Julia y Jason, hermanos gemelos, se trasladan a vivir de Londres a Villa Argo, una lujosa mansión levantada sobre un acantilado junto al pueblo de Kilmore Cove. En el pueblo existen numerosas habladurías sobre las rarezas del antiguo propietario de la mansión, Ulysses Moore, y los misterios de Villa Argo. ¿Serán ciertos? Desde el primer día, Jason tiene la intuición que la casa esconde algún secreto, ya que muchas veces, por las noches, oye susurros y pasos. Un fin de semana los padres se van a Londres y Jasón y Julia descubren una gruta en el acantilado y allí encuentran un paquete. Al abrir el paquete, ven un mensaje en clave que logran descifrar y que habla de una cueva escondida donde los brujos se reunían en el equinoccio de primavera. Los hermanos gemelos, ayudados por su amigo Rick, se enfrentarán a los secretos de su nueva casa.

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I had this as a hardback and an MP3-CD. CD given to HAWL Library.

In a house on the coast of England, there is a door. It hides unimaginable mysteries, unavoidable danger, and unbelievable surprises. When 11-year-old twins Jason and Julia move into the old mansion with their family, the door is a secret - locked and hidden behind an old wardrobe.
But Jason, Julia, and their friend Rick are about to discover what lies behind it... ( )

An okay read, with some fun characters.

The book begins as 11-year-old twins Jason and Julia move from London to Argo Manor, a mysterious mansion on the British coast. After befriending Rick, a local boy, the three friends discover that the previous owner, the wildly eccentric Ulysses Moore, left behind clues to unlock a hidden door, and once opened, it leads the kids into a web of passageways, potential danger, and mind-boggling discoveries.

What I liked: great characters! Each of the three friends is unique and brings an interesting element to the story. The mansion’s caretaker is peculiar, but in the most fascinating way (I really want to know his story!). The plot is interesting and the comradery between the kids is lighthearted and fun.

What I didn’t like: it ends with a major cliffhanger. The last quarter of the book is when the adventures really begin to pick up, and then it just ends. The reader is left with no sense of closure. There were also a couple of times when it felt like the author was talking down to the reader (over-explaining for the sake of the reader’s age).

3.5 out of 5 stars ( )

Good children's fantasy series. Well written w/ spunky characters. ( )