New Releases by Joan Lowery Nixon

DIVWhen a spoiled kid disappears, the Casebusters go spelunking with a pirate’s ghost/divDIV Sean and Brian Quinn have never liked Lester Hopper. The seven-year-old is spoiled rotten, and looks down on every kid he knows—even the ones who are taller than him! But one night, Lester disappears and a ransom note warns the Hoppers not to contact the police. The Casebusters are going to need to solve their most serious mystery yet—a possible kidnapping./divDIV /divDIVBefore he disappeared, Lester was diagnosed with a lung infection, and he needs to take his medicine again soon or he’ll get very sick indeed. But was Lester kidnapped, or did he run away? Whatever the answer, all the clues point to one destination: the town’s oldest cave, which is said to be haunted by the ghost of a dead pirate. To save Lester, Brian and Sean will have to match wits with a swashbuckler who’s been dead for centuries./div

DIVWhile on vacation at a dude ranch, the Casebusters chase a horse thief/divDIV Sean and Brian Quinn can’t think of anywhere cooler than the Austin Dude Ranch. Although neither has ever ridden a horse, they’re positive that playing cowboy is going to become their favorite pastime. But before they can learn to rope and ride, they’re going to have to practice their other favorite hobby: solving mysteries./divDIV /divDIVA racehorse has been stolen from the neighboring farm, and the ranch’s owners think that their horses may be the next to disappear. To find the missing pony, Brian and Sean will have to confront something even more scary than horse thieves: the ghost of the crazy old gold prospector who is said to haunt a nearby abandoned mine. Whether the culprit is living or dead, Brian and Sean must catch him faster than they can say, “Giddy-up!”/div

DIVThe Casebusters investigate accidents at an abandoned theater—where a ghost is the chief suspect!/divDIV Ever since the new mall opened on the other side of Redoaks, the area around the historic Culbertson Theater has been abandoned. But when a local developer wants to bulldoze the area and turn it into a shopping center, someone inside the theater decides to take matters into his own hands—hands that may be alive or dead./divDIV /divDIVAfter a sandbag falls on a building inspector’s shoulder—the latest in a string of suspicious accidents—kid detectives Brian and Sean Quinn decide to investigate. Sean’s friend Sam suspects it is the work of the ghost of Horatio Hamilton, an actor who died in the theater decades before, but Miss Beezly—the strange old woman who runs the theater—says that Horatio’s ghost is too polite for such misbehavior. Someone is pulling these dangerous pranks, and Brian and Sean better find out fast—in case the next sandbag falls on a detective!/div

DIVOn an island in the Mississippi River, a ghost and his dog stand guard/divDIV When their aunt buys an old, run-down inn on the banks of the Mississippi, Chris and Amy Holt go south to help her fix up the place. They lend helping hands during the day, but at night, they wonder about the island in the middle of the river—a mysterious place where the townsfolk will not set foot. The island was created by an earthquake which shook the ground so fiercely that the river ran backwards, destroying the house of a bitter old miser named Joshua Hanover, and carrying away his precious hoard of silver coins. And according to legend, Hanover’s ghost still roams the island, his phantom dog, Shadow, at his side, searching eternally for his lost treasure./divDIV /divDIVUnable to resist the treasure’s lure, Chris and Amy journey to the island to find out if the stories are true. There they find danger, and a mystery that is far more frightening than they could have ever imagined./div

DIVThe sons of a private detective investigate a crazy art museum caper—and try to avoid a spooky statue!/divDIV Ever since they were very young, Brian and Sean Quinn have helped their father solve mysteries. Even though their dad is a professional detective, he always likes to hear his kids’ opinions. Sometimes they even help him catch a crook! But when a pair of priceless Leonardo da Vinci drawings disappears from the local art museum, their father is stumped, and only the boys can crack the case./divDIV /divDIVThe robbery was an inside job, which means the drawings could be anywhere—even inside the museum. Sean and Brian inspect the premises and get to know the staff. And everything goes fine until they get to the Anubis Room, where the famous Egyptian statue is rumored to come alive at night. The Quinn boys will nab the thief—as long as the statue doesn’t catch them first!/div

DIVOn a walk in the woods, Sean and Brian find a scary footprint/divDIV Sean Quinn does not like the sound of spending a weekend in a neighborhood named Grizzly Hill. Although his friend Alan assures him the development has been bear-free for a century, Sean is not convinced. The woods are thick and dark, and there’s an old grizzly den not far from Alan’s house. And when Brian discovers a strange footprint on a forest path, Sean starts to wish he had stayed at home with Mrs. Peabody, the babysitter. She’s not any fun, but at least she’s not a bear!/divDIV /divDIVBrian decides the print is too small to be a full-grown grizzly, but it could be a cub. Against Sean’s wishes, they follow the tracks into the forest. If there are bears in the woods, Brian wants to know. And if the animal is something even stranger, he can’t wait to find out!/div

