12-year-old Flora Winter and her mother head off for a month holiday over Christmas for her mother to finish writing her book. They’re headed to Helmersbruk to stay in a small cottage on a larger estate. The instant Flora touches down on the property she feels a pull to the Manor and begins to experience some unusual events. Flora has recently lost her dad and is still very much grieving the loss of his presence. What she finds at Helmersbruk Manor will fill her heart and complete her story in ways she never imagined. Filled with a cast of characters that come alive on the page, this story brings the past to the present in a way that will keep readers wanting to know more. It’s an ode to the preservation of treasured family heirlooms and stories as well as a reminder that’s it’s ok to still hold on tight to something you love, even if it’s gone.

What a great children’s fiction adventure to take your kids on. It’s the perfect blend for this fall season- Ghosts AND Christmas… what could be better?? This mystery is filled with heart and I can’t wait to share it with my own kids.

For reader reference it is not at all scary, there are concepts of death, bullying, and illegitimacy.

Although it seems that Flora’s story is all tied up with a bow, I’m hoping this isn’t the last of her and the Manor’s story 🤞🏻. In the mean time we will be buying Eva Frantz’s other children’s fiction mysteries to read as a family!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @netgalley and @pushkin_press for this #advancedreaderscopy - pub date is 9/24/24.

#2024bookchallenge84of75
#netgalley
#thesecretofhelmersbrukmanor

The Mystery of Helmersbruk Manor is a cozy little novel full of heart, a wonderful cast of characters, and a heartwarming ending.

It would be the perfect book to read in December as the Christmas season approaches, as there is an illustrated chapter for each day of Advent.

This book was catergorized as a children's book, and I thought I was getting a picture book. Imagine my surpise when it turned out to be an illustrated novel. I would put the age range for this book at 12+ only because some of the inferences that need to be made may go over the head of anyone younger.

thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this advanced ebook copy

** “Maybe this was just how it was in old places? Maybe events of the past had a sort of … echo, even though the people who had lived there were long gone?” **

Eva Frantz delivers a story for youth and adults alike with just enough spooky to be satisfying in “The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery.”

Flora Winter and her author mom Linn decide to take a monthlong break from life in the city and stay in the remote town of Helmersbruk while grieving the loss of their father and husband. They find themself staying in part of the mostly abandoned von Hiems Manor, a place that “chooses who it allows in.”

As Flora quickly is hit by mysterious voices, a playing music box that she can’t ever find, pale faces and an odd white squirrel, she is determined to solve the mysteries of the manor — is there really a hidden treasure, why do plants seem to grow in the middle of winter, and who is the mysterious Gonny she meets even though no one but the caretaker lives on the property?

Frantz does a great job of creating a plot of intrigue and mystery, filled with unexpected twists. She also develops two interesting sets of characters, the von Hiems who used to live at the manor and those now surrounding Flora. She also includes some great themes, like having faith and trust in one’s self; finding courage to overcome your fears; fighting for what you want to protect; and staying true to your identity.

Lovely illustrations by Elin Sandstrom add to the charm of “The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery,” with is due out Sept. 24.

For those with younger readers, there are a couple occurrences of very mild swear words and a slightly mature story line at one point.

Five stars out of five.

Pushkin Children’s Books provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This book has just the right amount of spookiness and mystery to engage Y5-6 students, without scaring them too much. It is perfect for children who are into mysteries and spine-chillers. The book is also beautifully illustrated.

What an enchanting read! This is exactly the sort of story I would have eagerly devoured as a child. Reading it filled me with such empathy for the characters and a hope that there would be a resolution to the intriguing mystery which Flora finds herself faced with. The gorgeous black and white illustrations just added to the charm of this book.
Thank you also for the reading suggestions at the end of the book - I'll certainly be looking out for these.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun and spooky read. My kids love mysteries,so this is right up their alley. I love how Flora keeps trying to put the pieces together,even when time is running out.The drawings were a nice touch as well.

Oooh but I liked this one! It had everything I enjoy in a middle-grade story: a clever and misunderstood protagonist, mysterious happenings no one else notices, and a hidden world-within-the-world element that was magical and eerie and fabulous to watch unfold! Frantz has done a magnificent job crafting a tale that is charming and slightly off-kilter, full of insightful consideration of what it means to feel awkward and like you never fit in. The mystery unfolded perfectly, with just enough misdirection and teasing revelation to keep me engaged and curious throughout the whole book.

Upon finishing, I immediately went in search of more by the author - only to find that there is only one other book that appears to be readily available in English (The Mystery of Raspberry Hill) - which none of my libraries carried but which I found on eBay and promptly ordered. Here's hoping her adult crime fiction makes it into translation soon, because I really enjoyed the way she told a story - and my Finnish is non-existent!

