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Secrets at No.6
A new mystery adventure for ages 8-12 from the award-winning author of
The Adventurers Series.
Edwardian London, a forbidden friendship and a house filled with secrets ...
A robbery rocks the entire household of No.6, and everyone is a suspect. Twelve-year-old trainee housemaid Alice and reclusive young aristocrat Theo are determined to solve the case. As they investigate upstairs and downstairs to track down the culprit, the mystery deepens and danger looms closer.
Join them in an adventure spanning the grand streets of Belgravia to the Docklands of the East End in their headlong race to uncover the truth.
Edwardian London, a forbidden friendship and a house filled with secrets ...
A robbery rocks the entire household of No.6, and everyone is a suspect. Twelve-year-old trainee housemaid Alice and reclusive young aristocrat Theo are determined to solve the case. As they investigate upstairs and downstairs to track down the culprit, the mystery deepens and danger looms closer.
Join them in an adventure spanning the grand streets of Belgravia to the Docklands of the East End in their headlong race to uncover the truth.
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2023
35 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Did not finish
January 19, 2026DNF at about pg. 91 / 60% / start of chapter 16 - Clean Fiction Middle-Grade Mystery
I wanted a quick middle-grade story and saw this one on Kindle Unlimited a while back, so I thought I would try it out, but it ended up being a miss for me.
I was excited to start the book and see illustrations of the cast of characters—I just love that in middle-grade books, but especially when they’re done like portraits. I definitely referred to this multiple times throughout the book as the downstairs staff is organized by their ranking and I kept getting confused on who everyone was. On that note, Alice spoke her mind a little too much for being the bottom of the chain, in my opinion. Perhaps it’s because of the short length of this book, but Alice and Theo quickly become friends and she is only respectful of their societal differences once, which felt a little strange. It is a short middle-grade story though, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too critical of it, but it just felt very fast and had me thinking “how are they already friends? They’ve only talked once before!” It also didn’t feel realistic about Alice (who has to get up very early) would have time to sneak out with the young master of the house. There was also a really mean maid that was had no point except to be mean to cause angst for Alice.
Because of these elements, I was disappointed and I guess I hyped it up a little too much in my head. After all, I should have really enjoyed it because of the historical middle-grade setting with mysteries and no murder, but I honestly found myself having to force myself to read it and I have too many other books that interest me to waste time on one that doesn’t!
Broad Content from what I read:
Alice and Theo sneak out a few times and also go to an area that isn’t safe for answers.
Theo’s parents are snobs and he doesn’t have a close relationship with them or his older brother; Some comments about the women’s suffragette movement (including a father being very upset about his daughter agreeing with them).
Name calling such as calling old women a dragon and beastly; One maid calls another a “witch” in anger because she’s mean; Sarcasm, Eye rolling, & Mimicking (with ill intent/making fun of someone); Eavesdropping; Another maid is mean towards and threatens Alice (including trying to trick her into getting fired).
Mentions of stealing & thieves; Mentions of taverns, alcohol, & drinking (by adults); A mention of someone being “sick in the mind”.
A few mentions of a couple being caught canoodling.
I wanted a quick middle-grade story and saw this one on Kindle Unlimited a while back, so I thought I would try it out, but it ended up being a miss for me.
I was excited to start the book and see illustrations of the cast of characters—I just love that in middle-grade books, but especially when they’re done like portraits. I definitely referred to this multiple times throughout the book as the downstairs staff is organized by their ranking and I kept getting confused on who everyone was. On that note, Alice spoke her mind a little too much for being the bottom of the chain, in my opinion. Perhaps it’s because of the short length of this book, but Alice and Theo quickly become friends and she is only respectful of their societal differences once, which felt a little strange. It is a short middle-grade story though, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too critical of it, but it just felt very fast and had me thinking “how are they already friends? They’ve only talked once before!” It also didn’t feel realistic about Alice (who has to get up very early) would have time to sneak out with the young master of the house. There was also a really mean maid that was had no point except to be mean to cause angst for Alice.
Because of these elements, I was disappointed and I guess I hyped it up a little too much in my head. After all, I should have really enjoyed it because of the historical middle-grade setting with mysteries and no murder, but I honestly found myself having to force myself to read it and I have too many other books that interest me to waste time on one that doesn’t!
