THE WINTERTON DECEPTION

This sequel brings the extended Winterton family together for a Thanksgiving week reunion at Winterton Chalet that veers way off track.

Thirteen-year-old Hope and her twin brother, Gordon, are looking forward to seeing their newly discovered Winterton cousins, who were introduced in the series opener. Hope figured out that the enigmatic Ms. Springer is actually matriarch Jane Winterton, who faked her own death to try to get her quarrelling offspring to reconcile. Hope convinced her grandmother to reveal who she is over the holiday gathering—but then Jane suddenly disappears. When Hope takes it upon herself to reveal the truth of her identity, the family members accuse her of lying and turn against her, making her feel like the outsider she was when she first learned that her father was a Winterton. The riddles and clues to finding both Hope’s estranged grandfather and the treasure of a long-missing Jane Austen letter will challenge and stimulate readers, who need to be familiar with the first book to follow the storyline. Unfortunately, some inconsistencies in the plot are confusing, and the motivating factor of the Wintertons’ anger toward Hope isn’t explained well enough to be convincing. Some violence later in the story shifts the tone away from the thoughtful and effective nuance of the book’s depiction of family. Most characters read white; the previous installment established some racial diversity in the family.

Disappointingly disjointed.