The Secret of Dinswood (The Dinswood Chronicles, #1)
by Ellen Alexander

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BOOK SUMMARY 

Desperate to get away from a home where she no longer feels wanted, twelve-year-old Emma Higsby is elated when she wins a scholarship to the prestigious Dinswood Academy boarding school.
Emma quickly falls in love with the renovated castle nestled in the heart of the mountains. But when rumors surface that her new school is having financial problems and may have to close, she begins to search for a way to save her new home.

When she discovers a riddle of buried treasure left by the eccentric school’s founder, Lord Dinswood, she and her friends must use their courage and intelligence to solve each clue.

But someone else is searching for the treasure as well. Emma and her friends will have to race against time and discover the secret of Dinswood first!

BOOK REVIEW

5 STARS

*An ARC of The Secret of Dinswood was given through NetGalley in return for an honest review.*

If I had to describe this, it would be Malory Towers meet The Famous Five – a mystery set in a boarding school where there’s strict teachers, early curfews and great friends.

I knew from the prologue that I’d like this book. The story was interesting and the sentences were not difficult to understand or get used to. Since it is targeted towards middle grade children, the sentences were short but not too simple. The pacing was suitable and it was an easy read that’d be perfect to read after a long day.

The Secret of Dinswood was suspenseful and cleverly planned. The riddles are somewhat easy to understand the characters are likable. Some of the side characters are one-dimensional but played very important roles in the development of the story.

I also liked the closure of the story and how it was written. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

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