Dead Man's Hand (Caden Chronicles #1)

Description

★ Selah Award Winner for Middle-Grade Fiction ★ first published by Zonderkidz

This is an authentic old west ghost town, son. Around these parts the dead don't stay dead. - Sheriff Wyatt Earp.

Nick Caden's vacation at Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town takes a deadly turn toward trouble when the fourteen-year-old finds himself trapped in a livery stable with the infamous outlaw Jesse James. The shooter whirls, aims and... vanishes. Great theatrics, Nick thinks, except now he's alone in the hayloft with the bullet-riddled body of someone playing the part of Billy the Kid. By the time the sheriff arrives, the body disappears.

Soon Nick is caught in a deadly chase-from an abandoned gold mine, through forbidden buffalo hunting grounds, and across Rattlesnake Gulch. Around every turn, he finds another suspect. Will Nick solve the murder before his family leaves Deadwood? Or will the town's desperate need for tourists' income bury the haunting truth about souls, spirits, and the destiny of those who die?

Parents can trust the Caden Chronicles to be safe reading for children. There is no sexual dialogue or situations, violence, or strong language, only a wee bit of humor.

Dead Man's Hand is an excellent book for tween, teens, and young adults who love a good mystery adventure.