Three siblings visit their cousin for the Christmas holidays. The children have made poor grades in school, so they have to have a tutor through the winter break to bring up their scores. Mr. Roland, the tutor, is friendly but strict, and he hates dogs. The dog, Timothy, seems to hate Mr. Roland too, and the children find that suspicious. When the children discover an old scrap with Latin writing, they are forced to ask for Mr. Roland's help in translating the ancient words. Could there be a secret in the house that goes back for hundreds of years?

I enjoyed the mystery of the plot and all the adventures the children have, but the plot was a bit slow. Thankfully, the writing is so charming that I didn't mind the slow plot. The clues for the mystery are unraveled bit by bit, and the direction of the mystery was very obvious, so I got a little impatient to just get on with it, since I had already guessed what would happen. But it was enjoyable to see it all unfold!

I enjoyed reading about their little Christmas celebrations, and it was inspiring to see how they band together against a common enemy.

I loved the beautiful ink illustrations in this edition! It really sparked my imagination.

Although the story is mostly focused on the plot, there is a bit of character development for the siblings and their cousin. I especially liked that the children gain the trust of the adults through their truthfulness and honesty.