The Hidden Gallery

I just finished this second installment in The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series by Maryrose Wood.  It was a fast read, which was probably helped by the fact that I had more recently read the first book than in my previous post.  I'm assuming that there will be more books to follow this one, and the story ended with nothing solved and many more mysteries introduced.

Overall I enjoyed this installment of the series.  It started up a few months after the conclusion of the previous novel, with Penelope Lumley and the children heading off to London while the Ashton estate is repaired following the concluding events of The Mysterious Howling.  Once in London, the Incorrigibles and Penelope have quite an adventure, while Penelope also tries to work through the mystery of the origin of the Incorrigibles.  Nothing is really solved, though much is hinted at, and the end leaves the reader (i.e. me) curious for more.

There was a tiny bit of refreshment as to the events in the previous novel, but it wasn't a full-fledged summary, which was appreciated. I've enjoyed how Wood writes in a style that is similar to Lemony Snicket's in A Series of Unfortunate Events. I agree with one review that I read that said something along the lines of "Reads like Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket."  Wood talks to the reader and makes sure that they are familiar with words and phrases that might be unusual, making this an easy series for younger children to read.

By the end of the book, I was left puzzling over clues that Wood had introduced throughout the story but not yet resolved.  I don't think any mystery that's been brought up at this point has been solved by Penelope with the exception of maybe one, and I was left unsure of whom to trust.  There are a couple more characters introduced, and some of the already known minor characters are further developed, but I'm not coming away with deep insights as to where the series is going.  I'm extremely curious to see what happens, which is a good thing, though it makes me impatient for the next installment to be released.  Overall, happy but unsatisfied as all the mysteries have yet to be solved. I can't wait for the next one!