Joan Lowery Nixon Books In Order

Orphan Train Adventures Books In Order

  1. A Family Apart (1987)
  2. Caught in the Act (1988)
  3. In the Face of Danger (1988)
  4. A Place to Belong (1989)
  5. A Dangerous Promise (1994)
  6. Keeping Secrets (1995)
  7. Circle of Love (1997)

Mary Elizabeth Books In Order

  1. The Dark and Deadly Pool (1987)
  2. The Weekend Was Murder! (1991)

Hollywood Daughters Books In Order

  1. Star Baby (1989)
  2. Overnight Sensation (1990)
  3. Encore (1990)
  4. Sensation (2001)

Ellis Island Books In Order

  1. Land of Hope (1992)
  2. Land of Promise (1993)
  3. Land of Dreams (1994)

Disney Adventures Casebusters Books In Order

  1. The Statue Walks at Night (1995)
  2. The Legend of Deadman’s Mine (1995)
  3. Backstage With a Ghost (1995)
  4. Check in to Danger (1995)
  5. The House Has Eyes (1996)
  6. Secret of the Time Capsule (1996)
  7. Beware the Pirate Ghost (1996)
  8. Catch a Crooked Clown (1996)
  9. Fear Stalks Grizzly Hill (1996)
  10. Sabotage on the Set (1996)
  11. The Internet Escapade (1997)
  12. Bait for a Burglar (1997)

Super Sleuths Books In Order

  1. The Deadman’s Mine Mystery (1997)
  2. The Meat Snatcher Mystery (1997)
  3. The Theatre Ghost Mystery (1997)

Orphan Train Children Books In Order

  1. Lucy’s Wish (1998)
  2. Will’s Choice (1998)
  3. Aggie’s Home (1998)
  4. David’s Search (1998)

Champagne Books In Order

  1. Champagne at the Murder (1999)
  2. Champagne at Risk (1999)
  3. Champagne with a Corpse (1999)

Colonial Williamsburg: Young Americans Books In Order

  1. Ann’s Story, 1747 (2000)
  2. Caesar’s Story, 1759 (2000)
  3. Nancy’s Story, 1765 (2000)
  4. Will’s Story: 1771 (2001)
  5. Maria’s Story: 1773 (2001)
  6. John’s Story: 1775 (2001)

Gus and Gertie Books In Order

  1. Gus and Gertie and the Lucky Charms (2001)
  2. Gus and Gertie and the Missing Pearl (2000)

Novels

  1. Mystery of the Secret Stowaway (1970)
  2. Delbert, the Plainclothes Detective (1971)
  3. The Secret Box Mystery (1974)
  4. The Mysterious Red Tape Gang (1974)
  5. The Alligator Under the Bed (1974)
  6. The Boy Who Could Find Anything (1978)
  7. Danger in Dinosaur Valley (1978)
  8. The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore (1979)
  9. The Halloween Mystery (1979)
  10. The New Year’s Mystery (1979)
  11. Bigfoot Makes a Movie (1979)
  12. The Valentine Mystery (1979)
  13. If You Say So, Claude (1980)
  14. The Happy Birthday Mystery (1980)
  15. The Seance (1980)
  16. Gloria Chipmunk, Star! (1980)
  17. The Thanksgiving Mystery (1980)
  18. The April Fool Mystery (1980)
  19. Casey and the Great Idea (1980)
  20. The Christmas Eve Mystery (1981)
  21. Kidnapped on Astarr (1981)
  22. Mysterious Queen of Magic (1981)
  23. Mystery Dolls from Planet Urd (1981)
  24. The Valentine’s Day Affair (1981)
  25. The Easter Mystery (1982)
  26. The Specter (1982)
  27. Days of Fear (1983)
  28. Magnolia’s Mixed-Up Magic (1983)
  29. Adventures of the Red Tape Gang (1983)
  30. A Deadly Game of Magic (1983)
  31. The Ghosts of Now (1984)
  32. The Stalker (1985)
  33. Maggie, Too (1985)
  34. And Maggie Makes Three (1986)
  35. The Other Side of Dark (1986)
  36. Beats Me, Claude (1986)
  37. Maggie Forevermore (1987)
  38. The Gift (1988)
  39. If You Were a Writer (1988)
  40. Secret, Silent Screams (1988)
  41. The Island of Dangerous Dreams (1989)
  42. You Bet Your Britches, Claude (1989)
  43. Whispers from the Dead (1989)
  44. A Candidate for Murder (1990)
  45. The Mystery Box (1991)
  46. Watch Out for Dinosaurs (1991)
  47. High Trail to Danger (1991)
  48. Honeycutt Street Celebrities (1991)
  49. The Haunted House on Honeycutt Street (1991)
  50. A Deadly Promise (1992)
  51. That’s the Spirit, Claude (1992)
  52. The Name of the Game Was Murder (1993)
  53. When I Am Eight (1994)
  54. Will you Give Me a Dream? (1994)
  55. Shadowmaker (1994)
  56. Haunted Island (1995)
  57. Spirit Seeker (1995)
  58. Don’t Scream (1996)
  59. Search for the Shadowman (1996)
  60. Murdered, My Sweet (1997)
  61. The Haunting (1998)
  62. Who Are You? (1999)
  63. Nobody’s There (2000)
  64. The House on Hackman’s Hill (2001)
  65. Playing for Keeps (2001)
  66. The Trap (2002)
  67. Nightmare (2003)
  68. Laugh Till You Cry (2004)

