Kaleidoscope

Cressida's mother has inherited her uncle's broken-down home, and now she and Cress have to spend a chunk of the summer preparing the house for sale. But Darien, barely older than Cress, lives there, claiming that he made Uncle Ellsworth's last days comfortable. Darien seems unhappy and Cress would like to help him. But she's distracted by the elaborate clues Uncle Ellsworth has left for his heirsclues that could lead to either a great treasure or a superb hoax. Ransom's usual talent for details sets this apart from other mysteries, but her endingwith the kids shattering a magnificent window that foretells the futureseems extraneous. The scenes between Cress and Darien occasionally crackle, but more often are clumsy. While readers may want to know more about Cress's next adventure, they may also hope that she goes it alone. Ages 12-up. (November)