THE WINTERTON DECEPTION

Thirteen-year-old Hope Smith learns the value of family.

Hope and her twin brother, Gordon, have been brought up by their single mom, who, despite working two jobs, can only afford a cheap motel room for them to live in. The twins, unbeknownst to their mother, find out that their father was a member of the wealthy Winterton family, publishers of The Winterton Dictionary and sponsors of a lucrative local spelling bee. Gordon wants to participate—he wants to know more about the Wintertons—but Hope resents the very thought of them. Eventually, desperately needing the prize money, Hope and her mother agree she’ll take part too. The weeklong competition, held at the grand Winterton Chalet, has overtones of Agatha Christie as all the contestants (most of whom are estranged members of the Winterton family) arrive. Once ensconced, each family receives an unexpected letter unrelated to the spelling bee: It describes a missing original Jane Austen manuscript and gives the first clue in a treasure hunt to find it. The winner gets to keep the manuscript, worth millions. The intriguing plot adroitly unveils family dynamics and secrets against the backdrop of the dual tensions of nail-biting daily spelling bees and the competition to solve the scavenger hunt clues. Hope’s chip-on-the-shoulder personality is thoroughly unlikable for a large portion of the book—and is essential for the ending to work (which it does). Hope and Gordon are cued white; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast.

Intelligent, intricately plotted, and ultimately moving.