Finding Julian

Morgan's convoluted, soap operatic novel introduces 21-year-old Julian to the family she never knew, and a world of high stakes and hard decisions. When her estranged father dies, Julian travels to Narragansett, R.I., to attend the funeral against her mother's wishes. When the will is read, Julian is astounded to hear that she's inherited her father's estate, angering other members of the family. While Julian tries to extract herself from the legacy she never wanted, she discovers things aren't what they seem. Her father may have been murdered, there are several different copies of the will floating around, not all of her family can be trusted, and she's attracted the attentions of two very different guys%E2%80%94one of whom may be more trouble than he's worth. As Julian's mother urges her to return to New York, Julian tries to uncover her father's killer and locate the true will. Clich%C3%A9s abound in this drama, which relies on stock characters, tired twists, and even a climatic confrontation on the edge of a cliff in the rain. There's potential, but it's lost amid overused tropes. Ages 12%E2%80%93up.