4 stars

As with The Series of Unfortunate Events, this book is not altogether satisfying at the end and leaves more questions asked than answered, but it is still an entertaining mystery story.

I enjoyed learning more about Lemony Snicket’s youth and how he got his start.

I loved the mystery and the various twists and turns. Yes, there are a few twists that are pretty obvious (“Come on, Snicket, step up your game. Who’s the first person you always suspect in a fancy-pants mystery in a mansion?), but it is still an interesting book.

As far as the audiobook itself was concerned, I enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook of Hatchet before this, whose narrator had a really low voice that was hard to hear. In comparison, Liam Aiken did a very good job. Bonus points for changing his voice in the dialogue.

The book ends by setting up the second book in the series, much like the misadventures of the Baudelaires, which again is a bit unsatisfying, but it did make me want to continue the series. You successfully snagged a reader intent on finishing the series. Bravo, Snicket.