Janet L. Rose (Children's Literature)
Jim's father disappeared without a trace two years ago. Now, as Jim is erecting a scarecrow in the back forty, he meets a mysterious girl dressed in black. She tries to convince Jim that her stepfather, the Reverend Father Fisher, killed his father. Her accusations cause Jim to start investigating events that happened almost 30 years ago when his father, Eldon Fisher, and another boy, Francis Tufts, were friends. Francis died in a burning house and was blamed for starting the fire, but did he really? In solving the crime, Jim must come to terms with the fact that his father may have played a role in the arson. Adolescents will appreciate the humor mixed with drama as Jim slowly uncovers the events. Each chapter is a cliffhanger and the reader does not know for sure who can be trusted. Jim himself doesn't know. Is the girl really crazy or telling the truth? Is the Reverend truly kind and benevolent or deceitful and cruel? By the time the reader knows who the bad guy is, it may be too late. Jim is in danger for his life. 2000, Farrar Straus and Giroux, $16.00. Ages 11 to 14.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2001 (Vol. 69, No. 15))
Old sins come home to roost in this taut, terrifying psychological thriller, set largely on an isolated Canadian farm. Fourteen-year-old Jim has gotten past more-than-half-serious suicide attempts and an episode of mutism in the wake of his beloved father's sudden disappearance. But the pain is still sharp enough to leave him vulnerable when tough, wild teenager Ruth Rose suggests a connection between that disappearance and her stepfather, popular local minister Father Fisher. She herself claims to be in danger. According to Fisher, Ruth Rose is mentally and emotionally unbalanced (skittish, violent, and subject to sudden mood swings, she certainly acts the part)-but she plants a seed in Jim that grows into suspicion, as he finds revealing family photos, learns from old newspaper accounts of a fire that claimed a boy's life, and catches hints of an ugly side to Fisher that his congregation never sees. As Ruth Rose knows and Jim discovers, Fisher makes a scary adversary: brilliant, plausible, utterly ruthless, able to play on Jim's grief like a musical instrument. As it turns out, Fisher has more than one terrible secret to hide, but the young people here are "so "overmatched that the tale loses some credibility when he allows himself to be caught in a conventional climactic standoff with police. That bit of contrivance aside, Wynne-Jones ("Stephen Fair", 1998) weaves a strong, sensitively observed cast, plus themes of inner conflict, unlikely friendships, and the enduring power of hate, into a powerful tale that will grip readers from start to finish. 2001, Melanie Kroupa/Farrar Straus & Giroux, $16.00. Category: Fiction. Ages 11 to 15. © 2001 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, September 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 5))
It was as if Hub Hawkins had been spirited away." Fourteen-year-old Jim's father mysteriously vanished a year ago, and he misses him terribly. He and his mother are having a hard time making a go of it financially on their rural Ontario farm, too. When Ruth Rose, the unstable 16-year-old stepdaughter of the local pastor, approaches Jim and says that she believes the pastor killed Jim's father, he thinks at first that she is crazy. Then, as he starts to look into her accusations, old hatreds and secrets from the past come to light and Jim realizes that the pastor is capable of murder--and that he is coming after Jim. This suspenseful story features intrepid teenaged protagonists and a fine sense of place. In his acknowledgements, the author explains, "This novel grew out of a short story called 'The Bermuda Triangle,' which appeared in my collection Lord of the Flies and Other Stories." A good choice for mystery lovers. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2001, Farrar Straus & Giroux, 224p., $16.00. Ages 13 to 18.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November 2001 (Vol. 55, No. 3))
Jim Hawkins is gradually recovering from the disappearance and presumed suicide of his father when his careful existence is disrupted by Ruth Rose Fisher. Ruth Rose is the local pastor’s wild stepdaughter, and to hear her tell it she’s got plenty of reason to be wild: she says her stepfather’s being blackmailed for something, and she thinks that’s why he killed Jim’s father. A stunned Jim doesn’t know whether to believe the girl Father Fisher smoothly dismisses as disturbed, but he can’t resist following up on some of her hints; investigation tends to support her suspicions and leaves Jim with questions not just about his father’s death but about Hub Hawkins’ culpability in a fire in his youth that killed a boy, back when he was friends with the boy who grew up to be Ruth’s stepfather. Wynne-Jones (author of The Maestro, BCCB 10/96, etc.) draws liberally on the Treasure Island references throughout, but as the tension rises and the kids elude the frightening and dangerous preacher, the echoes of Night of the Hunter are even stronger (unctuous and threatening Father Fisher manages much of the same satisfying villainy as the cinematic clergyman). The book plays effectively on the “who-do-you-believe?” guessing game, realistically letting Jim swing from one extreme to the other under the influence not just of adult opinion but also his own fears about his father’s secrets. The adventure builds effectively and gives Jim his due chance for genuine heroism, and the psychological dramas are also effectively played out, making this a satisfying read for teens interested in human dynamics as well as for adventure fans. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2001, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2001, Kroupa/Farrar, 214p, $16.00. Grades 7-10.

Cyndi Gueswel (VOYA, October 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 4))
Jim Hawkins works hard to put the past behind him. His father's death two years ago has left him with some questions, but Jim is not sure he wants to find answers. An only child, Jim is left to fend for himself much of the time because his kind but preoccupied mother is working two jobs while trying to save the family farm. One day, Ruth Rose, a sixteen-year-old with her own set of complex problems, forces Jim to confront the mystery of his father's disappearance, which is linked to her stepfather, Pastor Fisher. In the quest for truth, Jim and Ruth Rose face danger in the external world as well as their internal struggles with loyalty, grief, and mental stability. Wynne-Jones deftly combines mystery and fast-paced adventure with the protagonists' inner conflicts. He also explores the horrors of grossly misused power, seen here in the hands of the local pastor. This novel sets the stage for a probing discussion on good and evil, although this idea is not directly addressed in the book. The struggles of emotionally isolated Jim and Ruth Rose are portrayed convincingly. Their interactions carry the book. Although the climax is overly lengthy and at times too dramatic, the book is satisfying, engaging, and provocative, and is recommended for all middle school and public libraries. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2001, Farrar Straus Giroux, 224p, $16. Ages 11 to 15.