The Inheritance Games, #2
The Hawthorne Legacy
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Contents
Overview
Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Hawthorne Legacy continues Avery Grambs’s life inside Hawthorne House after she unexpectedly inherits Tobias Hawthorne’s vast fortune. Avery is still surrounded by the brilliant, competitive Hawthorne grandsons—Jameson, Grayson, Xander, and Nash—while lawyers, security teams, relatives, and the media all try to shape what her new life should become.
The central mystery deepens when Avery begins to suspect that Harry, a man she once knew as a chess partner, may actually be Toby Hawthorne, Tobias’s supposedly dead son. If Toby is alive, Avery’s inheritance, her safety, and her understanding of her own family could all change. As Avery follows clues hidden in wills, rooms, photographs, rings, and old tragedies, she must decide whom to trust and how much of herself she is willing to risk.
The novel blends puzzle-box suspense with family drama and romance, exploring legacy, power, grief, identity, and the cost of secrets. Avery’s challenge is not only to solve Tobias Hawthorne’s final game, but to stop being used as a piece in anyone else’s.
Plot Summary ⚠️ Spoilers
Avery Grambs and Jameson Hawthorne reopen the mystery of why Tobias Hawthorne left Avery almost his entire fortune. Avery has realized that Harry, the homeless man she played chess with after her mother’s death, may actually be Toby Hawthorne, Tobias’s supposedly dead son. Jameson and Avery debate whether Tobias chose Avery because of Toby, or whether Toby himself manipulated events. Their investigation becomes personal through a wager, but it quickly grows dangerous when Avery finds evidence that Tobias had been watching her for years, including photographs of her with Harry.
As Avery assumes public duties as owner of the Texas Lone Stars, her absent father Ricky Grambs reappears, and the Hawthorne family’s legal and social pressures tighten around her. Grayson warns Avery that if Toby is alive, he could threaten the will and the fortune protecting her. Avery, Jameson, and Xander break into Toby’s sealed wing at Hawthorne House, where they uncover contraband, a cipher disk, William Blake’s A Poison Tree, and invisible writing covering the walls. The writing forms Toby’s diary and reveals that Toby was secretly adopted, a truth that shattered his faith in the Hawthornes.
Avery notices that Toby’s handwriting matches the signature on her birth certificate, leading her to believe Toby signed Ricky’s name and may be her father. The investigation turns to Tobias’s old will, whose unusual charity list points to Camden House, the Allport Institute, Colin’s Way, and the Rockaway Watch Society. These clues connect Toby to rehab, memory loss, and the Hawthorne Island fire, where Toby supposedly died alongside Colin Anders Wright, David Golding, and Kaylie Rooney. Avery also learns that Sheffield Grayson, Grayson’s biological father, was Colin’s uncle, tying the Hawthorne brothers’ parentage to the same tragedy.
Skye Hawthorne confirms that Sheffield is Grayson’s father and reveals she is involved with Ricky, increasing the danger around Avery. To remove Ricky’s legal leverage, Avery signs emancipation papers. Meanwhile, threats appear inside Hawthorne House: a bloody cow heart and later a dead rattlesnake. Avery suspects people connected to the estate are trying to scare her away from Toby’s secrets.
Avery follows Tobias’s clues to True North, his mountain property, with Max, Xander, Rebecca, Thea, Libby, Nash, and others. There, hidden passages and an old photograph reveal a triangle involving young Zara, Skye, and Jake Nash, Nash’s father. Zara’s ring and Skye’s compass lead to a hidden message from Tobias. With help from a vial of purple powder found by Libby and Nash in Cartago, the group reveals Tobias’s letter to Zara and Skye. Tobias confirms that Toby survived Hawthorne Island, admits he failed his children, and directs them to files about the fire.
Avery recognizes the locations in Tobias’s Toby file from her mother’s blank postcards. Under black light, the postcards reveal messages from Toby to Hannah Rooney, Avery’s mother, who lived under the name Sarah. Hannah was Kaylie Rooney’s sister, nursed an injured and amnesiac Toby after the fire, and loved him. Toby’s messages show guilt over the fire and Kaylie’s death. Avery contacts Kaylie’s mother, her grandmother, but receives only rage and rejection.