Omnibus

  1. The Other Side of Dark / The Name of the Game Was Murder (2005)

Collections

  1. Ghost Town (2000)

Picture Books

  1. Mysterious Prowler (1976)
  2. Fat Chance, Claude (1990)

Non fiction

  1. Oil and Gas (1977)
  2. Writing Mysteries for Young People (1977)
  3. The Grandmother’s Book (1979)
  4. Earthquakes (1981)
  5. Land Under the Sea (1985)
  6. The Making of a Writer (2002)

Orphan Train Adventures Book Covers

Mary Elizabeth Book Covers

Hollywood Daughters Book Covers

Ellis Island Book Covers

Disney Adventures Casebusters Book Covers

Super Sleuths Book Covers

Orphan Train Children Book Covers

Champagne Book Covers

Colonial Williamsburg: Young Americans Book Covers

Gus and Gertie Book Covers

Novels Book Covers

Omnibus Book Covers

Collections Book Covers

Picture Books Book Covers

Non fiction Book Covers

Joan Lowery Nixon Books Overview

A Family Apart

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. When their mother can no longer support them, six siblings are sent by the Children’s Aid Society of New York City to live with farm families in Missouri in 1860.

Caught in the Act

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Eleven year old Michael Patrick Kelly from New York City is sent to a foster home, a Missouri farm with a sad*istic owner, a bullying son, and a number of secrets, one of which may be murder.

In the Face of Danger

Shy Megan Kelly cannot forget the day a gypsy read her palm announcing to all that she would bring trouble to those around her. Afterward, trouble does follow her, until she takes the necessary steps to free herself from the burdens of fear, loneliness, and superstition.

A Place to Belong

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. In 1856, having traveled with his young sister from New York to a foster home on a farm in Missouri, ten year old Danny plots to get his foster father to send for and marry his mother.

A Dangerous Promise

In 1861, while living with his foster parents at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, twelve year old Mike Kelly and his best friend Todd Blakely join the Union army as drummer boys but their dreams of glory end when they experience the full horrors of war at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in Missouri.

Keeping Secrets

Believing that she is ready for adult responsibilities in the wake of the Civil War, eleven year old Peg meets Violet Hennessey, a woman carrying crucial Union Army information, who asks Peg to assist in her dangerous quest.

Circle of Love

The Civil War has officially ended and Frances Mary Kelly’s true love, Johnny, is back from the war. But to Frances’s dismay, Johnny is hesitant to marry her. Attempting to ease her aching heart, Frances accepts an offer to go to New York City and escort a group of orphans out West to new homes. Along the way, she must deal with a flood of painful memories and a threatening stranger. Will Frances be able to complete her mission and return home to find out what her future will be?.

