I devoured "The Curious Vanishing of Eleanor Willoughby" in one day. It's a great fantasy whodunit, like Brothers Grimm meets Knives Out. The guests are all locked into the Amadeus mansion for four hours till midnight and tasked with uncovering who kidnapped/took the life of six year old Eleanor Willoughby 13 years ago. Each character is intriguing , and while you can put the pieces together before the end, it still wraps up to a satisfying conclusion.
I also appreciated the references to well known tales, like "The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin".
Highly recommend for mystery and fairy tale fans!

Thirteen years ago Beatrice Willoughby disappeared from the annual All Hallow's Eve party at the Inkwoods home of Mort and Maribelle Amadeus. Now several of the original guests are recalled to the mansion in order to sniff out the truth. There's the town judge, town pharmacist, local innkeeper, town cobbler, town school teacher, a snooty duchess, and a man who has the uncanny ability to predict what will happen. There are two uninvited guests that show up. A story collector and his son, The story collector was at the party thirteen years ago and just happens to have collected stories not unlike the famous brothers Grimm. As the clock ticks towards midnight, clues are revealed, secrets uncovered and the truth eventually comes out.

I love a story that twists and turns and comes back to full circle. A story that spins many plots and ties them up in a lovely bow. In a quiet village in the mountains there lies the Ink Woods, and in the woods, the Amadeus house. The Amedeus family holds an All Hallows Eve Party every year, until a girl goes missing. All is quiet for 13 years, until invitations go out for a party, one to each person who may have something to do with the disappearance, including a story teller. This winding story leaves quiet the impression.

DNF - I really, really loved the premise & the quirky way this story was written but I'm just not in a place to be able to consume the story in written form. I hope it's made into an audiobook so I can return & enjoy the story as a whole.

This was an enjoyable read! It’s a mystery novel with some fun twists. A group of townspeople are brought together to solve the disappearance of a missing child and to clear the name of the man who was wrongly imprisoned. Each chapter is a countdown toward midnight and reveals more clues. Throughout the book, bits of fairy tales are told, exposing each guest at the party as a character from a familiar story, thus making each one seem guilty for various reasons. The characters were all unique and it made for a fun read. This would be a good read aloud for an upper elementary age class or a middle school independent read. It would also make for a good genre study, due to the fact that mystery, fantasy, and fairy tales are all woven together in this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC of #TheCuriousVanishingofBeatriceWilloughby by #G.Z.Schmidt in exchange for honest feedback.
-4 stars

I read this book after it was finished and I found it really fun. It was a quick and easy read, and the mystery kept me engaged.

The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby is a middle grade mystery set in the perfect spooky house, reminding me of an aged down Clue mixed with fairy tales.

There were a lot of positives to this book, especially the beginning. The author did a fantastic job of setting the scene. I couldn't stop reading about this house and these curious characters. They were all introduced in such interesting ways and given really fun personalities. The mystery itself was intriguing and left me excited to get answers. And the main character was the perfect lense for a middle grade reader.

Unfortunately, I do think this book fell a bit flat in a few areas. The mix of fairy tales with the spooky setting kind of took me out of the story that was set up in the beginning. It felt like two separate vibes clashing against each other, rather than working together. But I recognize that is purely my own taste and others might feel differently. I also felt the resolution of the crime itself was a bit rushed. Full disclosure, my arc copy was flawed and apparently had the full book pasted in twice. When I got to the end, I was expecting it to be the middle and a little confused when everything wrapped up so quickly. It's possible this contributed to my feelings, but I do still believe it just wasn't entirely fleshed out as well as it could have been.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I think kids getting into mysteries and spooky books can still find a lot to enjoy in it. I'd be interested in seeing what comes from this author in the future.

Full of charm, quirkiness and humour, G.Z. Schmidt’s mystery about the disappearance of young Beatrice Willoughby (and mayor's daughter) at an annual party thrown by the Amadeus family kept me grinning and entertained from start to finish.

The Amadeus annual costume party is the talk of the town, and a favourite of those who have attended in the past. When Beatrice mysteriously vanished, the Amadeus family stopped holding the party, and isolated themselves, particularly after one of their own was arrested for the disappearance.

Interestingly, there have been other children who have also disappeared without a trace around the town.

The story opens some years later with a select group of individuals in the town receiving invitations to this year's party. Additionally, a travelling father and son, the Chaucer and Dewey O'Connor, are brought along with one of the guests. Chaucer is fascinated by magic and folklore, and Dewey O'Connor is a boy who likes the read,. and doesn't have friends, as other kids think he's weird.

When all the guests assemble, the Amadeus' caretaker advises them that they're there, which is to determine who is really responsible for Beatrice's disappearance. What ensues is a funny, sloppy, melodrama-filled investigation, which reminded me of the oddball energy of the "Clue" movie from many years ago. Dewey watches and listens carefully, slowly piecing together all the seemingly random facts we've been given up to this point about each guest and the other disappearances in the town, before figuring out who is actually behind the disappearance.

I totally enjoyed this. It's full of silliness, magic, a ghost dog, a countdown till midnight to keep the tension building, and over the top behaviour from all the characters, except from the delightful Dewey.

I also loved all the in-story folk tales as related by Chaucer (an amusing reference to the other, medieval Chaucer?), as they enriched the world author G.Z. Schmidt has created. The slightly ominous ending was also great, perhaps hinting at further encounters between Dewey and the culprit?...

Thank you to Netgalley and to Holiday House for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a quirky little fantasy mystery that feels like you are inside a fairytale world with some very interesting characters.

