I wanted to like this more because I love puzzles. Maybe my expectations were too high given the average rating. The biggest issue is that I had a hard time liking Avery. At first she seemed like a mature young woman who could hold her own, but then she didn't seem to have much common sense. The attraction she felt for two or more of the Hawthrone brothers felt so silly, and she claimed to understand their unspoken words and their emotions despite them being strangers who had much more experience with puzzles and riddles. Seems unlikely that she'd know them so well or that they'd let her know them well. Also, why wouldn't she just google the house, the family and Emily? She had all the technology available to her. Not that it matters since the whole Emily storyline felt separate from the story.

I'm curious about what happens next. Why the old man selected Avery as his heir, what happened to Toby, and how it all ties together, but honestly, I'm not likely curious enough to read more. If someone could just tell me, that would be great.