The Dark and Deadly Pool

Liz enjoys her summer pool job at the glamorous Ridley Hotel. Until the night, a dark and lonely night, a ghasty shadow surges up from the pool. A face eyes wide, mouth gaping stares at Liz. A hand clutches at her sneaker. Then it, whatever it is, is gone. But danger isn’t. Strange things are happening at the hotel, and a shaken Liz wants to know why. But whoever is behind the trouble will stop at nothing even murder to get what he wants…
From the Paperback edition.

The Weekend Was Murder!

Mary Elizabeth can’t wait for the weekend to begin at the Ridley Hotel, where a famous mystery writer and a troupe of actors are coming to enact a murder mystery for 150 amateur sleuths. Mary Elizabeth’s role is to discover ‘the body’ in Room1927, which is supposed to be haunted. But nothing prepares her for the real body that she finds in Room 1927…
.

Land of Hope

Russian immigrant Rebekah Levinsky hopes desperately that her dream will come true in America. On the difficult ocean journey to the ‘land of opportunity’ she meets two other girls Kristin Swensen from Sweden and Rose Carney from Ireland. The three quickly become friends as they share their visions of the future and endure life on the overcrowded ship. Once they reach Ellis Island the girls must separate and Rebekah and her family settle in New York on the Lower East Side. Instead of finding streets paved with gold, they slave seven days a week in a sweatshop. Will Rebekah find the courage to conquer the odds and find happiness in the United States of America.

Land of Promise

In 1902 fifteen year old Rose travels from Ireland to join family members in Chicago, where she must use all her resources to deal with her father’s drinking and her brothers’ dangerous involvement in politics.

Land of Dreams

In 1902 sixteen year old Kristin travels with her family from Sweden to a new life in Minnesota, where she finds herself frustrated by the restrictions placed on what girls of her age are expected or allowed to do.

The Statue Walks at Night

Helping their private investigator dad find the culprit who has stolen art from the Redoaks Museum, Sean and Brian Quinn end up in the Egyptian room, where a statue of Anubis is rumored to take midnight strolls. Simultaneous.

Fear Stalks Grizzly Hill

When Sean and Brian stay with their friend Alan and his family in the wooded area of Grizzly Hill for the weekend, they are told to stay out of the woods, but their curiosity leads them to the edges of the woods where they see glowing eyes and clawed footprints.

Champagne at the Murder

Joan Lowery Nixon, president of the Mystery Writers of America, has found 10 well known writers to craft spellbinding stories for adults who want to read but have undeveloped reading skills. Here are stories with adult themes and interests that challenge adult minds. All of the books in the series are written at the fourth sixth and eighth grade reading levels, yet offer characters, situations, and concerns appropriate for adult readers.

Champagne at Risk

The Thumbprint Mysteries are written on the fourth , sixth , and eighth grade levels for adults who want to read but whose reading skills are undeveloped. Written by ten well known mystery writers, each suspense story has characters, situations, and concerns that challenge adult minds, yet are easy to read. This installment of ten new titles is written at a sixth grade reading level. Written at a lower reading level without sacrificing the suspense of adult level mysteries Because the series deals openly with adult themes and situations, it appeals to the adult reader with limited reading skills.

Champagne with a Corpse

‘The Thumbprint Mysteries’ series have been carefully written for young adults and adults at a particular reading level. Each book presents a suspense crime in which the reader must solve one or more mystery murders. Readers follow the clues and draw conclusions about the suspects and events, helped by the characters who are trying to solve the crimes. The mystery genre guarantees enjoyable reading. Teaching notes accompany the three different levels. These include, for each title, a pre reading activity and synopsis of the plot, followed by vocabulary and skills work. An answer key is provided.

Ann’s Story, 1747

Nine year old Ann McKenzie is learning how to knit, cook, manage a household, and behave like a proper young woman. She would rather assist her father, Dr. Kenneth McKenzie, with his patients and work in his apothecary. Ann knows it’s unheard of for a woman to be a doctor. But there must be some way for her to care for people as her father does

Caesar’s Story, 1759

In partnership with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation come authentic novels set in the 18th century about actual people, places, and events in this celebrated Virginia town. Caesar’s life as a slave consists of long hours of backbreaking work. Having his mother, father, and sisters around him is the one thing that makes it all bearable. But when the master chooses Caesar to be his personal servant and live in the big house far from his own home, Caesar has no choice but to obey. Why do things have to change?

