Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 11/01/2024 A seedy, haunted Montana resort provides the setting for a brisk flurry of family changes, new friendships, self-searching, encounters with ghosts, and competitive clue gathering—all wrapped around old tales of outlawry and hidden treasure. A trial separation leading to a month’s stay at the aptly named Far Away Ranch with her mom leaves 12-year-old Becca not only fretting about her parents’ marriage but also herself, uncomfortably suspended between sticking with her geeky longtime best friend or hanging with a crowd of flashy A-listers back in Connecticut. Meanwhile, a trail of suddenly surfacing clues lead her, with friendly new allies Jon and Liam, into the mountains on horseback on a search for supposed loot left by a mysterious Robin Hood–ish bank robber renowned in local lore—with another guest, self-aggrandizing YouTube star and treasure hunter Tad Lochster, in hot pursuit. Fox stuffs her tale with classic mystery, adventure, and coming-of-age tropes and ties most of them together with expert ease in the wake of a suitably tense and spooky climax with riches of both the shiny and the intangible sorts at the end. She also keeps things simple so that Becca’s personal choices are clear-cut and readers will have no trouble approving of both them and the final comeuppance of the thoroughly villainized Lochster. A pleaser for fans of uncomplicated Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys–style exploits. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.