The Mystery of Mystic Mountain
Simon & Schuster, Books For Young Readers, October 22, 2024 / 978-1665956666 / 256 pages/ 8-12 years
Hardcover $17.99
A girl tackles a summer filled with mystery, treasure, and learning to be her true self in this middle grade adventure that’s a modern-day Holes set on a dusty dude ranch in Montana.
Becca Soloway’s perfect summer goes up in smoke when her mom flees a looming divorce by dragging Becca to a Montana resort. To make matters worse, her mom’s hasty booking lands them not at a spa, but an aging dude ranch called Far Away.
Becca is miserable until she meets the wrangler’s son, Jon, who shows her what might be the first clue to a century-old mystery: the lost treasure of a Robin Hood–like outlaw known as Pearlhandle Pete.
As they slowly uncover the true history of Pete, venture into the mountains, search haunted ghost towns, and are threatened by a treasure-hunter-social-media star, Becca discovers that treasure is in the eye of the beholder and the important things in life are always worth fighting for.
Thoughtful conversations about death, friendship, shifting family dynamics, and the power of storytelling permeate this frothy summer adventure by Fox , which bristles with gentle thrills and chills.
Publisher’s Weekly
Against a rural Western backdrop, rumors of a hidden treasure pull two young people into an adventure…Vivid, poetic descriptions bring the setting and characters into focus, and the mystery maintains a strong pace…A well-written mystery adventure bolstered by high stakes and a burgeoning friendship.
Kirkus
This action-filled, coming of age, spooky mystery offers lots of surprises. This book grabs you early with the promise of treasure and ghosts. Fox expertly weaves the threads of self esteem, friendship, divorce, mother-daughter relationships with the old west, outlaws, unscrupulous TV sensationalists, and of course, love.
When it comes to middle grade mystery, this one does not disappoint. Highly recommended.
Cynthia Surrisi