Nancy’s Story, 1765

Twelve year old Nancy Geddy is concerned that the regulations of the Stamp Act will cause her friend Tom to lose his job as an apprentice at her family’s foundry. Meanwhile, the illness of Nancy’s critical and complaining stepmother, Elizabeth, may prevent the young girl from attending her grandmother’s Christmas ball. Will Nancy be able to accept Elizabeth as her new mother?

Will’s Story: 1771

Twelve year old Will Pelham’s father is the Williamsburg gaoler. Will is afraid of some of the prisoners, but he sympathizes with Emmanuel, a runaway slave. Then Will begins to suspect that Emmanuel is planning to escape. Will wants to help his friend, but he has a responsibility to his father, too. What should he do?

Maria’s Story: 1773

When Maria’s father dies, her mother carries on his work writing and publishing the Virginia Gazette newspaper. Instead of working at the press, nine year old Maria has to look after her three little brothers. Then the newspaper is criticized for its political reporting and the Rinds may lose the printing press. Can Maria find a way to help her family?

John’s Story: 1775

It is 1775 and tensions between England and the American colonies are high. Virginians disagree on whether to declare independence. John’s father hopes to find a peaceful solution while his older brother George thinks that Virginians need to fight for their rights. John is torn between the two people he admires most. Can they both be right?

Gus and Gertie and the Lucky Charms

Gus and Gertie arrive at the Animals’ Winter Olympics with dreams of winning gold as Antarctica’s first synchronized swimming team. But Gertie’s good luck pin doesn’t seem to be bringing the penguin pair any luck at all. First they find out that swimming isn’t even an event at the winter games, and then Gertie’s pin gets stolen along with most of the other athletes’ lucky charms. It’s a good thing that Gus has taken so many photographs! Can you find the clues hidden in the snapshots and help solve the crime? The fine feathered heroes from Gus & Gertie and the Missing Pearl return for another slapstick easy to read mystery. Give them a 10!

Gus and Gertie and the Missing Pearl

When Gus and Gertie arrive on Holiday Island, they find a haven of seagoing scallywags, riffraff, and ruffians. It isn’t long before Gertie’s precious deep sea pearl is stolen but who’s to blame? The culprit is revealed by clues cleverly hidden in Gus’s hastily taken snapshots. Can readers crack the case before it’s too late? Joan Lowery Nixon’s mysterious high jinks and Diane deGroat’s rowdy cast of characters create a fast paced whodunit for newly independent readers.

The Alligator Under the Bed

Unable to sleep because of the alligator under her bed, Jill is finally rescued from her predicament by her Uncle Harry.

Danger in Dinosaur Valley

A young dinosaur learns how to deal with the terrible Tyrannosaurus Rex after encountering the tiny Giants and a thing called a World Series.

The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore

She spots the masked man in the dark, lonely parking lot but too late. Grabbed and drugged, Christina is kidnapped and held for ransom. When her family pays, she thinks her ordeal is over. But then she realizes that her family thinks she planned the kidnapping! How will Christina prove her innocence?

The Seance

Lauren is reluctant to participate in the’s ance, and she feels the first foreboding of evil shortly after the room is darkened. When the lights come back on, her fear turns to shock: Sara Martin is missing, even though all the doors and windows are locked from the inside…
.

Casey and the Great Idea

When Casey, an ardent 12 year old feminist, sets out to help victims of discrimination, whether they want her help or not, she finds her ideas don’t always work as planned.

Kidnapped on Astarr

With a robot’s help two children search for a relative who has been kidnapped by the king on the planet Astarr and accused of making secret war weapons.

Mystery Dolls from Planet Urd

A container of lifelike dolls, a gift from the planet Urd, seems to be tied with a mysterious warning that the planet Durth will be invaded.

The Specter

Seventeen year old Dina is fighting cancer and is angry at the whole world. But when Julie, a nine year old survivor of a car accident, becomes Dina’s roommate at the hospital, there’s no time for Dina to keep on being angry. Because Julie is frightened. Desperately frightened. She’s sure that someone caused the accident she was in someone who will retum to kill her. Now she’s insisting on being with Dina all the time. But by befriending Julie, is Dina making herself the target of a dangerous killer?

