The Trap

Julie resents being sent to spend the summer with her great aunt and uncle on their ranch in Texas, Rancho del Oro. Her swim team needs her and she'll be away for the whole summer season. But her family is counting on her, too. Uncle Gabe has broken his ankle and Aunt Glenda needs help. Julie is the only one available. Maybe she'll surprise herself and actually have a good time. But something strange is going on at Rancho del Oro. Pieces of jewelry and little objects are missing. The older people on the ranch say they may have misplaced the items--but something doesn't add up. In addition, two ranch residents have recently died. The deaths have been ruled accidents, but were they? When she discovers Uncle Gabe's fall was not an accident, Julie knows she must discover the killer's identity. Or else she could be next. For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes The Trap from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; Julie has the perfect summer plan. Shell be with her friends on the swim team, and this year, for the first time, they have a chance to make the Interstates. So when her family tells her shes being sent to spend the summer with her great-aunt and great-uncle at Rancho del Oro, their ranch in Texas, she feels resentful. #160; #160; #160; #160; Once shes at Rancho del Oro, however, Julie quickly learns that something strange is going on. Pieces of jewelry and other little objects are missing. The older people on the ranch say they may have misplaced the itemsbut something doesnt add up. Julies Uncle Gabe only broke his ankle when he fell down the stairs from his observatory, but two other men on the ranch have recently died. The deaths have been ruled accidents, but were they? When Julie figures out that Uncle Gabes fall was not an accident, she knows she must discover the killers identity. Or she could be next. #160; #160; #160; #160; Joan Lowery Nixon expertly combines a family story with a compelling mystery to keep her readers guessing until the very end. #160; With its twists and turns, this page-turner is a must for mystery fans. School Library Journal #160; [ The Trap ] maintains a fast pace, with likeable, interesting characters and a dash of romance. VOYA #160; A teen reader can identify withJulie. Kirkus Reviews -- The Trap????? Julie has the perfect summer plan. She?ll be with her friends on the swim team, and this year, for the first time, they have a chance to make the Interstates. So when her family tells her she?s being sent to spend the summer with her great-aunt and great-uncle at Rancho del Oro, their ranch in Texas, she feels resentful.???? Once she?s at Rancho del Oro, however, Julie quickly learns that something strange is going on. Pieces of jewelry and other little objects are missing. The older people on the ranch say they may have misplaced the items?but something doesn?t add up. Julie?s Uncle Gabe only broke his ankle when he fell down the stairs from his observatory, but two other men on the ranch have recently died. The deaths have been ruled accidents, but were they? When Julie figures out that Uncle Gabe?s fall was not an accident, she knows she must discover the killer?s identity. Or she could be next.???? Joan Lowery Nixon expertly combines a family story with a compelling mystery to keep her readers guessing until the very end.? "With its twists and turns, this page-turner is a must for mystery fans."? -- The Trap? "A teen reader can identify with?Julie."?Kirkus Reviews From the Hardcover edition Sixteen-year-old Julie agrees to spend the summer at her great-aunt and uncle's ranch in Texas, but gets more than she bargained for when valuables suddenly start disappearing and it appears that there may be a murderer in their midst.