Zara’s recovered files reveal that Toby had planned to burn the Hawthorne Island house after talking about destroying everything, but lightning likely ignited the gas and accelerant before anyone struck a match. Tobias buried the report and let Kaylie be blamed. A new lead points to Jackson Currie, the fisherman who rescued Toby. Avery travels to Oregon with Oren and Grayson, and Jackson confirms that Hannah cared for Toby for months. He gives Avery Toby’s farewell letter to Hannah and Hannah’s postcards to Toby, which describe Avery’s childhood and strengthen Avery’s belief that Toby was her father. At the airstrip, a bomb explodes, nearly killing Avery and killing two of Oren’s men.
Avery survives after a medically induced coma at Hawthorne House. Alisa reports that Skye and Ricky have been arrested for the bombing, and a DNA test says Ricky is Avery’s biological father, contradicting the clues. Jameson returns the mysterious gold disk Avery found through Jackson, and he admits Avery has become more than a game to him.
Before Avery can fully recover, Thea lures her into a passage because Rebecca has been threatened. Avery is kidnapped by Sheffield Grayson, who admits he orchestrated the bombing to draw Toby out and avenge Colin. Sheffield believes Toby is Avery’s father, but when Toby arrives, he denies it and reveals the fire began with Colin’s dare and Toby’s reckless anger. Sheffield prepares to kill them both, but Mellie shoots him. Mellie then reveals she and Eli, her brother, had been trying to force Toby out of hiding because Toby’s real biological daughter is Mellie’s sister Eve, a nineteen-year-old who looks like Emily Laughlin.
Toby privately tells Avery the truth: he is not her biological father, but he delivered her during a storm, helped name her Avery Kylie Grambs—an anagram for “A Very Risky Gamble”—and has always considered her his daughter. He refuses to return to Hawthorne House or expose Eve to the Hawthorne legacy. Oren arrives before Toby can disappear, then manages the aftermath of Sheffield’s death. Avery realizes Tobias used her to lure Toby out and resolves not to be anyone’s pawn.
In the final movement, Avery checks on Xander, Max, Thea, Rebecca, and Grayson while reclaiming her own agency. She tells Grayson about Sheffield’s death but withholds Eve’s identity, forgiving him for freezing after the explosion and recognizing their shared fear of loss. Avery is legally emancipated, gaining the power to make her own will and control her life. On the roof, she tells Jameson about Toby’s daughter and the lost disk, accepts that not every mystery is solved, and chooses a future of risk, desire, and discovery by kissing Jameson.
Characters
- Avery Kylie GrambsThe unexpected heiress to Tobias Hawthorne’s fortune, Avery drives the investigation into Toby Hawthorne, her mother’s past, and the reason she was chosen. Her arc moves from being used as a clue in other people’s games to claiming legal and emotional agency.
- Jameson HawthorneOne of Tobias Hawthorne’s grandsons, Jameson is a risk-loving puzzle solver who becomes Avery’s main investigative partner. His relationship with Avery shifts from rivalry and gamesmanship into open emotional investment.
- Grayson HawthorneA controlled and protective Hawthorne grandson, Grayson struggles with guilt, emotional distance, and the discovery that Sheffield Grayson is his biological father. He repeatedly tries to protect Avery while wrestling with his own fear of attachment.
- Xander HawthorneThe youngest Hawthorne brother, Xander receives Tobias’s hidden instruction to find Toby and helps crack several clues. His eccentric inventions and independent investigation show that he follows puzzles in his own unexpected way.
- Nash HawthorneThe oldest Hawthorne brother, Nash is grounded, protective, and especially connected to Libby. His own parentage becomes part of the True North mystery when Jake Nash is identified as his father.
- Libby GrambsAvery’s sister and guardian, Libby is hurt by Avery’s secrecy but remains fiercely loyal. She searches for Toby in New Castle and Cartago, helping uncover key evidence while asserting her place in Avery’s life.
- Max LiuAvery’s best friend, Max offers humor, emotional honesty, and outside support amid Hawthorne House’s dangers. Her arrival at the mansion gives Avery a trusted confidante outside the Hawthorne family.
