THE HAWTHORNE LEGACY

In this sequel to The Inheritance Games (2020), Avery has a new Hawthorne family puzzle to solve.

Picking up where the last volume left off, Avery and the four Hawthorne grandsons are on a mission to find Toby, the billionaire patriarch’s only son, who was presumed dead after a fire but, it turns out, may still be alive. With enigmatic clues and more cryptic mysteries left by the deceased family patriarch and Toby himself, Avery and the young Hawthornes piece together the details of the latter’s disappearance. Assisting the mostly White cast this time is Avery’s best friend, Maxine Liu, whose name cues her as Chinese American. Once again, action-packed chapters with more threats against Avery’s life and an ongoing love triangle among Avery and two rival Hawthorne grandsons drive the momentum. This novel relies less on the brainteasers that made the first book so much fun and more on sleuthing to fill in the backstory surrounding the Hawthorne lineage and Avery’s own heritage. Are the two connected? The answers occasionally lead to more questions as the pace quickens and red herring upon red herring prevail, leading up to the conclusion of this installment. An open ending—and a bolder Avery—are ready for the next set of Hawthorne challenges.

A solid sophomore novel that keeps readers involved in the entertaining series.