Thank you so much to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the book to read and review.

Flora moves to a small haunted town for the winter, she is instantly drawn in by the manor on her grounds and finds a mystery to solve and the manor to save from being demolished. From the very start I was hooked and I loved the whole thing. Such an incredibly well written book, so haunting and gripping. So many mysteries throughout, I loved reading this story.

What an absolutely fantastic read, its so creepy and eerie the vibe the whole time is intense, you feel that people are watching her constantly, you can hear them but don’t know who they are. The town is an almost absondoned haunted town and it’s stuck in the past to when it was all last heavily lived in, she’s the first one to come disturb it, to wake it up.

I really liked Flora as a protagonist she’s so interesting and so curious, I love how she daydreams but they aren’t really daydreams at all. She’s seeing the past of someone else’s life there. I really liked how she grew throughout and gained her courage and how determined she was to get inside the manor, to save the manor.

I loved the snippets of the past the story of Rigmor as you read through, It added to the whole story, knowing something that Flora didn’t enhanced the stories mystery. Egon was also interesting but creepy, he just appears and disappears all the time, you knew there was something with him but putting the pieces together I never twigged on at all. I loved learning more of the history of the people and the building, the land surrounding. This story kept ramping up the eeriness and I loved it.

What an incredible mystery, so many twists and turns through the story and though a few things were obvious most of it wasn’t at all. I loved solving everything with Flora and seeing how she fought to save the manor. A very well throughout story with some deep heartfelt scenes towards the end in particular.

I loved the illustrations at the beginning of every chapter, they shared a preview to what was to come, they were really beautifully done but also a little creepy by knowing what was coming a little. Such a great addition to the book.

A charming ghost story set during Christmas, with a subtle Gothic atmosphere. I loved how it seamlessly shifted between the present and a past love story. The pacing was quick and the writing accessible—maybe not as thrilling as I expected, but still a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This book went down very well with our little reading group. It was well paced , magical and spookily scary without inducing nightmares. We loved the well fleshed out characters and the setting. The only complaint was that reading a Christmas book in the summer holidays was a bit odd !

I received a free copy of, The Secret of Helmersbruck Manor, by Eva Frantz, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Twelve year old Flora is spending Christmas in a haunted house, with her mother, and all sorts of characters. I really liked the illustrations in this book, and the Christmas mystery, an enjoyable read.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: A nice story for kids

December 1975
Flora Winter and her mother travel to a small seaside town, Helmersbruk, to spend the month of Christmas away from the city. Twelve-year-old Flora is in two minds about this move. Her mother is determined to make the most of this time to write and earn some living to support them.
Soon, Flora falls in love with their temporary residence and explores the grounds. The massive Helmersbruk Manor has been abandoned for decades and catches Flora's attention. She also hears whispers, sees strange animals, and meets a shy boy some years her senior.
When Flora realizes a mystery surrounding the Manor, she is determined to dig deeper. But does the house want her to solve it?
The story comes in Flora’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
After loving The Raspberry Hill by the author, I was excited about this. Originally, this book was published first in the author’s native native language Finnish. The translations are in the reverse order. (The books are standalone)
This one blends many genres like mystery, paranormal, family drama, etc. It is almost historical in terms of timeline though not quite. However, the vibes are very much historical.
The description of the setting – the manor, the extensive lands, the gatekeeper’s cottage, the labyrinth, the orangery, etc., is easy to visualize. The black and white pencil sketches by Elin Sandström (one at the beginning of each chapter) enhance the visual appeal.
The darkness of the place and the grief in the story align well. Flora and her mother are grieving the death of Flora’s father. The manor is grieving the loss of laughter within its walls. Fridolf is grieving the loss of his family.
That said, there are a few light moments to bring some smiles. Flora is an enthusiastic and curious girl. Her inner monologues can be fun at times. Of course, she also likes to make up stories.
However, the mystery and the paranormal elements are not strong enough. They may work for young readers, though I cannot be sure. I wouldn’t have minded a little more spookiness to the atmosphere. The reveals and twists are a bit too convenient, which dilutes the intensity. Still, kids may enjoy it for what it is. There is a treasure hunt to keep them hooked.
Apart from grief, the book explores bullying, class differences, family secrets, and guilt. These are pretty much surface-level, and some don’t get a resolution.
The past is presented in the form of a letter. This letter has a grayish tinge to differentiate it from the rest of the contents. However, you can see the color change only on the computer (PDF on the desktop/ laptop). The print version should be much better than Kindle if you want to notice these details.
The prologue is balanced by an epilogue and both come in the POV of the manor. We get a nice HEA, so everything ends well!

