Inherit Midnight

In an adventure/drama rife with family dysfunction, 17-year-old Avery VanDemere is the child of an affair that scandalized the whole family and left her an outsider. With her mother dead and her father an alcoholic, she was raised by her severe grandmother, the family matriarch, who is obsessed with the VanDemeres' ancestry. After falling ill, Grandmother decides to hold a "Last Standing Heir" contest to determine who will inherit the family business and fortune. Avery, an underdog, learns that her mother is actually alive, living in Croatia, and that she has been writing Avery letters every year on her birthday. Avery strikes a deal with the family lawyer (whose son develops into a love interest), winning the right to see one letter per successful challenge; soon, she is traversing the world, digging for diamonds and seeking out VanDemere family history. Myers (The Vanishing Game) serves up hyperbolic action, melodramatic twists, and romance as the petty and fumbling VanDemeres try to best one another for money. While Avery%E2%80%98s happy ending is a bit pat, this globe-trotting race offers no shortage of thrills. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (Feb.)