The Amadeuses always held an annual All Hallow's Eve party but one year a young girl named Beatrice went missing and Mort was accused of the crime and sentenced to jail. Now it's been thirteen years and several people have been sent an invitation to the Amadeuses' house for the first party in thirteen years, the people invited had all attended that one party and are being accused of the crime.
They have till midnight to find the culprit.

There are two that come to the party that were not invited and that would be Dewey and his dad. His dad is a story collector who seems to have stories that he tells that make those in attendance squirm a bit. Dewey is a very smart book learned young man with strange goggles that actually seem to help him with some strange things that happen.

Dewey uses his book smarts and the fact he likes taking notes of what is happening to help solve the crime.

I loved Dewey he was so cute and this was an interesting though strange little mystery.

"More people need to know about this book." That was my immediate thought upon finishing this novel. Dark, Poe-inspired fun! The pacing and character building are excellent. I happily suspended any disbelief and was completely immersed in the mystery.

For some reason, the copy I had of this book was printed twice. I thought it might be one of those gimmicks where you have two books which have a similar storyline but different endings, but that was not the case.
There is a certain style of narration that borders on the humourous but does not give into its own slant. I am sure there is a name for such writing, but I do not know what that is.
Thirteen years before we meet them all, Beatrice Willoughby vanished during an All Hallow's Eve party at the Amadeuses' home. All the people who were present on the day have received another invite to a party for the same occasion. They each have something to hide, and we get a glimpse of what that might be before the door shuts them all inside the house.
A precocious boy who is unsure of what his role is to be in the events is the one who actually gets to the bottom of things while putting his life in danger.
It is a short volume that will work for a range of ages and has a forbidding atmosphere throughout. There are some logical conclusions that a reader can come to, making it an entertaining read. I found the content unexpected and the style entertaining.
I would recommend this book to children as well as adults who like a little bit of gothic spin to their stories. The ending was a bit of a cliff hanger, and I was not a hundred percent sure what to do with the information I was given!
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

My class have been after a book filled with mystery, intrigue and magic; this certainly fit the bill. I read parts of this to my Year 5s and have already pledged to buy several copies for the school library.

A fantastic read and will be very much enjoyed by our upper key stage 2 children (I happened to love it also.)

This was a perfect book to read for spooky season. A lighthearted, creepy and fun story that’s excellent for readers of any age.

There is a “best way” to read this book. Let me set a vibe for you.

Grab your favourite hot beverage! It’s a dark, damp, rainy and cold night. The wind is blowing and the leaves are swirling. You’re all bundled up with a cozy blanket. Your room is lit by only candles. You probably have a pumpkin decoration or two set about your shelves… maybe some decorative skulls and crows. You want your setting to feel spooky, yet cozy. Now you’re all set to start reading a slightly sinister mystery set on Halloween night.

The best part about this book was the countdown to midnight. You think you might be able to stop for a moment, to set the book down and get something done. But you can’t. Make sure you put a few hours aside to read this enjoyable story in one sitting.

I absolutely adored every subtle mention of classic stories and fairy tales. It started making me feel nostalgic while also keeping the book fresh and new.

So much spooky middle grade fun with lots and lots of heart and wisdom. Full of charm and gentle humor this book will appeal to all the ages!

Thanks to Holiday House, NetGalley, and G.Z. Schmidt for the chance to review an advance copy of this wonderful middle grade mystery book. It’s a wonderful book set during Halloween and a quick read. What happens when six year old Beatrice vanishes under mysterious circumstances during the Amadeus’ annual Halloween party? Sadly it takes 13 years for the real culprit to be brought to justice. In the meantime, what happens to people in the town makes for quite a curious story. I recommend this book for any young person looking for a fun mystery with spooky elements.

Imagine the Westing Game meets the Brothers Grimm in this middle grade mystery.

Guests of a party where the mayor's 6 year old daughter disappeared 13 years ago are reinvited back to discover whodunit, hours before the statute of limitations runs out and the perp escapes justice.

I loved curious Dewey, who accidentally shows up with his troubadour of a dad, uninvited. I loved the quirky suspects, and the way the author wove in classic stories. I loved the villain of the piece, and how they got away with it for so long.

Please let there be a sequel!

Accessible, locked room mystery for youth. I will recommend for acquisition into elementary and middle school libraries.

This is quite the mystery that middle grade readers are going to really enjoy. Beatrice disappeared from a party 13 years ago and now 11 year old Dewey's father and Dewey has invited back to the scene of the crime along with a select few guest for a "party." The story is fast paced and keeps readers on their toes.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review.

What happened 13 years ago to Beatrice Willoughby at the All Hallows Eve party? Did Mort Amadeus really hide her away? Who knows the true story? Why were only certain townsfolk invited back again after there had been no parties there since that time? This is a fun introduction to working out the clues to solve the mystery.

What a fun Halloween mystery! This book gives good vibes with a dash of magic. The spooky mansion set in the creepy woods gives an amazing ambience and the countdown to midnight to solve the mystery kept me hooked to keep reading. I loved all of the characters and the mix of the brief fairy tale retellings. I found myself smiling while reading this as it was such a fun time.

#thecuriousvanishingofbeatricewilloughby, #GZ.Schmidt, #netgalley, #thriller

This was a nice story with likable characters and a nice mystery. This has the perfect amount of suspense for the age range it's targeted for. This was a great read! Special Thank You to G.Z. Schmidt, Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.