A Deadly Game of Magic

Seeking shelter from a fierce Texas storm, four teens are trapped inside a strange house as unwitting players in a magician’s evil games. The phone goes dead. A plaster head suddenly appears. A disembodied hand taps the mantel. Then the magic turns even more sinister, leading inevitably toward murder.

The Ghosts of Now

It’s Friday night and Angie Dupree is alone in the house when the phone rings. ‘Your brother is dead,’ whispers a voice. At the hospital, Angie finds Jeremy in a coma from which he may never recover. Angie is on her own trying to piece together the events of that horrifying night. Her family is new to town. What could Jeremy possibly have discovered that led him so deeply into danger? Angie won’t rest until she finds out. But she doesn’t know someone is ready to do anything to stop her…
.

The Stalker

When Jennifer Lee Wilcox returns home from the beach, she finds that Stella Trax, her best friend’s mother, has just been murdered. The police think Stella’s daughter Bobbie did it. Jennifer sets out to prove Bobbie’s innocence, but as she uncovers clues, she realizes she’s only leading herself to danger! ‘An exciting, fast moving thriller.’ Voya. California Young Reader Medal.

And Maggie Makes Three

Twelve year old Maggie, living with her grandmother in Houston, joins the drama club at school, wins a part in a play, begins to make friends, and learns to deal with feelings of loneliness, selfishness, being in love, and having an unusual family life and background.

The Other Side of Dark

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 only 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.

If You Were a Writer

Melia wants to be a writer just like her mom. She’s not exactly sure what a writer does, though. She sees her mom staring at the typewriter and then she sees her opening up boxes of books. But what comes in between? With some help from her mom, Melia begins to learn the tools of the trade. She learns how to make pictures with words, how to search for ideas, and, of course, how to start a story. Before she knows it, Melia’s creating her own spellbinding tales. Maybe she is a writer after all!

Secret, Silent Screams

The coroner has ruled Barry Logan’s death as the latest in a string of teen age suicides. Marti Lewis was Barry’s best friend, and she knows that he was murdered. She just can’t get anyone to believe her. The evidence is clear to Marti. Barry was excited about being accepted at Texas A&M and had everything to live for. Why would he shoot himself in the head after watching a music video that disgusted him? The police found the gun in his right hand, but he was left handed. Everyone is refusing to accept the obvious. Now Marti is being followed. The murderer is free to strike again, and she could be the next on his list. This popular four time Edgar Award winning author is famous for plots that build inexorably to hair raising conclusions. Narrator Alexandra O’Karma does an excellent job capturing the struggle of a young hero*ine whose loyalty and integrity drive her to search for the truth.

Whispers from the Dead

Only Sarah senses the horror. The minute she steps through the doorway of her family’s new home, Sarah feels a smothering cold mist, and hears the echo of a scream and a heartbreaking whisper in Spanish, ‘Help me!’Sarah feels compelled to find out who is trying to reach her. But can she uncover the mysteries of the past before terror strikes again?

A Candidate for Murder

A suspense novel set in the world of politics. With her father running for governor of Texas, Cary is determined to find out why she appears to be in danger. ‘Nixon is back doing the kind of book she does best…
an inviting read.’ Booklist

High Trail to Danger

After her mother dies, leaving the family business vulnerable to the machinations of greedy relatives, Sarah Lindley embarks on a dangerous journey to the Colorado frontier, where she hopes to enlist the help of her long absent father. SLJ. PW. VY.

That’s the Spirit, Claude

Shirley enlists the aid of Claude to surprise her adopted daughter by dressing up as ”Sandy Claus” on Christmas Eve, but Claude is in for a bigger surprise when he meets the genuine item up on the roof.

The Name of the Game Was Murder

Novelist Augustus Trevor has written a manuscript that reveals the darkest secrets of his guests. Whoever can solve Trevor’s clues can have his story removed from the book. But when Trevor is bludgeoned to death, the survivors along with the reader are challenged to find both the manuscript and the murderer.

