LOOKING FOR JAMIE BRIDGER

A suspenseful story about a feisty teen who insists on finding her roots in the face of adult duplicity and obstinacy. Jamie Bridger can hardly believe what happens when she confronts her grandparents about who her real parents were. Her tyrannical grandfather goes into a towering rage that results in a fatal heart attack; her grandmother simply shuts down. After the funeral, Jamie searches for the clues to her identity; it takes her to a nearby town where another Jamie Bridger grew up, whom she believes is her father. The hunt takes her to New York City, where she finds her grandparents' gay son, who has never fathered a child. They don't know how they are related to each other, but team up to work through the puzzle. An estranged aunt provides the missing information--they are siblings. Springer (Toughing It, 1994, etc.) pens a story of shocking twists, a mystery about sexual repression and the power of old lies to inflict pain. A solid plot, characterizations, and the unexpected ending makes this a page-turner and a half.