I read this book in maybe 1980-81, it was my favorite ever! It was a young adult book, the main character was a girl going to spend time at her aunt’s? after the death of her father. The aunt had either a hotel or ranch in the desert, somehow horses were involved (either belonging to the aunt, or a neighboring ranch). The girl befriended the daughter of one of the aunts employees (who wasn’t nice to her at first) and would ride horses (there may have been a ranch hand named Jasper?). There was a treasure involved as well……. Her father had given her a turquoise ring or beads (I can’t remember which), and somehow the clue to the treasure was embedded in the jewelry, maybe micro dots ? The girls returned from a ride to find that a burglary had occurred but the jewelry wasn’t taken as she had left it casually on the dresser “hidden in plain sight”. The book was a turquoise colored hardback, and I think it was in the “A-B” section of the childrens library. I have been searching for YEARS to find this, I have a great memory and I can’t believe I can’t remember this book as I read it over and over again! Help!
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
Just wanting to rule this out for sure: Nancy Drew, The Secret of Shadow Ranch. “Nancy Drew arrives in Phoenix, Arizona, eagerly looking forward to a fun-filled vacation at Shadow Ranch, but abruptly finds herself involved in a baffling mystery. The ranch is being haunted by a phantom horse and maliciously damaged by an unknown enemy. Local people believe that the ghostly animal is carrying out the curse of Dirk Valentine, the romantic outlaw who was killed many years ago at Shadow Ranch, where he had gone to fulfill a promise to his sweetheart.
Suspecting that a treasure hidden by Valentine may be at the root of the Shadow Ranch mystery, Nancy undertakes a challenging search, aided by her friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne. The first vital clue is found in an antique watch and sparks a series of clever deductions and dangerous developments. While seeking further clues, the girls’ investigation in a ghost town ends in a near disaster when Nancy is trapped inside a building that is toppled by a rockslide – a rockslide which is deliberately caused. But the pretty titian-haired detective remains undaunted in her determination to solve the mystery.”
Seriously, do check out the Nancy Drew title, if the jewelery could have been a watch instead of something turquoise. There IS a break-in, and the watch is left on a dresser. And the cover art could be called turquoise.
thank you SO much for the responses, but I know for sure it wasn’t a Nancy Drew or any series book of the time!
This sounds like a Phyllis Whitney juvenile mystery. She wrote a bunch of them in the 60s and 70s…not really a series, because there were different characters in each book, but I think they had a common imprint. I can’t think of a specific title, but maybe looking at books she wrote might jog a memory.
Another possible-but-probably-not would be one of the Linda Craig/Chica d’Oro (girl & palomino horse) mystery series by Ann Sheldon. The first six were originally published in the 60s but then were reprinted and the series expanded in the ’80s. From what little plot summary I can find on line, I think the title closest to what you’re looking for is “The Secret of Rancho Del Sol.” (My sister kept her books and since she’s 800 miles away I can’t exactly just run over in the morning to check for more details!)