Broad Content from what I read:
Alice and Theo sneak out a few times and also go to an area that isn’t safe for answers.
Theo’s parents are snobs and he doesn’t have a close relationship with them or his older brother; Some comments about the women’s suffragette movement (including a father being very upset about his daughter agreeing with them).
Name calling such as calling old women a dragon and beastly; One maid calls another a “witch” in anger because she’s mean; Sarcasm, Eye rolling, & Mimicking (with ill intent/making fun of someone); Eavesdropping; Another maid is mean towards and threatens Alice (including trying to trick her into getting fired).
Mentions of stealing & thieves; Mentions of taverns, alcohol, & drinking (by adults); A mention of someone being “sick in the mind”.
A few mentions of a couple being caught canoodling.
August 12, 2023
I was excited when I started this and hoped I'd be recommending it to my daughter, who is the target age group for this. However, I found it easy to put down. While I believed the younger son of nobility would have time to hide about the house, pursue a mystery, befriend servants, etc. I found it harder to believe a 12 year old maid-of-all-work who wakes at 5:30a and seems to have plenty of work to do would have equal time to spend with Theo.
My biggest turnoff was the head housemaid who is quite mean, seeking to hurt just about everyone and doesn’t seem to ever get consequences for it.
The two main characters, aged 12, regularly break rules in the name of solving a mystery. They sneak out at night twice, the boy forges a letter in his father’s name (to help a servant unfairly fired), and they meet a group of children who also help them pursue criminals including a 5 year old who says to the older brother of the main character “any funny business from you, and I’ll knock your block off!” (page 150) This is addressed by the leader of the group who says “violence is never the answer” but a page later tells the 5 year old to forget that and essentially use whatever violence necessary to escape the other criminals.
It had mixed messages for me and I didn't like the story of what was behind the pocket watch theft, seemed far fetched and a little too neat an ending to have a group of children bring down a counterfeit operation.
My biggest turnoff was the head housemaid who is quite mean, seeking to hurt just about everyone and doesn’t seem to ever get consequences for it.
The two main characters, aged 12, regularly break rules in the name of solving a mystery. They sneak out at night twice, the boy forges a letter in his father’s name (to help a servant unfairly fired), and they meet a group of children who also help them pursue criminals including a 5 year old who says to the older brother of the main character “any funny business from you, and I’ll knock your block off!” (page 150) This is addressed by the leader of the group who says “violence is never the answer” but a page later tells the 5 year old to forget that and essentially use whatever violence necessary to escape the other criminals.
It had mixed messages for me and I didn't like the story of what was behind the pocket watch theft, seemed far fetched and a little too neat an ending to have a group of children bring down a counterfeit operation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2023
Downton Abbey for middle-grade readers with a dash of Oliver Twist
Having read and enjoyed three of Jemma Hatt’s books (so far) in her Adventurers’ series, this first installment in the new Mysterious Mansions series intrigued me. At present, I still prefer the Adventurers, but I plan to add this collection set during the Edwardian Era to my list of recommended reads for younger students, ages 8-11.
It was easy to cheer for lively protagonists Alice and Theo, and mischievous Nero, as their friendship broke down the wealthy family/submissive servant barrier at No. 6. Alice needs to keep her new job as maid. Theo needs to keep out of trouble with his family. Nero needs to keep quiet when they go undercover and keep nipping at villainous ankles. The good-hearted Cable Street children reminded me of the orphans once depicted in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, fortunately minus the pickpocketing.
The historical details addressing the growing suffragette movement and waning class system of the early 1900s are effectively woven into the adventurous and well-paced plot with a mystery to solve. The attention paid to London geography also earns appreciation: Belgravia, Hyde Park, Victoria Station, and Whitechapel/The Docklands; the travel journeys are accurately portrayed on walks and via the Underground.
Possibly missing? A London map of the time period might be beneficial for young readers. I read the book on Kindle, so I apologize if a map is included in the print version. I also found myself longing for an adult mentor. Lord and Lady Dorsey don’t live up to the task, Mrs. Dell and Mr. Simpkins may lack the boldness, and Kitty isn’t old enough.
