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The Winterton Deception #2
Fault Lines
A kidnapping, a clue hunt, lots of family tension, and a literary find for the ages weave together in the thrilling second book of The Winterton Deception.
After the incredible events of the last official Winterton Bee, Hope and Gordon Smith have discovered that having an extended family isn’t so bad . . . and maybe their famous relatives� lives aren’t so charmed. But Hope is still hiding a secret, and it’s a big one.
When Elizabeth Springer goes missing just before the Winterton’s big Thanksgiving celebration—their first reunion since the spelling bee—Hope knows it’s time to come clean. Her secret may be the only thing that can save Ms. Springer. But none of the Winterton clan want to hear it. Worse, they accuse Hope of making up the whole thing as an attention-grab.
Poised to give up on her new-found family, Hope gets a cryptic coded letter with instructions on how to find James Winterton—her long-estranged grandfather. What’s more, the letter hints that the Winterton’s secrets go well beyond a simple hidden treasure. Now Hope and Gordon face the impossible task of convincing their family to follow a shifty clue to find the man they want to see least, in order to save the woman who’s been lying to them for years.
After the incredible events of the last official Winterton Bee, Hope and Gordon Smith have discovered that having an extended family isn’t so bad . . . and maybe their famous relatives� lives aren’t so charmed. But Hope is still hiding a secret, and it’s a big one.
When Elizabeth Springer goes missing just before the Winterton’s big Thanksgiving celebration—their first reunion since the spelling bee—Hope knows it’s time to come clean. Her secret may be the only thing that can save Ms. Springer. But none of the Winterton clan want to hear it. Worse, they accuse Hope of making up the whole thing as an attention-grab.
Poised to give up on her new-found family, Hope gets a cryptic coded letter with instructions on how to find James Winterton—her long-estranged grandfather. What’s more, the letter hints that the Winterton’s secrets go well beyond a simple hidden treasure. Now Hope and Gordon face the impossible task of convincing their family to follow a shifty clue to find the man they want to see least, in order to save the woman who’s been lying to them for years.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published November 12, 2024
3 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Janet Sumner Johnson
10books124followersJanet Sumner Johnson lives in Utah with her husband and three kids. She bakes a mean cinnamon twist and eats way more cookies than are good for her, which explains her running habit. Though her full-time occupation as evil tyrant/benevolent dictator (aka mom) takes most of her time, she sneaks in writing at night when her inner funny bone is fully unleashed.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 23, 2024
I’m always nervous for the sequel when I loved the first book so much (read it twice!) but I’m pleased to report that book 2 was fantastic as well!
Fault Lines picks up two months after the end of Final Word, and had everything I loved about the first book: literary mystery, a clue hunt, solvable puzzles, real family messiness and real family forgiveness, peril and excitement, and a hint that there is still more of this story to be told.
These books are middle grade mysteries perfect for 8+ and I’m thrilled to wholeheartedly recommend them!
Fault Lines picks up two months after the end of Final Word, and had everything I loved about the first book: literary mystery, a clue hunt, solvable puzzles, real family messiness and real family forgiveness, peril and excitement, and a hint that there is still more of this story to be told.
These books are middle grade mysteries perfect for 8+ and I’m thrilled to wholeheartedly recommend them!
September 30, 2024
The Winterton family is back! Fault Lines picks up where the previous book left off, and it does it seamlessly. We get a new family gathering, new secrets, and a whole new mystery to solve. Fault Lines has everything that was great about Final Word - complex family dynamics, fun puzzles, and a whole lot of intrigue - and ramps it up with a faster pace and life and death stakes. A great read. Kids who enjoyed Book 1 will love Book 2.
December 31, 2024
This book was so amazing! At first I didn’t think it would be as good as The Final Word but in my opinion I think Fault Lines was better. There was so many big twists and turns and kept me want to read more and more even though I needed to go to bed. I really loved this book and I recommend The Winterton Deception series if you love a good mystery.
November 12, 2024
Like the first book, Fault Lines takes its readers on a Treasure hunt filled with intriguing clues and wonderful red herrings. The characters are vivid and you can’t help but cheer for hope and her family. Bravo!
December 8, 2024
I received a free copy of this book for review.
I’m happy to say that this sequel lived up to its predecessor in an excellent way! Fault Lines is book 2 in the Winterton Deception contemporary mystery series and I think the series is middle grade gold! I haven’t seen it much on social media but everyone I know that has picked it up has loved it! Including my 9 year old and others in my in-person life I’ve recommended it to.
Fault Lines picks up shortly after book 1 and brings more puzzles, complicated family dynamics, nods to Jane Austen, and kids learning to work together and communicate with their family. I love that this book doesn’t make it seem like everything was perfect after the reconciliations of book 1 and shows how it is a continual but important process of creating the family relationships you want to have. And I am always a sucker for puzzle solving in stories so I loved being right there with the clever characters as they chased clues and tried to uncover truth. This series is perfect for fans of The Westing Game or for those looking for a story like The Inheritance Games for a younger audience.
