The Unseen Guest (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, #3)

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The Unseen Guest (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #3)

by Maryrose Wood, Katherine Kellgren (Goodreads Author) (Narrator)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 910 ratings · 222 reviews

Of especially naughty children it is sometimes said, "They must have been raised by wolves."

The Incorrigible children actually were.

Since returning from London, the three Incorrigible children and their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, have been exceedingly busy. Despite their wolfish upbringing, the children have taken up bird-watching, with no unfortunate conseque...more

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Published March 27th 2012 by Harper Audio (first published January 1st 2012)

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May 10, 2012 Dolores rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really love this series, although this one wasn't quite as wonderful as the first two. 'Course, that's like saying the "Mona Lisa" isn't quite as wonderful as the "The Last Supper". This really is such a fun, quirky little series. From pie charts to rhetorical questions to absurd anagrams, I did enjoy this third entry. It just lacked a bit of optotoomuchoverthetopism, I guess.

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Mar 24, 2013 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really got into this series, it's fun and exciting and sort of like the Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket. At the end of book 2 I was still left with a lot of unanswered questions and I was desperate for this one so I could get some answers.
I requested this book at the library and they were very good and ordered it for me, it actually came in quite quickly. So I settled down to find out what was behind the mysteries.
In that respect I was slightly disappointed, nothing is really answe...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Patricia Hruby Powell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you want a good laugh, a chortle, a chuckle, read “Unseen Guest” by Maryrose Woods (Scholastic 2010), the third in the series of “The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.” Really you should start with the first, “The Mysterious Howling” then “The Hidden Gallery.”
If you’ve already read them listen to the book on disc read by Katherine Kellgren (Listening Library). Kellgren’s regal over-the-top oh-so-dramatic reading is uproarious. What a terrific pairing—Wood’s writing and Kellgren’s reading...more If you want a good laugh, a chortle, a chuckle, read “Unseen Guest” by Maryrose Woods (Scholastic 2010), the third in the series of “The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.” Really you should start with the first, “The Mysterious Howling” then “The Hidden Gallery.”
If you’ve already read them listen to the book on disc read by Katherine Kellgren (Listening Library). Kellgren’s regal over-the-top oh-so-dramatic reading is uproarious. What a terrific pairing—Wood’s writing and Kellgren’s reading. This would be a great book on a family trip where everyone could listen to the same thing. Together.
The overarching story is that of three children who were raised by wolves and are being educated to become more child-like, less doggy. The job falls to teenaged governess Miss Penelope Lumley who herself has been educated at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. But who are these children really?
In the “Unseen Guest,” plucky Penelope must divert a money-hungry admiral from making her wolfy students--Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible--into a circus sideshow. And if that weren’t enough, she does her work while they are all hunting down the admiral’s runaway ostrich through the English countryside.
The children, having been raised by wolves, are remarkably fine trackers. And we learn a little about their former lives as wolves, but the mystery is still…well, mysterious.
The reader receives smashing good advice handed down from the Academy’s founder, Agatha Swanburne, such as: “Nest eggs do not hatch unless you sit on them for a good long time.”
And in the course of this Victorian melodrama, we are educated to Victorian ways. For instance, after dinner the gentlemen retire to the study for cigars and brandy. The children’s guardian, Lord Ashton says, “Let the ladies play whist, or stitch advice onto pillows, or whatever it is they do when we’re not around.”
I giggled throughout, but I let out a particularly rude guffaw when Lady Constance Ashton saw a mouse and “let out a squeak that only a bat could hear.”
I’ve reviewed the first and second of the series in April 2011. That’s how good it is. I’m steering it your way again, but this time you might want to listen to it.

Patricia Hruby Powell (www.talesforallages.com) is a nationally touring speaker, dancer, storyteller, librarian and children’s book author. You can enter a discussion or see the book covers on her blog at www.talesforallages.com/reviews/
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Jul 15, 2012 LJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile-books, series-i-m-following

