The Mystery of Mystic Mountain - by Janet Fox (Paperback)

About the Book

Twelve-year-old Becca's unwelcome trip to a dude ranch turns adventurous when she and the wrangler's son uncover clues to the lost treasure of Pearlhandle Pete.

Book Synopsis

A girl tackles a vacation filled with mystery, treasure, and learning to be her true self in this middle grade "frothy summer adventure...which bristles with gentle thrills and chills" (Publishers Weekly) 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.

Review Quotes

Following her parents' separation, almost 13-year-old Becca Soloway looks forward to reconnecting with her mother on a "girls-only vacation," despite missing out on beach shenanigans with her friends and crush. But Far Away Ranch fails to fulfill Becca's expectations, offering no spa treatments, no wi-fi, no yoga or cooking classes; it's just a "weird," sprawling Montana lodge with hints of "something magical" within its walls. When Jon, a ranch hand near Becca's age, recruits her help in finding the long-lost treasure of local hero Pearl-Handled Pete, Becca is eager to make a (cute) new friend and do something to impress the "in crowd" back home in Connecticut. While chasing clues, meeting otherworldly spirits, and rebuffing a greedy social media star, Becca learns that the only treasures worth fighting for are the kind that can't be spent. Convenient plotting and inconsistent characterizations aside, thoughtful conversations about death, friendship, shifting family dynamics, and the power of storytelling permeate this frothy summer adventure by Fox (Carry Me Home), which bristles with gentle thrills and chills. Jon and Becca cue as white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Oct.)

About the Author

Janet Fox is an author, mom, outdoor enthusiast, and former teacher. She's been to the bottom of the ocean in a submersible and had a brief fling with rock stardom. Her award-winning stories include picture books through young adult novels but have won her fans of all ages. She lives in Bozeman, Montana. Find out more at JanetSFox.com.