Trigger/content warnings: some peril and light violence
I’m happy to say that this sequel lived up to its predecessor in an excellent way! Fault Lines is book 2 in the Winterton Deception contemporary mystery series and I think the series is middle grade gold! I haven’t seen it much on social media but everyone I know that has picked it up has loved it! Including my 9 year old and others in my in-person life I’ve recommended it to.
Fault Lines picks up shortly after book 1 and brings more puzzles, complicated family dynamics, nods to Jane Austen, and kids learning to work together and communicate with their family. I love that this book doesn’t make it seem like everything was perfect after the reconciliations of book 1 and shows how it is a continual but important process of creating the family relationships you want to have. And I am always a sucker for puzzle solving in stories so I loved being right there with the clever characters as they chased clues and tried to uncover truth. This series is perfect for fans of The Westing Game or for those looking for a story like The Inheritance Games for a younger audience.
Trigger/content warnings: some peril and light violence
August 29, 2024
3.5
The Winterton family is back for a Thanksgiving celebration, and this time Grace and her mom and brother will be welcomed with open arms. Grace even has a plan that she can't wait to spring on everyone....but things quickly take a turn. They are suddenly hunting down clues, escaping danger, and trying to learn the meaning of forgiveness and true family.
I enjoyed coming back to the Winterton estate with this large family. But I was lost amidst all of the characters. It has been enough time since I've read the first book that I needed a little re-cap of the family members and their relationships in order to keep them straight.
There was plenty of excitement, some literary intrigue, and awesome family dynamics. I think the kids who enjoyed the first one will be pleased with this one as well.
eARC provided by Eiderweiss
The Winterton family is back for a Thanksgiving celebration, and this time Grace and her mom and brother will be welcomed with open arms. Grace even has a plan that she can't wait to spring on everyone....but things quickly take a turn. They are suddenly hunting down clues, escaping danger, and trying to learn the meaning of forgiveness and true family.
I enjoyed coming back to the Winterton estate with this large family. But I was lost amidst all of the characters. It has been enough time since I've read the first book that I needed a little re-cap of the family members and their relationships in order to keep them straight.
There was plenty of excitement, some literary intrigue, and awesome family dynamics. I think the kids who enjoyed the first one will be pleased with this one as well.
eARC provided by Eiderweiss
November 22, 2024
I enjoyed the first book in this series so much. I was excited to read this continued story. Hope and the Winterton family are back with a new mystery and set of clues that leads to quite the adventure. This book picks up right where FINAL WORD ends.
The stakes are higher this time as a kidnapping shakes the family. Secrets are brought to the surface, identities revealed, and feelings are hurt. There’s a slew of puzzles to solve and who can they trust? Hope is still a favorite. She finds herself on the outs as there are truths that people don’t want to face. Her courage and strength are her best qualities. I love her support system in Mom and Gordon. And many other characters surprised me this time around.
I am really hoping for another book in the series!
Eevin Hartsough does a great job with the audio narration. She also narrated the first book so I was glad to hear her again. I enjoy her mix of voices and tones. Hartsough has an excellent range from kids to adults to an older Jane. Very well done. Her narration fit the characters so well. I knew who was speaking.
I received an Edelweiss approval from the publisher. And I also listened to the audio from Libby.
The stakes are higher this time as a kidnapping shakes the family. Secrets are brought to the surface, identities revealed, and feelings are hurt. There’s a slew of puzzles to solve and who can they trust? Hope is still a favorite. She finds herself on the outs as there are truths that people don’t want to face. Her courage and strength are her best qualities. I love her support system in Mom and Gordon. And many other characters surprised me this time around.
I am really hoping for another book in the series!
Eevin Hartsough does a great job with the audio narration. She also narrated the first book so I was glad to hear her again. I enjoy her mix of voices and tones. Hartsough has an excellent range from kids to adults to an older Jane. Very well done. Her narration fit the characters so well. I knew who was speaking.
I received an Edelweiss approval from the publisher. And I also listened to the audio from Libby.
February 18, 2025
What a fun middle-grade mystery! Blending a kidnapping with a clue hunt, this story is just the right combination of adventure quest and real-life consequences. The author does a great job of balancing the fun of a quest, the tension of danger, and the responsibility of trying to solo a task that is way too big for you. Readers who enjoyed The Inheritance Games will adore this story.
A note about how I rate books: 5 Stars - It was life-touching amazing; 4 Stars - I liked it so much I will recommend it to others without being asked; 3 Stars - It was a good read that I will recommend to members of the target audience; 2 - It was okay; 1 - It was not for me, but that doesn't mean it's not for others.