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Miss Penelope Lumley, stellar graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females is looking forward to some calming educational experiences for her three charges after their adventures in London. They are focusing on birds, writing a bird journal, something that Penelope thinks is just the thing that will keep the young incorrigibles on track. Then Lord Fredrick's widowed mother comes to the manor unexpectedly, accompanied by her fiancé Admiral Faucet, throwing the household into chaos on...more Miss Penelope Lumley, stellar graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females is looking forward to some calming educational experiences for her three charges after their adventures in London. They are focusing on birds, writing a bird journal, something that Penelope thinks is just the thing that will keep the young incorrigibles on track. Then Lord Fredrick's widowed mother comes to the manor unexpectedly, accompanied by her fiancé Admiral Faucet, throwing the household into chaos once more. Admiral Faucet is a self-described business entrepreneur with a brilliant scheme to make money off of ostrich racing. All he needs is the widow's money and his ostrich, which has made short work of escaping early on in the story. Admiral Faucet hits on the perfect way to find his ostrich: get the incorrigible children, with their acute wolf instincts into the woods to hunt for the missing ostrich. Lord Ashton gets involved, making the search for the ostrich into a competition. If Ashton finds the ostrich first, he will shoot to kill, intent on adding the unusual bird to this taxidermy collection. Penelope, worried about the safety of the children, agrees to the adventure only if she is allowed to supervise the children while in the woods. After considerable preparations, including Penelope's book research into cannibals, canoe making, and rock climbing capons, the group ventures forth. Penelope has cleverly arranged for the safari to coincide with Lord Ashton's mysterious howling illness so that his part in the trip gets delayed. Eventually he does catch up with them and Penelope, Basil, Cassiopeia, and Alexander are forced into running for shelter in the driving rain, unexpectedly finding the cave that the children used to live in before being taken to Ashton Place.

After so much time spent with Admiral Faucet, Penelope develops a distinct distrust of him. She realizes that he is only after the Widow Ashton's money and she worries about his new scheme to include the Incorrigibles as a sideline exhibit combined with the Ostrich racing. She calls on Madame Ionesco from the previous book to come to Ashton Place so that the widow can consult with her long lost husband and get his approval for her upcoming marriage. Unsure of Madame Ionesco's ability to call up the spirits, and furthermore, unsure of the answer if the spirit should come forward, Penelope gets Simon (her love interest in book two) to come from London as well. Simon will provide the voice of Lord Ashton senior from a hidden area during the séance and express the deceased Ashton's disapproval of the marriage.

There is mention of the children growing taller, and Penelope herself is maturing, as evidenced by her growing impatience with her beloved horse books playfully entitled, Giddy Up Rainbow. I wonder if Maryrose Wood is gradually guiding the series towards an older audience, which could be a good thing. This series includes a lot of complex word play that, while adding to the considerable charm of the book, makes it difficult reading for some youngsters. These readers may not quite "get" some of the tongue-in-cheek nature of the word play. No matter. This would be a great series for a parent and child to enjoy reading aloud together, and by doing so would most likely bump up the child's vocabulary. Looking forward to book four.
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Jun 16, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, humor, mystery

I'm not sure who it was who described this series as "Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket," but it is definitely true and makes for an entertaining mix.

In the series' third installment, Penelope and the Incorrigibles spend their time on the Ashton estate, chasing ostriches through the woods, meeting gigantic wolves, staging a seance, and thwarting the greedy plans of Admiral Faucet. Penelope's wit and "pluck" are as pronounced as ever as she negotiates her own changes into adulthood while conceding s...more I'm not sure who it was who described this series as "Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket," but it is definitely true and makes for an entertaining mix.

In the series' third installment, Penelope and the Incorrigibles spend their time on the Ashton estate, chasing ostriches through the woods, meeting gigantic wolves, staging a seance, and thwarting the greedy plans of Admiral Faucet. Penelope's wit and "pluck" are as pronounced as ever as she negotiates her own changes into adulthood while conceding some of the control to the children who are far more comfortable in the woods than she is while they hunt for the missing ostrich.

As with the other stories, Wood's characterization of Penelope and the children through Penelope's observations, their interactions with the new characters, and Penelope's usual commentary while just trying to find some time to read a good book, is as spot-on as in the previous books. The word choice in particular of Penelope's voice just begs to be read in an English accent. Penelope continues to rapidly make strides with the children while we slowly make strides with the overall mysteries of the series.

As far as the story so far however, this book didn't catch my attention the way the first two did. There are a number of digressions to amuse younger readers about grammar and elks for instance, but the gags go on too long in the story. They are funny the first couple of times in context, but I didn't enjoy the elk joke popping up at every opportunity. I also think there isn't enough happening in this book to move the story along. The whole thing felt like a digression from the main branch of the story, and while it shows how the Incorrigibles have improved, this could also have been accomplished with a few key scenes rather than the whole book. Not enough of the puzzle pieces come together to make this book as polished and fast-paced as Wood's other works.