To summarize, The Secret of Helmersbruck Manor is a cozy paranormal mystery for middle graders. Give it a try if you like old houses and strange events, and a protag is determined to solve the mystery.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pushkin Press (Pushkin’s Children’s Books), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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More links will be updated later.

A lovely little tale which will appeal to my young readers at school. Vivid and satisfying. Lovely characters and setting.

In The Secret of Helmersbruck Manor we follow Flora, a teen, who visits Helmersbruck with her mother for Christmas. The year is 1975.
Flora soon discovers a strange manor, strange items and happenings.
Flora's mother's a writer and Flora keeps exploring the odd small seaside town.
She is not entirely alone in her journey - voices, Egon and Fridolf accompany her in what she is about to find out.

This was a highly enjoyable and gripping read. I liked the characters, especially Flora and Egon.
The narrative was atmospheric and the illustrations were a perfect match.

Here is a breakdown of my thoughts

Plot 4/5 (good twists)
Pacing 3.5/5
Structure 4/5
Characterisation 4.5/5
Prose 4/5
Themes 4/5
Mood 4/5

It is 1975 when Flora and her mind take a journey to Helmersbruck- a seaside town- where they rent a small house close to an abandoned manor.
Upon arrival Flora is aware that the manor and its grounds have a story to tell- a mysterious white squirrel keep appearing, the discovery of a maze and the finding of small nativity figures in different locations all add into the mix of this curious story.

As the story unfolds, Flora becomes more and more attached tp the house and starts to make some startling discoveries....indicating there was a reason they were drawn to the hose in the first place.

This is a book that's not easy to categorise- adventure tale, ghost story, a light-touch gothic Christmas tale of other worldly spirits but also the story of a family and tragedies in times past.

Elin Sandström's illustrations add further magic to the tale. This is not as dark as Eva Krantz's The Mystery of Raspberry Hill but still a good read- perfect for festive winter evenings

Reading age range 10-13

I absolutely adored reading a hardback edition of The Secret of Helmersbruck Manor in October 2023. It's great to be able to share my review again ahead of the publication of the paperback edition in Autumn 2024.

The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery called to me from my bookshelf today so I pushed everything else aside and spent a wonderful morning curled up with it. It completely drew me in. I love the darkness and mystery of Eva Frantz’s writing – carefully placed clues, shiver inducing sightings and layers of questions that allow the reader to really be a part of the story. Translated from Swedish by A. A. Prime, it is an engaging read with beautiful language and clarity. The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery has placed itself firmly as one of my favourite books of 2023.

A beautifully illustrated hardback, this is a book that feels special. Each of the 24 chapters begins with an intriguing black and white drawing that adds to the mystery. It’s a seasonal story that could be read a chapter a day in December but it will certainly be a challenge for readers to stop after just one chapter and wait until the next day to find out what happens next!

It’s December 1st, 1975. Twelve-year-old Flora Winter and her mother have gone to stay in the Gatekeeper’s Cottage at Helmersbruk Manor for a change of scenery. It’s their first Christmas since the death of Flora’s father and neither is quite sure how to handle it. As soon as they arrive, Flora wonders what her mother has gotten them into. It’s cold, dark and rainy – no sane person goes to the seaside in the middle of winter. The manor house itself is abandoned and dilapidated. The only welcome is from an unusual man named Fridolf and Egon, a strange boy who appears near the house.

With mum busy writing her next book, Flora is left on her own to explore the grounds. Picturing herself as the lady of the manor, she lets her imagination run wild. Rustling in the wind, flashes outside the window, the sudden appearance of little porcelain figures and a distant tinkling of music leave her feeling uneasy. There’s a definite magic about the manor – one that is unexplained and raises more questions with each page. Voices seem to know Flora. They appear in her dreams and invite her to explore further into the depth of the grounds, the labyrinth and the old summer house.

Flora is determined to find out the truth about the local legend of the von Hiems family, the magic spell on the manor house and the long lost treasure. What does a Christmas Eve tragedy 50 years ago have to do with Flora and her mother’s visit? Why are they able to open the gate to the grounds when other cannot? What is their connection to this strange place?

The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery is a gripping story of identity and family – of loss and being found again. The past defines the future as Flora’s determination unravels secrets left unsaid for far too long.

Fans of The Haunting of Aveline Jones will thoroughly enjoy The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery.

Thank you to Pushkin Children’s for a copy of this spine-tingling Christmas mystery!

This Christmas story is both spooky and magical and it was a great combination! I really loved the illustrated chapter pages for the days of advent that was a lovely addition. This book gave me sort of The Secret Garden and Charlie Bone vibes and it was great, very immersive with really likable characters