April might be temporarily caught within the foster care system, but she's not like other foster kids.  Not only is her mother alive, but she's also coming back for April just as soon as she can.  The other children might laugh at her for believing in the promise pledged in the note that was left at the fire station along with 3-year-old April, but April knows her mom would never totally abandon her.  She just needs to be patient.  

Patience has never been April's strong suit, which is how she ends up setting a museum exhibit on fire.  The incident brings her to the attention of a charity funded by the wealthy Winterborne Family, which has decided to house a group of foster children in its ornate mansion.  Gabriel, the Winterborne heir, disappeared ten years ago, leaving a great mystery in his wake.  April's entranced by the thought of solving it while also figuring out why the necklace April's mother left her bears the Winterborne crest.  The answers must be inside the great mansion, but where?  The place is massive and crammed full of tantalizing secrets ... Can April unravel its many puzzles, including the mystery of her own past?

If you've read books by Ally Carter before, you're not going to be at all surprised to hear that her newest, Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor, is a sassy, upbeat read that's full of adventure and mystery.  It stars a diverse cast of middle-schoolers who are sympathetic and likable, along with peripheral grown-ups who add additional layers of intrigue to the tale.  Revealed in short, exciting chapters, the plot is compelling and engrossing, making the book an enjoyable page-turner.  While this first book in a planned series answers some of the questions its plot poses, it leaves plenty more to be revealed in a sequel (or two).  I, for one, am eagerly anticipating the second book!

(Readalikes:  The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes)