She came from nothing.
Avery has a plan: keep her head down, work hard for a better future.
Then an eccentric billionaire dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. And no one, least of all Avery, knows why.
They had everything.
Now she must move into the mansion she’s inherited.
It’s filled with secrets and codes, and the old man’s surviving relatives –
a family hell-bent on discovering why Avery got ‘their’ money.
Now there’s only one rule: winner takes all.
Soon she is caught in a deadly game that everyone in this strange family is playing.
But just how far will they go to keep their fortune?

It’s no secret that I’m not usually a fan of books in a contemporary setting, my one caveat to that however, is a thriller and I’m loving that YA is now firmly on board with this genre too!  I’d have to describe this book as the most elaborate game of Clue meeting Cruel Intentions in the ultimate long game of a mystery thriller.

Whilst I saw the twist coming from very near the start I honestly didn’t care because what came in between was absolutely amazing. No filler, just short pacey chapters and a story that was constantly driving forward from one clue to another, I never wanted to put it down, but there is life too but I have to admit I cared very little for much of that outside of reading this. Avery it a great character, right from the start I was endeared to her, brutally smart but just that little bit over onto the wrong side of the tracks to be able to put it to the use she could have. Her reaction to the situation she found herself in was one of believable bewilderment throughout and I loved how it was all about the mystery for her and the money was always second. The brothers were interesting and each had their own personality to bring to the table, there is a lot of manipulation and secret keeping but not just with Avery, they all had their own agenda and skill set to help the pieces fit together.

The world is totally addictive, the puzzles are fiendish in the way they play out and the side characters are nothing short of vicious. Hawthorne House is almost a character in itself with as many hidden secrets as the main man himself and given how much time Avery finds herself within it’s walls that’s a very good thing! The girls are mean, the brothers are cute in a rich bad boy kind of way, the family’s crazy angry but it all comes together perfectly, none of the characters are over the top or hammy which could have happened given the back ground. In short it’s a total must read!

The second book can’t come quick enough and this is definitely one game that I want to play again!

5*