I will of course look forward to the fourth part next year, but I hope it returns more to the adventure of the curse and Penelope's connection to the children more than the evils of rampant capitalist ventures.(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Sharon Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Unseen Guest; Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood is the third book in the Incorrigible Children series for children around eight and older. The charming sketches from Jon Klassen continue in this book, and enhance the story. In this installment the three Incorrigibles, young siblings raised by wolves and taken in by Lord Ashton, and their governess have returned to Ashton Place after an adventure in London. The children have taken to bird watching, and have refrained from...more The Unseen Guest; Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood is the third book in the Incorrigible Children series for children around eight and older. The charming sketches from Jon Klassen continue in this book, and enhance the story. In this installment the three Incorrigibles, young siblings raised by wolves and taken in by Lord Ashton, and their governess have returned to Ashton Place after an adventure in London. The children have taken to bird watching, and have refrained from any unwanted behavior so far. Their governess, the plucky Penelope Lumley is pondering a series of odd coincidences and secrets that seem to tie her absent family, her school the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, and the Ashton family but things are only going to get more complicated. Lord Ashton's mother and her suitor come for a visit in order to seek approval for marrying. The suitor, Admiral Faucet, has grand plans for the Ashton fortune, including racing ostriches and the Incorrigibles. An ostrich hunt, a séance, and a small brook bring even more mysteries and questions to Miss Lumley.

The Unseen Guest continues the character development of Miss Lumley, her charges, and those living at Ashton Place. I really like the movement in Miss Lumley's character, she is starting to mature and lose a little of her blind optimism. She is growing up, which is only to be expected as her experiences build up and get stranger. She is starting to get really curious about her parents, the evolving mystery of the children's origins, and the connections that tie all of her acquaintances together. She gets to explore her feelings about Simon (from The Hidden Gallery) who makes a cameo in this book. The mysteries and plots get quite tangled, but in a good way. I am left wondering Judge Quimby's real identity, if there are werewolves on the Ashton family tree, and Miss Lumley's origin.

I love the Incorrigible series, including The Unseen Guest. There is a combination of the standard orphaned governess with unusual charges and an over the top combination of humor and mystery. All the 'lessons' and musings on sayings from Swanburne have a tongue in cheek feel, or perhaps a wink to the reader. I love it, and it is fresh and different. That being said, I liked The Unseen Guest slightly less than the previous two installments. I think that the number of questions and mysteries that need to be solved have begun to outnumber the moments of adventure and excitement. I think the series might have hit the sequel slump that sometimes happens with even the best books, where one book does more to set up the next book than to resolve unanswered questions. I would really like to see some of the questions and connections resolved.

I recommend reading The Unseen Guest to everyone that has read and enjoyed the previous books. If you have not read the first two, then I highly suggest reading The Mysterious Howling and get started. The series is fun and quirky. However, if you get annoyed easily at unanswered questions take note that this series hints at being long, and full of hints and teases. Each book, including The Unseen Guest, has been a fun read, but more questions have been raised than answered thus far. (less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Penelope Lumley and her charges are back. In this installment, Lord Frederick's mother finally comes to visit her son at Ashton Place, where she could not bear to return after the death of her husband. She has with her a new beau, Admiral Faucet (who not only wants to marry her, but wants to set up an ostrich facility at the manor!), and brings some interesting news-- her husband also had trouble with howling at the moon on occasion, as does Lord Frederick. Admiral Faucet is intrigued by the chi...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place grow on you from book to book, as does their tutor, Miss Penelope Lumley - trained at Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. They are smart, resourceful, brave and fun.

In the third book we meet Bertha, Admiral Faucet (fah-say - not to be confused with the plumbing) and Lord Frederick's mother. We learn that she remains in mourning after the tragic loss of her husband in the medicinal tar pits while on a spa holiday years before. We also learn that Lo...more The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place grow on you from book to book, as does their tutor, Miss Penelope Lumley - trained at Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. They are smart, resourceful, brave and fun.

In the third book we meet Bertha, Admiral Faucet (fah-say - not to be confused with the plumbing) and Lord Frederick's mother. We learn that she remains in mourning after the tragic loss of her husband in the medicinal tar pits while on a spa holiday years before. We also learn that Lord Edward (as that was his name) suffered an affliction that befell him at each full moon - he would scratch and howl and bark and yip. This ceased as soon as Frederick was born, though it seems that Frederick acquired the symptoms himself. His mother knows. His wife, Lady Constance, does not. Miss Lumley has her suspicions.

