A review by dgrachel
The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

 I loved the side characters in this one, especially Miss Flora. The villain, Nathan Gomber, was a quintessential cartoon villain. I really expected him to say “I’d have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for that meddling girl”. 😂 The stakes are definitely higher in this one, with missing fathers and more physical danger, but the plot was still ridiculous. The pacing is also tedious. 75% of the book is slow, with the big reveal coming in at the last 5-10%. Even for such a short book, the story drags.