Look out, young detectives–The Hampton House Mystery, a new installment in Ellen Alexander’s Dinswood Chronicles, is a wonderful mystery well-suited for readers aged 10-14, full of lovable characters and intriguing twists.
For readers who enjoy mystery series such as Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, The Hampton House Mystery brings new ideas to the familiar genre. The story follows Emma, a student at Dinswood Academy, who hopes to enjoy her summer vacation at various campgrounds with her friends Martha, Sebastian, and Doug, along with Martha and Sebastian’s families. But, at their first stop, the Crosswinds Campground, the teens find themselves drawn to the mystery of the nearby Hampton House, rumored to be haunted.
While the mystery may seem simple at first, Alexander does an impeccable job weaving extra elements into the story to keep readers engaged and guessing through the final page. The reader can uncover the many layers of the mystery along with Emma, even if they have information that Emma does not immediately have. But, Alexander takes care to make sure these layers are foreshadowed with sprinkles of evidence throughout, so readers won’t feel cheated by the revelations.
Now, I will admit this is the first book in the series that I’ve read, but it is obvious that Alexander has taken time to develop the relationships between her characters. Every action the teens take toward one another obviously has history behind it, whether or not it is specifically stated in the narrative. The depth of their connections rounds out their respective characterizations, and has been crafted well enough for even someone who is new to the series to understand their four years of knowing each other.
One thing that I believe could’ve been showcased a bit better, though, are some of Emma’s characteristics that become important during certain scenes, such as her fears of cramped spaces and spiders. Given that Alexander did take the time to recap traits such as physical description before the action began, giving an extra opportunity to showcase Emma’s fears before they become important to the plot of this specific installment would allow Emma’s character to shine even further, and avoid the trap of using fears solely as a plot device, rather than being part of the whole character.
Overall, The Hampton House Mystery is a charming read that any young mystery enjoyer will love. The Hampton House Mystery will be released on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org on February 20th, 2024.
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