A little mixed on this.
I enjoyed the story and the characters and thought most of the story was suitable for the 8-12 market. It did read as young, maybe middle grade age especially with the cover.
However there were a few scenes, such as Tim showing off his scars given by his various foster parents, that I thought were a little too mature for the intended audience.

This book delivers exactly what you would wish for from a MG mystery. From the moment that April breaks into a museum and burns it down this book carries you along on its wave of mystery and intrigue.

Nancy Drew meets Lemony Snicket in this dazzling new murder mystery series by Ally Carter!

Featuring five extraordinary orphans, a mysterious gothic mansion, a missing heir, a secret key, and a terrifying phantom seeking vengeance Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour is the perfect edge-of-your-seat whodunnit adventure. And I mean edge. of. your. seat. Wickedly entertaining and endlessly intriguing, Carter’s narrative is bursting at the seams with curious riddles, creepy legends, daring schemes and thrilling cliffhangers.

Is there fantasy in this novel? I am not sure. I am sure it is the beginning of a series and it is definitely a book to purchase for the school library and it will probably be given a ''Mystery' genre sticker but ...

The characters and locations are well-drawn. There are a number of mysteries which are solved through the book but we quickly move on to the next creating a fast moving plot. There are at least three unanswered mysteries and hints of the solutions at the end of the book.

It is a book which will probably appeal to girls rather than boys but in reality there is no need for this. It should appeal to Year 6 - 8.

This was such an easy and such a quick read! I loved the intrigue and the mystery that surrounded the Winterbornes and the pacing was excellent in the action at the end. April was extremely likeable and I am a little frustrated that we don't know everything about her yet! There were a few things I predicted about her and I am presuming that there will be a second novel during which more information will be garnered. I enjoyed Tim and Violet as characters too -but hope for more Violet next time! All in all, a thoroughly enjoying read.

I really enjoyed this book. The storyline kept you intrigued and wanting to read on. The characters were lovely and enjoyed their interactions, the only thing I would say is that some of the children’s ages were maybe a bit wrong I would have put April at slightly older. But still a great read and would recommend

This is author Ally Carter's debut novel in the middle grade category and is going to be the first in a series.
We follow April, an orphan who has moved from home to home and kind of accepts that that is her life. She lovingly keeps a necklace her mother gave to her, feeling that one day this would solve all her problems.She has just plodded on really, until, that is, she accidentally sets fire to an exhibition at a museum.
Along comes Ms Nelson and takes her and 3 others to Winterborne House. It's not really a house. It's a mansion filled with corridors and rooms and staircases and paintings and valuable things and secret passages.
Her adventures start as soon as she moves in, when she realises that not everything is as it seems. Her curiosity leads her on many trails until she discovers something that no one else knows. Gabriel Winterborne is actually alive! The trouble is, he doesn't want anyone else to know this. Plus there's a wicked uncle who thinks he is about to get his hands on the house and all it's treasures as he becomes the rightful heir, now that Gabriel has been missing for 10 years and can finally be listed as dead.
All of the orphans had their own qualities and showed a lovely team spirit and sense of family as they worked together to solve different quests. This made them easily identifiable with.
The book has the sense of a modern fairy tale with a Nancy Drew twist. I enjoyed it, although it ended on a cliffhanger. Often books in a series will end and the next book will involve the same characters but in a brand new story. This book ends with questions still to be answered which is intriguingly clever but frustrating at the same time 😮. Good marketing strategy though 😃.

I have to say I also love the front cover. I'm easily drawn in by a front cover and this one is gorgeous.

This book would be good for about Year 4 up. There wasn't too much 'depth' although there was one orphan with a troubled past where the text implies an area that would need careful thought if you were going to read aloud to a class or give to a child to read as it could be a trigger.

This is a fun read and one I read quite quickly (for me). That doesn't mean it's short, it's more that I wanted to keep reading.

This book was so much fun! It has really interesting characters, that's fun to read about. It has a very good pace and adventures. Bonus, some twists and turns that you don't expect. Amazing children's book, and can't wait for the sequel.

Thanks a lot, NG and the publisher for this copy.

I had really high hopes for this book as I'm a big fan of Ally Carter's books - I was not disappointed. The central group is a really good mix of characters that are all strong enough for you to really engage with. The story is fast paced and really exciting with plenty of unexpected twists. The only thing I didn't like was that its the start of a new series and I'm going to have to wait for the next instalment 😍📖😍

April accidentally sets fire to a museum and ends up living at the Winterborne house with fellow orphans Colin, Sadie, Tim, and Violet. They’re cared for by Ms Nelson and butler Smithers, who are still mourning the loss of Gabriel Winterborne, missing for nearly 10 years and about to be declared legally dead by his uncle Evert.
So when April finds Gabriel hiding out in the house, it’s something of a surprise, to say the least.