- Alisa OrtegaAvery’s lawyer and public handler, Alisa manages the legal, media, and inheritance crises surrounding Avery. Her loyalty to Tobias’s plan and her efforts to protect Avery often clash with Avery’s need for trust and autonomy.
- OrenAvery’s head of security, Oren is fiercely loyal because Tobias charged him with protecting Avery. He handles threats, betrayals, and cover-ups while teaching Avery how dangerous her inheritance really is.
- Tobias HawthorneThe deceased billionaire whose will made Avery an heiress, Tobias designed layered clues around Toby, his daughters, and the Hawthorne Island fire. His legacy drives the plot as Avery uncovers both his regrets and his manipulations.
- Tobias Hawthorne IIKnown to Avery as Harry and to the family as Toby, he is Tobias Hawthorne’s supposedly dead son. His survival, guilt over the Hawthorne Island fire, love for Hannah, and hidden daughter are central to the book’s mysteries.
- Hannah RooneyAvery’s mother, known to Avery as Sarah, was Kaylie Rooney’s sister and Toby’s great love after the Hawthorne Island fire. Her postcards reveal her hidden past, her devotion to Avery, and her lasting connection to Toby.
- Ricky GrambsAvery’s absent father, Ricky reappears after Avery inherits and becomes a legal and public threat through his connection to Skye. A DNA test confirms he is Avery’s biological father despite the clues tying Toby to her birth.
- Skye HawthorneTobias Hawthorne’s daughter and the mother of the Hawthorne brothers, Skye schemes against Avery and uses Ricky to create leverage. Her past with Sheffield Grayson and Jake Nash ties her to several buried family conflicts.
- Zara Hawthorne-CalligarisTobias Hawthorne’s daughter, Zara guards her pain over being overlooked by her father and becomes an obstacle before helping decode his final clues. Her old relationship with Jake Nash and rivalry with Skye are crucial to the True North puzzle.
- NanThe Hawthorne matriarch and Alice’s mother, Nan holds key emotional and material links to the family’s past. She provides Alice’s wedding ring and reveals context about Zara, Skye, and Toby.
- Alice O’Day HawthorneTobias Hawthorne’s late wife, Alice is important through her will, jewelry, and the family history surrounding Toby’s adoption. Her wedding ring becomes part of the clue system meant for Zara.
- Mr. LaughlinA Hawthorne estate employee and part of the Laughlin family, Mr. Laughlin resists Avery’s investigation into Toby. He repeatedly bricks up Toby’s wing, showing how raw the old wounds remain.
- Mrs. LaughlinA Hawthorne estate employee who loved Toby and is revealed to be his biological grandmother. Her hostility toward Avery softens when Avery shows evidence that Toby may still be alive.
- Rebecca LaughlinEmily’s sister and Toby’s biological relative, Rebecca struggles with grief, guilt, and anger over years of being overshadowed. She apologizes to Avery and becomes part of the wider circle affected by the Hawthorne secrets.
- Thea CalligarisRebecca’s sharp, strategic love interest, Thea helps with clues but later betrays Avery under coercion because Rebecca is threatened. Her defining loyalty is her repeated choice to protect Rebecca.
- Emily LaughlinThe deceased girl loved by both Jameson and Grayson, Emily continues to shape the brothers’ guilt and the social world around Avery. Her resemblance to Eve becomes significant near the end.
- Kaylie RooneyHannah’s sister and one of the Hawthorne Island fire victims, Kaylie was blamed for the tragedy because of her record and family background. The truth about her scapegoating connects Avery’s maternal family to Toby’s guilt.
- Sheffield GraysonGrayson’s biological father and Colin Anders Wright’s uncle, Sheffield seeks revenge for Colin’s death. He orchestrates the bombing and kidnaps Avery to lure Toby out of hiding.
- MellieA Hawthorne House maid and Eli’s sister, Mellie helps betray Avery to force Toby out but ultimately shoots Sheffield to save Avery and Toby. Her true motive is securing help for her sister Eve.
- EliA young security guard assigned to Avery, Eli leaks information and likely stages threats to get closer to her. He is later revealed as Mellie’s brother and part of the effort to draw out Toby.
