Daniel Reed

Welcome to Rosetown: a quaint area with roots centered around the financial successes of the Rosewood family. When the matriarch of the family (Gram) passes away unexpectedly, granddaughter Lily is devastated by the loss. Her distress compounds when she finds the will left by Gram lacking inheritance to anyone. But Gram left a note for Lily that seems to hold more than just words and Lily realizes that, even in death, Gram has a few aces up her sleeve. Now, the prospect of a hidden family fortune brings Lily and three unwilling teens together to decipher cryptic clues and riddles, all while evading the dangers of those that want it more. This is an excellent debut novel! The characters are well developed, the filler details are rich, and the story moves swiftly. The character interactions are especially on point, just as you would imagine teenagers to be. The author did a great job also of leaving you on the hook at the end of a chapter; you are forced to read on to find out what happens next! The Rosewood family names are botanical themed and, though some readers found this too blatant, I think it suits the story. I found it to be especially seamless because the author uses other characters to point fun at it. Marvel Studios does this with a majority of their films and it makes those "on the nose" moments easy to digest and, more so, really comical. Reed also employs this tactic in her book and it plays well. Overall, THE ROSEWOOD HUNT is an impressive debut novel and it has a little bit of everything for everyone. With a tasteful blend of action, comedy, romance, and suspense, this is one story you don't want to miss out on!!