Regardless, the themes of sacrificial friendship and respect for others win the day and hopefully the recognition of middle-grade readers and school librarians.
Having read and enjoyed three of Jemma Hatt’s books (so far) in her Adventurers’ series, this first installment in the new Mysterious Mansions series intrigued me. At present, I still prefer the Adventurers, but I plan to add this collection set during the Edwardian Era to my list of recommended reads for younger students, ages 8-11.
It was easy to cheer for lively protagonists Alice and Theo, and mischievous Nero, as their friendship broke down the wealthy family/submissive servant barrier at No. 6. Alice needs to keep her new job as maid. Theo needs to keep out of trouble with his family. Nero needs to keep quiet when they go undercover and keep nipping at villainous ankles. The good-hearted Cable Street children reminded me of the orphans once depicted in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, fortunately minus the pickpocketing.
The historical details addressing the growing suffragette movement and waning class system of the early 1900s are effectively woven into the adventurous and well-paced plot with a mystery to solve. The attention paid to London geography also earns appreciation: Belgravia, Hyde Park, Victoria Station, and Whitechapel/The Docklands; the travel journeys are accurately portrayed on walks and via the Underground.
Possibly missing? A London map of the time period might be beneficial for young readers. I read the book on Kindle, so I apologize if a map is included in the print version. I also found myself longing for an adult mentor. Lord and Lady Dorsey don’t live up to the task, Mrs. Dell and Mr. Simpkins may lack the boldness, and Kitty isn’t old enough.
Regardless, the themes of sacrificial friendship and respect for others win the day and hopefully the recognition of middle-grade readers and school librarians.
April 25, 2023
I’m already a huge fan of Jemma’s The Adventurers series so when she announced she had a new series on the way, I couldn’t wait to see what it was about.
And OMG – an MG mystery adventure series set in Edwardian London? Yes please!
There’s a lot of characters from the start, which can be daunting, especially for younger children, but it’s made easier by the visual guide at the start of the book with portraits of the “Upstairs” family and the “Downstairs” staff.
It's hard not to like the two main characters Alice and Theo. They’re both curious, loyal, and are out to prove their worth to their families. Their differences are illustrated by the things they worry about – Theo wants to please his demanding father and Alice wants to just stay employed. They both find it unfair to conform the norms of the time. I love their friendship and that they don’t care about class rules. I can definitely see them getting into a lot of adventures together (along with their newly acquired East End friends).
As with many MG books, the characters can get into some crazy scapes so you do need to suspend belief for a bit but it is so worth it!
Many of the characters, not just Alice and Theo, have already been given some interesting backstories, and I hope we learn more about the family and staff as the series progresses. There’s so much that can be done with just the family and staff that it’s going to be very fun to see how things develop.
The fast-paced action and interesting characters will keep readers of any age engaged and I think it would be a fun introduction to Edwardian England and historical fiction for younger readers.
*** Thank you to the author, Jemma Hatt, for providing me with an e-copy of this book exchange for an unbiased review.
And OMG – an MG mystery adventure series set in Edwardian London? Yes please!
There’s a lot of characters from the start, which can be daunting, especially for younger children, but it’s made easier by the visual guide at the start of the book with portraits of the “Upstairs” family and the “Downstairs” staff.
It's hard not to like the two main characters Alice and Theo. They’re both curious, loyal, and are out to prove their worth to their families. Their differences are illustrated by the things they worry about – Theo wants to please his demanding father and Alice wants to just stay employed. They both find it unfair to conform the norms of the time. I love their friendship and that they don’t care about class rules. I can definitely see them getting into a lot of adventures together (along with their newly acquired East End friends).
As with many MG books, the characters can get into some crazy scapes so you do need to suspend belief for a bit but it is so worth it!
Many of the characters, not just Alice and Theo, have already been given some interesting backstories, and I hope we learn more about the family and staff as the series progresses. There’s so much that can be done with just the family and staff that it’s going to be very fun to see how things develop.
The fast-paced action and interesting characters will keep readers of any age engaged and I think it would be a fun introduction to Edwardian England and historical fiction for younger readers.