Lord Frederick's mother has returned to ask for her son's blessing for a marriage to the Admiral. He plans to use her money to establish ostrich (that is what Bertha is) racing and all the accoutrements needed to support the venture. Bertha has escaped into the woods of Ashton Place and the children are needed to help track her down. Once in the woods their animal side is more pronounced and Miss Lumley fears she may have lost them. After all why not stay in the woods when there is a dry, comfortable cave supplied all the quilts and feather pillows you need along with candles, art supplies, all you desire for learning, as well as a picnic hamper full of delicious sandwiches - your exact favorite kinds!

Simon Harley-Dickinson comes back to help as well as Madame Ionesco. Old Timothy, the groom, again seems to mysteriously appear in all the right places at all the right times. Things happen because he knows - ALL that he knows remains a mystery.

I am looking forward to the next book. Until then I will enjoy the notions of never thinking about ELKS and the image of Alexander, Beowulf and Cassiopeia tossing their peas into the air to catch each time the raven calls "nevermore" (Professional educator that she was, Penelope was proud to have devised a way to combine the study of poetry and the eating of vegetables into a single enjoyable lesson.) and Lady Constance's attempts at hide and seek.
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Apr 21, 2012 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This series continues to delight in the 3rd installment. Ms. Lumley and the Incorrigibles are back at Ashton Place when Lord Fredrick's mother and her "special friend", Admiral Faucet (pronounced 'Fawsey', of course) arrive for a visit. The Admiral at first appears to be a benign character, but his true colors are revealed when Ms. Lumley and the children accompany him on a hunt for a missing ostrich. Big mysteries that have been present from the first book still are not solved, but the answers...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Charlyn Trussell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Grades 4 and up

Shelves: adventure, animals, birds, boy-girl-relationships, family_story, fiction, humor, mystery, orphans, series, step-parent, strong-female-character, tba, victorian

Oh, this series is maddening! So many questions still unanswered and new ones appearing. In this third book in the series, Miss Penelope Lumley is still attempting to civilize her three charges who have been raised by wolves in the wild. She has been hired by Lord Frederick to be the children's governess, but both he and his wife are extremely detached from the parenting process.

The mistress of the manor, Lady Constance, receives word that Lord Frederick's long-absent mother is soon to arrive...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Mel B. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love these books. They combine the typical (almost orphan) governess of the Victorian era with atypical charges, humor and mystery.

Penelope Lumley in this third book has learned how to better control the children -- though she's not more than a child herself. At the very end of the book, she realizes that there's a time for growing up, even for herself.

In the meantime, she has to divert a money-hungry admiral from making her charges into a circus sideshow.

Love love these books. My biggest c...more

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Oct 20, 2010 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I just finished a very inteteresting read about a nanny who comes to care for three children whom she finds are feral children who've been raised by wolves. The main thing of the book is its irony: she is teaching them Latin and Literature while they are learning not to chase squirrels and howl. It has a big mystery at its core, and I thought it was a lot of fun....sort of like Sound of Music meets The Series of Unfortunate Events. The hyperbole and irony are great talking points!

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Apr 22, 2013 Becky B rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, children-s-ficiton, humor

Miss Penelope Lumley and her charges are off on another adventure. This time the adventure comes to them at Ashton Place in the shape of Lord Ashton's long absent mother and her would be fiance Colonel Faucet. The Colonel is an adventurer with grand money making schemes, principally ostrich racing. But when Bertha the ostrich escapes and the Incorrigibles prove the most excellent trackers, the Colonel starts making new schemes involving wolf-children on show. Miss Lumley is horrified, but what c...more

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May 06, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This series is starting to aggravate me. Three books in, and there are still no answers to the big mystery but this book did provide a lot more questions (Surely the eminent Agatha Swanburne must have some useful advice about how rude it is to present questions but never answers). I feel like the series is still warming up to the story and, much as I enjoy Ms. Wood’s style, as a reader, I’m ready to move past the appetizers. Stop hinting and having people conveniently unavailable and, much as I...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-fiction, historical, mystery, website

In this installment of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Ms. Lumley and the children are back at home and ready to get back to work. But then Frederick's mother comes for a visit and brings her beau Faucet. Faucet is clearly after Widow Ashton's money to set up his ostrich racing business. When the ostrich gets loose the children help him track it and he develops an interest in racing wolves with half-human riders (namely the Incorrigibles). A seance must take place to speak to Mr. Asht...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Rebecca by: Megan Fry

Shelves: 2012, feral-children-fiction, governess-fiction, orphans-fiction, london-fiction, england-fiction

I love this series. I grew up reading books of the "Dear Reader-type" so Maryrose Wood's gentle skewering of this sensibility is priceless to me. Her humor may not be for everyone but, though it doesn't make me laugh aloud, it amuses me endlessly.

