Review: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

BOOK STATS

Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
Title: The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: The Inheritance Games #1
Genre: Mystery
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Christie Moreau
Length: 11 hours (376 pages)
Publisher: Hachette Audio; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Source: Library
Recommended for fans of: A Good Girl’s Guide to Morder
Content Warnings: death, domestic abuse, toxic relationship, gun violence, death of parent, alcohol

SYNOPSIS

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why–or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch–and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

MY THOUGHTS

What a fun and intriguing mystery! The characters were clever, and I loved all the puzzles and riddles even if I couldn’t always put all the pieces together. This is the kind of book where I could never quite predict where the story was going, but I enjoyed being along for the ride and watching the mystery unfold.

My only complaint is the dang love triangle! …between two brothers… and Avery wasn’t even the first girl they were both interested in. *sigh* I also struggled to tell the brothers apart, but that may have been a result of listening to the audiobook.

The ending was a very satisfying conclusion to this story while also serving as a great set up for book 2, introducing new twists and mysteries to solve. I can’t wait to continue this series!