A note about how I rate books: 5 Stars - It was life-touching amazing; 4 Stars - I liked it so much I will recommend it to others without being asked; 3 Stars - It was a good read that I will recommend to members of the target audience; 2 - It was okay; 1 - It was not for me, but that doesn't mean it's not for others.
April 12, 2025
I enjoyed this book, but the first one was better. The story starts with Hope and Gordon returning to the Winteron Chalet for a Thanksgiving reunion. Hope and her grandmother, Jane, who she just realised was her grandma, had plans. They decided to tell the rest of the family that Janee hadn't died. I thought that was silly, waiting to tell them and not just telling them. Why do that? But, the book had some good factors. I liked the new mystery, and the ending was great. My favorite part was when James and Hope went out together acting as grandpa and granddaughter. It was sweet. Overall, I liked this book, but the first one was preferable.
December 26, 2024
I needed something light and fun after Christmas, and this totally fit.
It was fun jumping in with the Wintertons again. At one point I thought, I need a family tree... Who do all these people belong to? I was ready to start googling when I flipped through the book instead. Right in front! With so many characters, it's good having that to review relationships.
I really enjoyed this mystery. Immediate reveals, but plenty of others to ride through the book as well.
Just like the last one, great themes about working through family struggles and building good family relationships.
It was fun jumping in with the Wintertons again. At one point I thought, I need a family tree... Who do all these people belong to? I was ready to start googling when I flipped through the book instead. Right in front! With so many characters, it's good having that to review relationships.
I really enjoyed this mystery. Immediate reveals, but plenty of others to ride through the book as well.
Just like the last one, great themes about working through family struggles and building good family relationships.
April 8, 2025
Hope tries to tell her new extended family her big secret, but no one believes her, in fact they think she's just trying to get attention. But when Hope receives a letter, with a cryptic message about how to find James, she doesn't go back to the family for help, instead she tries to follow the clues herself - and it's much more dangerous than she expected.
More twists and turns than The Final Word. This family keeps so many secrets, it's strange that were so mad at Hope for keeping some important ones. Worth buying if you have Book 1. The characters default white.
More twists and turns than The Final Word. This family keeps so many secrets, it's strange that were so mad at Hope for keeping some important ones. Worth buying if you have Book 1. The characters default white.
March 12, 2025
The Winterton Deception 2: Fault Lines is a fun, twisty mystery packed with puzzles, family drama, and a touch of literary charm. When Elizabeth Springer disappears just before Thanksgiving, Hope dives into another clue-filled adventure. I love the engaging story, relatable characters, and clever nods to Jane Austen. If you enjoy books like The Westing Game or The Inheritance Games, these books are a great!
April 2, 2025
This is an incredible sequel to the first book. Both Winterton stories are intense mysteries filled with clues to solve and danger around every corner. The stakes are even higher in Fault Lines as family relationships are strained to new levels and more lives are put at risk than ever before. I love the fast pace and incredible writing that kept me reading.
October 21, 2024
Wow! What a ride! If you read Final Word and liked it, you will equally enjoy this story. It picks up right where the 1st one ended and just sails on from there.
So much mystery, family drama, mistrust, adventure galore, and deception- along with clues, puzzle solving, family love, trust, forgiveness, and working together.
The writing is phenomenal, the characters feel like friends or family, and even with the intensity of the story- there is plenty of humor.
I think this has the best first paragraph in a story ever:
Jane Winterton had put such a tremendous amount of work into her death that it seemed a pity to undo it all now. Still, being dead was highly overrated, and it hadn’t brought her the forgiveness she’d hoped for. Her children still hated her.�
“I couldn’t sleep. I guess I thought everything would feel differently when we got here now that we’re family. Instead, it feels like we’re a sticky note tacked onto an ancient book.�
So much mystery, family drama, mistrust, adventure galore, and deception- along with clues, puzzle solving, family love, trust, forgiveness, and working together.
The writing is phenomenal, the characters feel like friends or family, and even with the intensity of the story- there is plenty of humor.
I think this has the best first paragraph in a story ever:
Jane Winterton had put such a tremendous amount of work into her death that it seemed a pity to undo it all now. Still, being dead was highly overrated, and it hadn’t brought her the forgiveness she’d hoped for. Her children still hated her.�
“I couldn’t sleep. I guess I thought everything would feel differently when we got here now that we’re family. Instead, it feels like we’re a sticky note tacked onto an ancient book.�
November 27, 2024
A great sequel. Can’t wait to find out what happens to the family next!
January 21, 2025
Fun clue hunt with plenty of action! The characters are smart and fun! Great book 2 in this series!
January 28, 2025
The Narrator is wonderful. The continuation of the Winterton's family secrets with a lot of Jane Austen secrets too.
March 19, 2025
Fun mystery, figuring out clues series.
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