To provide a quick overview: Miss Penelope Lumley, recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, has secured a governess position with the Ashton's. Lord Fredrick Ashton requires care and education for his three very peculiar wards....more I love this series. I grew up reading books of the "Dear Reader-type" so Maryrose Wood's gentle skewering of this sensibility is priceless to me. Her humor may not be for everyone but, though it doesn't make me laugh aloud, it amuses me endlessly.

To provide a quick overview: Miss Penelope Lumley, recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, has secured a governess position with the Ashton's. Lord Fredrick Ashton requires care and education for his three very peculiar wards. The three children, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia, have become rather infamous for they were raised by wolves and deemed absolutely "incorrigible." But Miss Lumley has worked miracles with these children and this third book in the series picks up with the household settled down upon their return from London (where great adventures had been had). On a bird-watching outing on the estate an ostrich, of all things, is spied. This ostrich belongs to Admiral Faucet (pronounced Faw-say) a noted explorer and determined suitor of Lord Ashton's long-estranged mother, Dowager Lady Ashton, both of whom have come to visit Lord Ashton.

Miss Lumley and the children are invited to a welcoming dinner for the dowager and her friend whereupon they learn many gruesome Ashton family secrets. But for every fact learned, many more questions arise. And those questions seem to involve the children and, perhaps, Miss Lumley herself.

In addition to deep family mysteries, it seems Admiral Faucet's ostrich is not a runaway pet but, rather, a business venture that doesn't seem quite kosher. When the children and Miss Lumley aid the Admiral in rounding up the escaped ostrich, the Admiral expresses keen interest in the children's tracking skills and wolf-raised history. This interest is not in their best interest.

And if all of the above is not enough, we have the deepening mystery of who, exactly, is "Judge" Quinzy. Let's start with the basic question: is he a "good" witch or a "bad witch?

This book had the best nail-biting ending of the three. I can't wait for number four.(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy, for-review, historical-fiction

If there was ever doubt in my love of the Incorrigibles, it was erased by the third edition to the series, The Unseen Guest. Miss Penelope Lumley and her three charges Cassiopeia, Beowulf, and Alexander are back. And friends? This adventure by Maryrose Wood is a keeper.

Read the rest of my review here

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Apr 13, 2012 Kornela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-literature

The Incorrigible children--Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia--are back! Along with their plucky young governess Miss Penelope Lumley, the Incorrigibles return to Ashton Place after a brief (and colorful) stint in London. But things are about to get exciting here too. Lord Fredrick's long-estranged mother, the Widow Ashton, decides to visit on the spur of the moment. The Widow is unsure whether to marry Admiral Faucet (pronounced "Fa-say"!) and wants to consult her son about what she should do....more

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Sep 16, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, mysteries

I can't afford the time to read more than the first book in a series--usually! But there are a few series I just HAVE to read every title. Harry Potter, the Hilary McKay Casson Family series, The Hunger Games trilogy AND this Incorrigible Children series. I can't wait for the next one to be published! The British dry humor and clever twists of plot always grab me so the writing style of Wood is irresistible. The characters immediately get inside your heart. Penelope Lumley is such a combination...more

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Jan 27, 2013 StorySnoops rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in Victorian England, The Unseen Guest is the third installment in a series about a plucky young nanny and her three challenging charges. Penelope is kind, patient, loving, and unflappable. She always has the children's best interests at heart, which is often not the case with Lord and Lady Ashton, who are hopelessly ineffectual as parents. In this installment, Penelope butts head with a villain who has set his sights on the Widow Ashton's fortune and is determined to exploit both animals an...more

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May 12, 2012 Pinky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-12

The Incorrigible Children and their intrepid leader Miss Penelope "Lumawoo" Lumley are back and the mystery is still on. Lord Frederick's mother is visiting Ashton Place and brings with her a gold digging suitor, Admiral Faucet, and an ostrich named Bertha who is on the run. The hilarious household help aren't as present in this novel (although you can bet that it will come in useful that the maid has taken up jogging) - there is more focus on the mystery surrounding Lord Ashton and his father a...more

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May 21, 2013 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: on-ipad, readin-13

I can't wait to share this series to my grandchildren! Or somebodies grandchildren!!

The plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, has succeeded again to engross me for a few days of lightheared reading. This time she and the children have taken up bird-watching and it will take all the Incorrigibles' skills to find the ostrich that gets loose in the forest. Mysteries crop up and some questions are answered and some are left for future adventures

I don't know how I will get along until September wh...more

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May 02, 2013 MissSusie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, armchairaudies2013, audio, reviewed

We again have a fun adventure. As I said in my reviews of the last two books there are a lot of questions that need answering and this one brings us a few steps closer to those answers but we also end up with more questions. Is Lord Ashton’s father still alive? What is the curse on the family? And what does it have to do with the incorrigible’s and Penelope? And so many more…

It was very interesting when the children are sent out into the woods to help find the Admiral’s ostrich and how once they...more We again have a fun adventure. As I said in my reviews of the last two books there are a lot of questions that need answering and this one brings us a few steps closer to those answers but we also end up with more questions. Is Lord Ashton’s father still alive? What is the curse on the family? And what does it have to do with the incorrigible’s and Penelope? And so many more…

It was very interesting when the children are sent out into the woods to help find the Admiral’s ostrich and how once they were in the woods again they started becoming a bit feral again , we also get a hint of where the children lived for awhile. I hope there will be some flashbacks in the future books about the children’s time in the woods and how they came to be there. The Admiral is not a good man and it seems like Penelope is the only one who see’s it but she has a plan to help out Lord Ashton’s “widowed” mother get out of her engagement to the rascal. But if you have been keeping up with these books you know that Penelope’s plans never go as planned. I really enjoyed the séance it cracked me up, Mrs. Lanesko was so much fun.

I really want the next book right now but I guess I have to wait till November. I do hope that we will get some answers even if it is not all the answers but some would be nice because this book just brought even more questions.

As with the first two books Katherine Kellgren’s narration is so fabulous with a lot more people making wolf sounds, and an ostrich we can’t forget the ostrich! Every voice is distinct and every animal sound/voice is fabulous loved Mrs. Lenesko(sp. audio) in this one too. Kellgren’s range is so unbelievable that at times you wonder if there is more than one voice narrating but no it is all Katherine. It is books like this one that make me realize why Katherine Kellgren is one of my all time favorite narrators. This book is up for an Audie Award for Best Solo Female Narration and I do believe I have found my winner!

I highly recommend this series I think these are a great roadtrip series, they are fun for the whole family, and they aren’t too long with this one being the longest at 6 hrs 50 min. so even if you aren’t going too far you could easily get one whole book done and everyone in the car will enjoy them!

4 ½ Stars
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Jan 07, 2013 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, alt-history, ya, libraryread-idm

I'll admit, I started this series basically because I adore Ms. Kellgren's narrations, and the description of the first book in the series piqued my interest. However, it's turning into quite an enjoyable series, with several overarching mysteries (What has happened to Miss Lumley's parents? Why must she keep her hair dyed? Just what mysterious ailment does Lord Ashton suffer from?) along with strange occurrences within each volume.

This time around, Lord Ashton's widowed mother, Hortense, come...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Tom Franklin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I started The Unseen Guest, the third book in The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, I had rather hoped it would close up the open plot elements of the first two stories. By the end of the book, however, I was very much glad that it wasn't. In fact, I'm happily waiting for the fourth and fifth books in the series.

If you've read the first two, you have a good idea of what to expect from this book. Maryrose Wood does not disappoint, bringing even crazier antics to the stories (raci...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fantasy, middle-grade, library-read

3.5

After enjoying the first, but being a bit disappointed in the second, I was delighted with this third installment.

Penelope is growing up a bit, and developing as a character, which is wonderful. I hate series in which the main characters don't seem to ever really age.

The children, also, are becoming less and less wolfish, and more civilized, as they spend more and more time with Penny - though, of course, they still retain some of their animal qualities, especially when they go into the wood...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Cball rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: tween girls

Shelves: 2012, historical-fiction, tweens

The 3rd book in the series that we have been listening to non-stop for what seems like forever. The back seat book club love, Love, Loves this series so I'm inclined to keep finding the next one! They would definitely give it a 5 star rating (definitely a series for girl tweens).