When I Am Eight

Herbie knows just what he’ll do when he gets to be eight years old. He’ll do all the fun things his older brother gets to do only better. Brightly colored pictures bring Herbie’s fantasies to life in this warmly humorous story about sibling rivalry.

Shadowmaker

Suspecting a link between a series of murders and her mother’s newspaper articles that expose toxic waste dumps, Kate Gillian resolves to figure out what is behind the shadowy figures she sees in the small Texas community.

Spirit Seeker

Holly Campbell’s life has suddenly become a newspaper headline nightmare. The parents of her friend Cody Garnett have just been found in their home, brutally murdered, and Cody is the main suspect. Holly’s father is the police detective in charge of the investigation, and even he thinks the evidence points right at Cody. Holly knows it’s up to her to prove what she believes is the truth: Cody is innocent. Against her father’s wishes, secretly crossing the barrier of police tape and television reporters that surrounds the Garnetts’ house, she begins her own investigation. Computer files, an odd neighbor, and a mysterious psychic each might have the evidence Holly needs to help Cody. Or they could all be red herrings that will waste Holly’s precious time.A teenager seeking justice and her interactions with the spirit world make this spine tingling new novel from the only four time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award a surefire winner for mystery fans.

Don’t Scream

When two new guys start at Jess’s high school, she thinks the year is really looking up. What she can’t know is that there is a connection between them. One has been given a new identity by the government. The other is seeking revenge. Jess doesn’t know whom she can trust. Will she be the next victim?

Search for the Shadowman

Twelve year old Andy Bonner isn’t thrilled with his teacher’s assignment to explore family history. When he starts asking questions about his ancestors, he is startled to discover a black sheep in the family tree. No one wants to reveal what happened in his family’s past. But Andy is determined to break the silence. Casting his net widely, from the Internet to the local cemetery, Andy’s search helps everyone realize it’s never too late to seek justice.

Murdered, My Sweet

Jenny Jakes and her mother, a famous mystery writer, travel to San Antonio to see their cousin, Arnold Harmony, who’s made his fortune in the chocolate business. Harmony, an eccentric millionaire, wants his will read publicly before he dies; since everyone wants a piece of the pie, this announcement causes quite a stir. When Harmony’s son is murdered just before the reading, Jenny’s mother decides to spring into action as a real life detective. But Jenny’s mother doesn’t have a clue about solving a real crime, so it’s up to Jenny to use her wits, not only to save her mother’s reputation, but also to keep herself from being killed.

The Haunting

Fifteen year old Lia comes from a long line of courageous women, dating back to a Civil War survivor who single handedly saved her Louisiana plantation house, Graymoss, from destruction. But Graymoss is haunted by a terrible evil. With clues from a diary and Favorite Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, Lia, who doesn’t feel as if she’s inherited any family genes of courage, must figure out what or who the evil wants. When Lia’s parents decide to move into Graymoss, Lia isn’t sure how to convince them to change their minds. But it’s up to her to chase away the horror lurking inside the old house. Can she find the courage to deal with a noisy ghost who wants vengeance?From the Hardcover edition.

Who Are You?

From one of the foremost mystery writers for young adults comes a gripping double mystery about a high school student who finds out that a stranger has kept a secret file on her entire life. Kristi Evans and her parents can’t understand why police detectives are telling them that a man named Douglas Merson has been shot. They’ve never heard of him. But it becomes important when they learn that Mr. Merson has kept a secret file on Kristi for her entire life. Suddenly Kristi finds herself investigating who this man is and why he has intruded on her privacy. When Kristi goes to see Mr. Merson in the hospital, she discovers he is a professional artist; he even offers to help her pursue her own dream of being an artist. Kristi has always wanted someone with whom she could share her passion for art. Her parents not only don’t understand it, they want her to do something more practical. Now this stranger seems to be offering Kristi the piece that has been missing from her life all along, but at what cost to her relationship with her parents? Who is this man who seems too good to be true?

