This was a favorite book of mine in high school, but having recently reread it, I can't imagine why. I do remember it was the first book I read of the series and just HAD to track down the rest (no easy feat- I still haven't found all of them!). The story itself is OK, but the way it's told is too slow. Jessica's boarding school is being plagued by a series of petty thefts. During Christmas break, Jessica goes home with her rich friend Stephanie where she stays in the red guest room. Strange things happen in the mansion. During the night someone sneaks around the attic and into her room, removing a mysterious object. In the daylight, someone pushes her onto thin ice (where she breaks through and has to be rescued) while she is ice skating with Stephanie's cousin. The connection between the mysterious happenings and the school thefts is fairly obvious to the reader (though not to Jessica). ( )