April 1, 2006
Gr 4-6 -In this third mystery in the series, 12-year-old Sheila is visiting her divorced father on his ranch in Alberta with her friends Katie and Rusty. The mystery revolves around sabotage of the new housing development on land that the neighbors are trying to set aside for a wildlife refuge. Evidence points to Dad, or Dad's new girlfriend, as the culprit. The children set out to prove his innocence, but the more they find, the more it looks like he might be involved. In a pat ending, the kids rescue several good guys from certain death and catch the bad guys with proof that someone was trying make Sheila's father look guilty. Description is heavy and does not promote the action. Katie meddles, and Sheila's glaring anger at everyone gets tiresome. The writing is just fair, and the style has the feel of a book for young people written in the early '60s, with computers and e-mail thrown in for a modern touch." -Sharon R. Pearce, Chippewa Elementary School, Bensenville, IL"
Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.