This drew me in from the opening few chapters, which pretty much explode onto the page. We have fake claimants to be Gabriel, a mysterious key that April was left by her mother which has a crest matching the Winterborne crest, and then the fire leading to a mysterious figure saving her. A really fabulous way to start a book!

April is one of my favourite MG heroines ever; in some way’s she’s similar to Cammie from author Ally Carter’s outstanding Gallagher Girls YA series – she’s smart, resourceful, brave and determined. However, in other ways she’s a very different character – brash, bold, and reckless. Teaming her up with Gabriel Winterborne (who is in many ways Batman, rich as heck and with a burning thirst for revenge) is a perfect match (although Gabriel himself probably wouldn’t agree with this!) and the supporting cast are fabulous, particularly inventor Sadie who creates hilarious contraptions which don’t always (or even often) work as planned.

The book is jam-packed with great action sequences, zipping along at a breath-taking pace, but there’s also lots of wonderful quieter moments between characters, and I really loved the way so many strong relationships were developed, especially between Gabriel and the orphans. It builds to a phenomenally exciting heist as a climax, brilliantly tense and full of great moments.

Ally Carter’s writing style feels perfect for MG. Obviously, I’m glad she started out writing YA as if she hadn’t we’d have potentially missed out on some incredible books, including the Gallagher Girls series which is one of my favourites of the last decade. But she makes the switch here superbly and I really hope that she’s going to be writing a ton more for this age range – preferably in this series, because it feels like there’s a huge amount of great opportunities set up by the ending to this book!

Absolutely massive recommendation for fans of fun, exciting action.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this is probably hands-down my favourite Ally Carter book ever. Yes, even better than Gallagher Girls and Heist Society. It contains all the best tropes (found family, a recluse adopting a group of orphans – or should I say being adopted by them, the FOUND FAMILY). I don’t care this is middle grade I’m buying a copy for everyone I know and forcing them to read it.

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour follows April, and orphan whose sole clue to her mother’s identity is a small key marked with the Winterborne crest (not that she knows this at this point). When April is caught up in the arson of a museum displaying the Winterbornes’ collection, she is whisked away to join four other children living at the Winterborne Home. There, she discovers that the long-lost-presumed-dead heir to the Winterborne fortune is actually alive, but out for revenge.

Ally Carter is great at two things in her books: characters and action/mystery. And this one is no different. We are introduced to a cast of characters you can’t help but fall in love with (particularly the five children, though Gabriel comes close). You will be rooting for them from the first page. And the relationships they develop are god-tier relationships, especially the one they all share with Gabriel Winterborne (think like Batman and the Robins but even more reluctant on Gabriel’s part). They’re the kind of characters and relationships you don’t want to part with by the end of the book.

But it’s not just a character-driven story. There’s also a mystery going on at the same time (a number of mysteries, to be honest). And, yeah, it’s a less complex mystery than in any of Ally Carter’s other books, because it’s middle grade, but the adventures the orphans get up to in defense of Gabriel are just as exciting.

So basically, if you only read one single book in all of 2020, let it be this one.

What an incredibly fast paced, intriguing story. I was engrossed in this book immediately, with mysterious reasons for orphans being pulled together, the disappearance of the sole survivor of a family tragedy, and a mansion full of secret cellars and doorways.
April is an orphan with full hope of the return of her mother, however at 12, it doesn’t seem as though she is coming back. After starting a fire in a museum April is given a new opportunity for a new life with Ms Nelson who runs the Winterborne Foundation. April meets four other orphans also living at the mansion.
Having a knack for discovering trouble, April makes a startling find one night while prowling about the house. The feared dead, disappeared sole survivor and heir to the fortune is alive and hiding in the cellars. Why won’t he come forward and claim his title? Why does he look like a vagrant and will he help April find her mother?
April, feeling a link to the Winterborne’s via a key left with her by her mother, is looking for answers and believes Gabriel to have them. A troubling night full of swords, secrets and introductions to the rest of the orphans, make the suspicions fall on to Uncle Evert. Could he be the one who killed his brother and countless others in order to claim the fortune for himself?
From the beginning of the book, there are twists and turns, and learning who to trust, and where to look for answers. You won’t be disappointed with this book. So much happens that I felt I needed to re-read parts to ensure I was keeping up. The orphans tackle the Uncle, save the heir but lose their guardian.
I love the character of April and the hope she holds in her heart, both for the return of her mother and in Gabriel doing the right thing. She is brave and true, someone for girls to look up to.

The ending leads perfectly into a series as another unknown character is seen running from the house after they all discover what the legacy of the key truly is.
I am already searching for the second’s release date as I can guarantee it will be added to my shopping basket!

This was such a cute mid-grade novel. A mystery story about an orphan who has been bounced from orphanage to orphanage, convinced her mother is still alive. It all sounds standard fare but there is a Batman-esque twist! Carter's usual staples - gripping plot, engaging characters and witty dialogue are all present. This is one for fans and new midgrade readers of Carter's fiction. Thoroughly enjoyed.