*** Thank you to the author, Jemma Hatt, for providing me with an e-copy of this book exchange for an unbiased review.
May 8, 2025
This was a very cute story set in the Edwardian era in London. It's two protagonists, both 12 yo are on opposite sides of the class divide with Theo being the youngest son of a Lord and Alice the newest maid in the Lord's mansion.
Theo is refreshingly different from his noble peers and friendly to the staff in his house. He sneaks around the mansion with his dog Nero, getting upto all sorts of mischief. When a much loved footman loses his job after he is falsely accused of stealing a guest's watch, Alice and Theo team up to investigate. With his knowledge of the upstairs where his family resides and her ability to ferret out information from downstairs where the staff spend their time, they make a good pair.
I think this would be a fun read for the target age. I certainly enjoyed it. The period was well depicted with Theo 's sister participating in the women's suffrage movement and the restrictions on interaction between the family members and the maids and other staff. Alice and Theo's helpers from the East End, a group of bold kids who are up for any adventure were cute too.
Theo and Alice were my favourites with their interactions being so normal with no regard for difference in their positions, which is exactly how friendships should be. That was good to read.
Theo is refreshingly different from his noble peers and friendly to the staff in his house. He sneaks around the mansion with his dog Nero, getting upto all sorts of mischief. When a much loved footman loses his job after he is falsely accused of stealing a guest's watch, Alice and Theo team up to investigate. With his knowledge of the upstairs where his family resides and her ability to ferret out information from downstairs where the staff spend their time, they make a good pair.
I think this would be a fun read for the target age. I certainly enjoyed it. The period was well depicted with Theo 's sister participating in the women's suffrage movement and the restrictions on interaction between the family members and the maids and other staff. Alice and Theo's helpers from the East End, a group of bold kids who are up for any adventure were cute too.
Theo and Alice were my favourites with their interactions being so normal with no regard for difference in their positions, which is exactly how friendships should be. That was good to read.
October 18, 2025
Secrets at no.6=
IN THIS BOOK ALICE AND THEO ARE SOLVING AMYSTERY. ALICE IS A HOUSEMAID ANDTHEO IS A PART OF THE WEALTHY FAMILY ALICE WORKS FOR. ONE DAY ALICE AND THEO SEE THEO’S BROTHER IVAN HANDING SOMETHING TO A SERVANTFOR HIDING AND JUST AFTER THAT A ROBBERY HAS HAPPENED. THEY INVESTIGATE ABOUT THIS AND FIND MANY SECRETS CONCERNING THE HOUSE AND IT’S INHABITANTS. CAN THEY FIND OUT THE REASON BEHIND THIS AD UNCOVER THE TRUTH. THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK FULL OF ACTION AND MYSTERY.
IN THIS BOOK ALICE AND THEO ARE SOLVING AMYSTERY. ALICE IS A HOUSEMAID ANDTHEO IS A PART OF THE WEALTHY FAMILY ALICE WORKS FOR. ONE DAY ALICE AND THEO SEE THEO’S BROTHER IVAN HANDING SOMETHING TO A SERVANTFOR HIDING AND JUST AFTER THAT A ROBBERY HAS HAPPENED. THEY INVESTIGATE ABOUT THIS AND FIND MANY SECRETS CONCERNING THE HOUSE AND IT’S INHABITANTS. CAN THEY FIND OUT THE REASON BEHIND THIS AD UNCOVER THE TRUTH. THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK FULL OF ACTION AND MYSTERY.
April 30, 2023
What an adventure!
Great characters with a great plot, a real adventure for all ages, can’t wait for the next one. Such a fantastic read.
Great characters with a great plot, a real adventure for all ages, can’t wait for the next one. Such a fantastic read.
May 2, 2023
A good upstairs downstairs middle grade mystery. I look forward to reading this authors other series.
June 4, 2023
Super cute and suspenseful Children's book!
Read
June 28, 2023A good book for elementary age with appropriate suspense for their age group.
September 25, 2024
It's a kid-friendly version of Downton Abbey! Love!
November 21, 2025
I literally loved the characters and the setting so much, the mystery was giving
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews