Books with author Joan Lowery Nixon

Lauren is reluctant to be part of the seance from the start. When the lights are turned off and only a candle flickers, she feels scared. Something is wrong. Something is watching her. And when Sara screams, all the girls are frightened. Even more frightening, when they turn the lights back on, Sara is missing.Then her body is found. Soon, another girl from the group disappears. Will Lauren be next?

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

A game of private detective turns deadly for an unlikely sleuth combo.How did Abbie Thompson end up a sidekick to Edna Merkel, Senior Citizen Pseudo-Sleuth? It all started when Abbie was so furious at her father for breaking up their family that she acted without thinking and was arrested for malicious mischief. The judge decided to give Abbie a chance at a clean record and arranged for her to volunteer in a program in which teens are matched with the elderly. Abbie's "friend," Mrs. Merkel, is a cranky, difficult woman who's a member of the Buckler's Bloodhounds. The Bloodhounds provide the police with information about scams or frauds in the community. But Edna Merkel is too active a member, and after she brags that she's on to something big, she's attacked and ends up hospitalized. Suddenly the private investigator game is real and, with the help of Mrs. Merkel's indecipherable notebook, only Abbie can figure out who did it. But will Abbie get to the assailant before the assailant gets to her?

Aggie Mae Vaughn is 12 years old in 1866, and she lives in the Asylum for Homeless Waifs in New York City. Aggie hates being called a waif almost as much as she hates the orphanage, where she's always in trouble. Now she's going west on the orphan train, and she doesn't know what to expect. What is it like to live in a real home? Will she be treated like a daughter, or like a worker? And most of all--will anyone want her?

When Maria Rind's father dies, her mother is forced to carry on his work: writing and publishing The Virginia Gazette, one of Williamsburg's weekly newspapers. Nine-year-old Maria would like to help too, but instead her older brother is chosen to work at the press. That leaves Maria to look after her three younger brothers-a task she does not enjoy. Then the newspaper comes under attack for its political reporting, and to make matters worse, the Rinds risk losing the press itself. Can Maria find a way to hold her family together?

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. 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.” –School Library Journal “[The Trap] maintains a fast pace, with likeable, interesting characters and a dash of romance.” –VOYA “A teen reader can identify with…Julie.” –Kirkus Reviews

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

Andrea didn't want to accompany her aunt and a group of privileged people on a boat trip to the Bahamas to look at a valuable artifact. But she's stuck there now, and angry when she realizes that this is a stolen artifact. All the adults want to own it, but Andrea knows it should be retumed to the Peruvian government. Then the object disappears... and someone is found murdered. Who will be next?