first in a new middle grade series by New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter, you can expect many more tales of April to come. If your young reader liked A Series of Unfortunate Events, they’ll enjoy this.
Does April and Tim become better friends in the future