Nobody’s There

Furious at her father for breaking up their family, Abbie Thompson acted without thinking and got arrested for malicious mischief. Now the judge has assigned her to volunteer in a program that matches teens with the elderly. But Abbie doesn t get just any elderly person. She gets Edna Merkel: a cranky, difficult woman who’s a member of the town s crime prevention group. In fact, Mrs. Merkel is too active a member, and after she brags that she s onto something big, she s attacked and ends up hospitalized. Suddenly the private investigator game is real, and only Abbie with the help of Mrs. Merkel s indecipherable notebook can figure out who did it. But will Abbie get to the assailant before the assailant gets to her?

The House on Hackman’s Hill

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Cousins Debbie and Jeff stumble across something they were not meant to see when a blizzard strands them in a mysterious old house with a hidden mummy and Anubis, a strange creature that once guarded the pharaoh’s tomb.

Playing for Keeps

Rosie can t believe her good luck. Her grandmother, Glory, needs a last minute roommate for a 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. 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, Rosie only sees Ricky s uncle, Mr. Diago. What s even stranger is that Neil could swear that Mr. Diago is actually a famous Cuban baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds. Then after a day s excursion, Rosie is approached by another boy who claims he s Ricky Diago. She s certain he s not the person she met before. Suddenly Rosie finds herself caught in a high stakes adventure of international intrigue with life or death consequences. Who is the real Ricky Diago? And how far is Rosie willing to go to help him?

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. From the Hardcover edition.

Nightmare

Emily has never fit in 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 at Camp Excel an academic camp for underachievers for the summer. Emily doesn t want to go, and not just because she feels it isn t necessary. She’s been plagued by a recurring Nightmare since she was a child. And there s something about this camp that 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 murder, to keep Emily from uncovering the truth. From the Hardcover edition.

Laugh Till You Cry

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. From the Hardcover edition.

The Other Side of Dark / The Name of the Game Was Murder

Two of Joan Lowery Nixon’s Edgar Award winners in one volume!

The Other Side of Dark:
Stacy wakes up in a room that’s not hers, in a body she doesn t recognize, to discover she s been in a coma for four years. Her mother is dead murdered and Stacy, recovering from a gunshot wound, is the only eyewitness. But the killer is not about to let her reveal his identity…
.

A top rate thriller…
. Nixon has written another compelling page turner.
Booklist

The Name of the Game Was Murder:
Samantha is shocked when she meets her great uncle, the famous novelist Augustus Trevor. He s a mean spirited man who has just invited blackmailed a group of celebrities to come to his island mansion and participate in a game. But when Augustus is found murdered, it s up to Samantha to join the game and win.

An entertaining read…
. The clues and the way Sam, with lots of serendipity, puzzles through them are clever indeed. Kirkus Reviews

From the Paperback edition.

Ghost Town

Stagecoach robberies. Shoot outs. Striking it rich. Throughout the Wild West small towns were formed, thriving with men and women from the East and gold from the mines. Notorious outlaws, desperadoes, and gunslingers rustled up trouble in town after town. When the gold disappeared, the outlaws, as well as the local folks, abandoned their towns. Or did they? There are still sounds, not just the paint peeling from the deserted storefronts, or the tumbleweeds whispering as they somersault down the empty streets. There are voices, whispering stories are they real or imagined? Stories like the one about the Lost Mine in Maiden, Texas, or the Bad Man from Bodie, California, who’s still searching for his lost finger…
. From the Hardcover edition.

Fat Chance, Claude

‘In the frontier town of Hideyhole, feisty Shirley resists her parents’ attempts to marry her off especially since the only bachelor left is dull Elmer Twaddle.’ Publishers Weekly. Full color illustrations.

The Making of a Writer

Many of Joan Lowery Nixon’s readers have written to her to ask how they, too, can become published writers someday. This memoir, including anecdotes and advice, is her answer to them. From her first publication at age ten a poem entitled Springtime in a children s magazine to her graduation from Hollywood High during World War II, Joan Lowery Nixon shares the incidents from her childhood that helped her to grow and develop as a writer. Listening to her favorite serial programs on the radio, performing puppet shows at orphanages and hospitals, and writing love poems for her high school classmates to send to soldiers overseas all planted the seeds from which a prolific professional career was born. Both informative and entertaining, this is a charming look at one writer s beginnings.

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