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes Laugh Till You Cry from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. Thirteen-year-old Cody doesn’t like Texas. He and his mom were only supposed to spend the summer there, helping out his grandmother. But Cody’s grandmother is sick and needs them to stay. Now he’s the new kid at the local middle school and all his friends are back in California. You’d think Cody’s cousin Hayden would show him the ropes. Not only is Hayden in the same grade; he lives next door. But Hayden doesn’t want anything to do with Cody. Cody’s luck begins to change when he befriends Officer Ramsey, a policeman and aspiring stand-up comic. Officer Ramsey appreciates Cody’s jokes so much, he pays Cody for the material! But it’s no laughing matter when a crime is committed at school and Cody becomes a suspect. Cody is going to need more than jokes to solve this mystery—and clear his name. “Nixon has crafted a lively, fast-paced tale with an intelligent young hero who is creative, courageous, and compassionate.” –Kirkus Reviews “Cody’s humorous side…and the book’s length make this mystery ideal.” –School Library Journal “A fast-paced and fun read.” –VOYA

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes Secret, Silent Screams from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. Is Barry’s death the latest tragedy in a string of suicides at Farrington Park High School? Or is it murder? Marti is sure her friend Barry didn’t take his own life, but no one will believe her except Police Officer Prescott. But opening an investigation takes time, and Marti is determined to find her friend’s killer soon. Because even now he could be planning his next crime… “Enthralling suspense…satisfying[,]…[and an] intricate plot.” –Publishers Weekly

EDGAR AWARD WINNER For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes The Other Side of Dark from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. Stacy wakes up in a hospital room, in a body she doesn’t recognize. Her mother is dead—murdered—and Stacy is recovering from a gunshot wound. She is the sole eyewitness to the crime, but she has only a shadowy memory of the killer’s face. Will Stacy be able to regain a clear memory of that fateful day before the killer reaches her? The Other Side of Dark is one of Joan Lowery Nixon’s most intriguing, suspenseful, and dramatic mysteries. “The compelling premise…and Nixon’s mastery of suspense are gripping.” –Publishers Weekly “Tense and dramatic…[The Other Side of Dark has a] quick pace, and the determined protagonist should attract and hold readers.” –School Library Journal

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes Ghost Town: Seven Ghostly Stories from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. In the old towns of the Wild West, there’s more to hear than the paint peeling from the deserted storefronts, more than the tumbleweeds somersaulting down the empty streets. If you listen hard, you can hear voices whispering stories. Stories like the one about the lost mine in Maiden, Montana, or how Wyatt Earp won the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. And don’t forget about the Bad Man from Bodie, California—he’s still searching for his lost finger! Can you hear them? “An entertaining collection.” –School Library Journal “Combining history and mystery…[Ghost Town: Seven Ghostly Stories] recalls classic campfire tales.” –Booklist “A well conceived (and titled) collection…[of] chilling short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes Nightmare from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. Emily has never fit in with her overachieving family. Instead of getting straight As, she sits in the back row and hides behind her hair. As a result, her parents have enrolled her for the summer at Camp Excel, an academic camp for underachievers. Emily doesn’t want to go, and not just because she thinks it isn’t necessary. Since she was a child, she’s been plagued by a recurring nightmare. And something about this camp feels familiar. Has she been there before? Why can’t she remember? With the help of two new friends, Emily discovers that her nightmare is not just in her head. Someone at Camp Excel has a secret and will do anything—even kill—to keep Emily from uncovering the truth. “A taut, well-constructed mystery.” –Kirkus Reviews “Readers will once again fall under Nixon’s spell as they enjoy this page-turner.” –School Library Journal “[An] inimitable blend of horror and whodunit.” –Booklist “[Nightmare has] taut suspenseful passages…[and] clever false leads.” –Publishers Weekly

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes Playing for Keeps from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. Rose Ann can’t believe her good luck. Her grandmother, Glory, needs a last-minute roommate for her bridge-tournament cruise to the Caribbean. But Glory doesn’t really need a companion. She’s eager for Rosie to meet her friend’s grandson, Neil, a brainy guy full of facts about baseball, among other things. Once Rosie is aboard the ship, though, someone else catches her eye—a boy her own age, who introduces himself as Ricky Diago. But after the ship sails, something doesn’t seem quite right. Rosie sees only Ricky’s uncle, Mr. Diago. Even stranger, Neil swears that Mr. Diago is actually a famous Cuban baseball player from the Cincinatti Reds. Then, after a day excursion in Paradise Beach, Rosie is approached by another boy who claims he’s Ricky Diago. She’s certain he’s not the person she met at the beginning of the trip. Suddenly Rosie finds herself caught in a high-stakes game of international intrigue with life-or-death consequences. Who is the real Ricky Diago? And how far will Rosie go to help him? With her trademark expertise, Joan Lowery Nixon interweaves politics, baseball, and romance in a masterful novel of suspense on the high seas. “[An] engaging mystery.” –Kirkus Reviews “[A] fast-paced combination of suspense and romance.” –Booklist “Satisfactory teen mystery.” –VOYA

Ann, a young girl in eighteenth-century Williamsburg, wants to become a doctor like her father, but she is not allowed even to study Latin or mathematics.

A teenage girl is kidnapped, but when freed, she is accused of masterminding the scheme to extort money from her wealthy grandmother.

Penguins Gus and Gertie take part in the Animals'' Winter Olympics.

Two agreeable cousins, Debbie and Jeff, brave an old abandoned house to solve a mystery that has plagued the neighborhood for several generations.

The Ellis Island Stories focus on the journeys, hardships, and rewards associated with the immigrant experience in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These stories are accurate fictionalized accounts of a pivotal period in U.S. history.

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes The Haunting from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. The walls whisper. The ceilings shriek. No one can survive a night of terror inside Graymoss. The old plantation house has been in Lia’s family since the Civil War, but it’s been possessed for generations by a malicious spirit, and Lia’s family has always stayed far away. Now her parents have decided to move into Graymoss, and Lia must either change their minds or chase away the horror lurking inside the old house. Using clues from her great-great-grandmother’s diary and an old copy of Favorite Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, Lia must discover what—or who—the evil wants. “Nixon creates a spooky setting fairly dripping in atmosphere, then spins an ever-tightening thread of tension.” –Kirkus Reviews “A book that will please mystery fans…[and a] plot [that] keeps readers guessing until the end.” –School Library Journal “Nixon has woven a tale that grabs and holds her readers…It’s a really fun read!” –VOYA “A page-turner that will satisfy mystery and ghost story fans.” –Booklist

Arriving for a vacation on Holiday Island, penguins Gus and Gertie stumble into a hotel full of Bad Guys and have a beautiful, valuable deep-sea pearl stolen from them.

When the writer Duncan Tyler is found dead, the question is who was that upset by his new book and why was he blackmailing people?

Murder happens at a fund raiser at the Silver Ridge Hotel.

It''s 1866 and 12-year-old Will Scott is not happy to be riding the orphan train. That''s because Will''s not really an orphan. He has a father--Jesse, a circus performer. But Will is no good at circus tricks, and Jesse tells him he''d be better off with a new family out West: "I''m giving you a better life, Will." Will is placed with the kindly Dr. and Mrs. Wallace. Assisting Dr. Wallace on his rounds of the local farms, Will finds to his surprise that he''s really good at something--helping people who are sick and hurt. But he still misses his father terribly. And then one night, Jesse''s circus comes to town.... "From the Hardcover edition.

Stacy Champagne returns to her hometown to help out at her family''s Silver Ridge Hotel. She did not plan on getting involved in solving the murder mystery of the unpopular Will Knight. The coauthor is Kathleen Nixon Brush.

Agatha Mae Vaughn is 12 years old in 1866, and she lives in the Asylum for Homeless Waifs, where she''s always in trouble or in the way. So when she''s told she''s being sent west on the orphan train, Aggie isn''t sad. She''s looking forward to starting fresh and finding the family she''s never had. But instead of young parents and maybe even a little brother or sister, Aggie gets the Bradons. Bertha and Eldon Bradon are an elderly couple who live on a farm with their two older children--Leon, a budding inventor, and Penelope, a crusader for women''s right to vote. This is not the family Aggie had in mind. Will she ever fit in?

After eleven-year-old orphan-train rider David Howard settles with a strict Texas farm family, his best friend, an ex-slave, is threatened by the growing presence of the Ku-Klux Klan.

Super Sleuths Brian and Sean Quinn are on holiday at a ranch in the mountains when they find out an expensive race horse has disappeared. Thanks to tips picked up from their private investigator dad, they outwit the thief who tries to trap them.