- EveMellie’s nineteen-year-old sister, Eve is revealed as Toby Hawthorne’s biological daughter and a Laughlin descendant. Her existence reframes the inheritance mystery by introducing the true blood connection Avery thought she might be.
- Jackson CurrieA reclusive fisherman near Rockaway Watch, Jackson rescued and sheltered Toby after the Hawthorne Island fire. He gives Avery Toby’s letter and Hannah’s postcards, providing crucial truth about Hannah and Toby.
- Jake NashA former ski instructor identified in an old True North photograph with Zara and Skye, Jake is Nash’s father. Tobias sent him to Cartago as caretaker and gave him the powder needed to reveal a hidden message.
- LandonA media consultant who trains Avery and Grayson for their public interview. Her role shows how Avery’s image becomes a strategic asset during the inheritance crisis.
- Monica WinfieldThe interviewer who ambushes Avery and Grayson on camera with evidence that Toby Hawthorne may be alive. Her questions turn Avery’s private investigation into a public threat.
- Dr. LiuMax’s mother and the doctor who oversees Avery’s recovery at Hawthorne House after the bombing. Her presence reflects Max’s loyalty and the distrust surrounding Alisa’s medical decisions.
- Rebecca Laughlin’s motherThe Laughlins’ daughter and Toby’s biological mother, she reveals the buried adoption scandal after years of grief and resentment. Her belief that the Hawthornes take everything explains much of the family’s hostility.
- Kaylie Rooney’s motherAvery’s maternal grandmother, she rejects Avery when contacted and condemns the Hawthorne fortune as blood money. Her hostility shows the lingering damage from Kaylie’s death and Hannah’s flight.
Themes
In The Hawthorne Legacy, Jennifer Lynn Barnes turns inheritance into a question of identity: what do we truly receive from the dead, and what can we refuse? Avery’s fortune is never merely money. It is a maze of clues, threats, public narratives, and family sins. As the search for Toby/Harry expands from Hawthorne House to True North, Cartago, and Rockaway Watch, the novel suggests that legacy is both treasure and contamination.
- The poison of family secrets: The recurring image of Blake’s A Poison Tree gives the book its moral pattern. Toby’s hidden wall diary, the suppressed police report, the false story blaming Kaylie Rooney, and the concealed adoption all show how silence curdles into violence. The Hawthornes, Laughlins, Rooneys, and Graysons are linked by what adults buried: births, affairs, crimes, grief, and shame. Even Tobias’s puzzles are a form of secrecy, forcing later generations to suffer through revelations he could have spoken plainly.
- Inheritance as power and danger: Avery’s new wealth makes her visible, desirable, and disposable. The stadium appearance, media coaching, emancipation, and televised ambush show that owning billions means being owned by public perception. Threats such as the bloody heart, snake, leaked photos, and bombing make literal what the novel repeatedly implies: power attracts predators. Yet Avery’s emancipation marks a shift from being managed as an asset to claiming agency over her own life.
- Chosen bonds versus bloodlines: The book constantly unsettles biology. Ricky is Avery’s biological father, but not her true parent. Toby is not her father by DNA, yet he helped name her, delivered her, and calls her his daughter. Libby’s sisterhood matters more than legal guardianship; Oren’s loyalty becomes a chosen duty; the Hawthorne brothers gradually accept Avery as “one of us.” The revelation of Eve, Toby’s biological daughter, sharpens the distinction between belonging by blood and belonging by love, history, and choice.
- Survival, guilt, and self-punishment: Toby’s decades of hiding, Grayson’s emotional restraint after Emily, Rebecca’s buried anger, and Hannah’s reinvention all dramatize different responses to trauma. Characters survive by disappearing, controlling themselves, or turning pain into games. Avery’s arc pushes against that pattern: she breaks walls, asks questions, risks wanting, and refuses to let grief or fear define her.
- Games as truth and evasion: Riddles, wagers, chess, cipher disks, hidden passages, and Hawthorne rituals make mystery the family language. But games can both reveal and obscure. By the end, Avery still embraces the thrill of the puzzle with Jameson, yet she also recognizes the danger of being used as someone else’s piece. Her final choice is not to stop playing, but to play on her own terms.