The audio is performed really well, though, I have to say I'm ready for a break (I typically don't like to read the same author back to back so this probably my biggest issue with the book. In other words, my problems ha...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really loved the first two books in this series, particularly because of the little asides the author makes, which are clearly more for the benefit of the adult who might be reading the book, rather than the children for whom the book is intended. It's as if the author has been praised too much for this though because this book was so full of the asides (notes to reader, silly comments, etc.) that they often got in the way of the flow of the plot. I still enjoyed the story and will keep readin...more

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May 18, 2012 Karen A. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: junior-fiction, humor

The Incorrigibles are back with their nanny Miss Lumley and more adventures ensue. Lord Ashton's mother, Widow Ashton, pays a visit to the estate bringing along a suitor,Colonel Faucett, who has big plans for racing ostriches in England. That is if he can catch the one he brought to show off. The incorrigibles are enlisted to help him find the Big Bird and their tracking skills give the Colonel other money making ideas. Miss Lumley sets out to foil his plans. She enlists the help of Simon (her c...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Karen Arendt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, mystery

The hunt is on! Penelope and her three wards find some more trouble in this story. Lord Ashton's mother returns after years away and with a fiance, Sir Faucet. Faucet brings an ostrich with him and has grand plans to start a new business venture (using Duchess Ashton's money). The ostrich escapes, the children, Penelope, and Faucet go into the woods to hunt down the ostrich. That is not the only hunt going on. Timothy, the gardener, is not all that he appears to be, and by chance, Lord Ashton's...more

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About Maryrose Wood

Maryrose grew up in the wild suburbs of Long Island, moved to New York City at age 17 to study acting at New York University, then dropped out to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical — which flopped.

Lean and action-packed years of acting, directing, and making drunk people laugh at comedy clubs followed. Becoming a writer seemed the only way out of this Dickensian existence.

Maryrose started out...more Maryrose grew up in the wild suburbs of Long Island, moved to New York City at age 17 to study acting at New York University, then dropped out to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical — which flopped.

Lean and action-packed years of acting, directing, and making drunk people laugh at comedy clubs followed. Becoming a writer seemed the only way out of this Dickensian existence.

Maryrose started out writing for the theater and film, as a lyricist, librettist, playwright and screenwriter. She was the first recipient of the Georgia Bogardus Holof Lyricist Award, and is a three-time recipient of the Richard Rodgers Award for New Musicals, which is administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Her first novel for young adults, SEX KITTENS AND HORN DAWGS FALL IN LOVE, was published in 2006 and hailed as “an uproariously funny debut” (Booklist), “irresistible” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), and “an effervescent delight” (Common Sense Media).

The Morgan Rawlinson series launched in 2007 with WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT, followed by a sequel, titled HOW I FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS. The third book about Morgan and her magical adventures is WHAT I WORE TO SAVE THE WORLD. The hilarious, romantic and magical adventures of the always irreverent Morgan have earned a devoted fan following. And so has Morgan’s freckle-faced Irish hottie, Colin! #cutefictionalboyswewishwerereal

Maryrose’s worlds collided neatly in MY LIFE: THE MUSICAL, a tale of two theatre-obsessed teens who go to ridiculous lengths to see their favorite Broadway show over and over again. In the kind of life-imitating-art-imitating-life twist one could only find in a musical, Maryrose had to invent a fictional Broadway show for the characters in her novel to be obsessed with.

This year sees the launch of her first middle-grade series, THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE (starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ and Publishers Weekly, Junior Library Guild selection, yesss!), and a new YA series called THE POISON DIARIES (based on a concept by the Duchess of Northumberland, and inspired by the real-life poison garden at Alnwick Castle, US pub date July 20). Both are from the Balzer + Bray imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books.

Maryrose did eventually graduate from NYU’s Gallatin School. She enjoys gardening, biking, kayaking, napping, reading books and trying new vegetarian recipes. She lives in New York with her two children, two cats and a small, feisty, red-headed dog.(less)

More about Maryrose Wood...

Books by Maryrose Wood

The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1)

The Hidden Gallery (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #2)

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out (Morgan Rawlinson, #1)

More…

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The Unseen Guest (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #3)

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