The Trap [Hardcover]

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2002

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Julie Hollister, 16, had better plans for her summer vacation than to spend it on the Rancho del Oro in Texas taking care of her great-aunt and injured great-uncle. However, the experience turns out to be anything but boring. At their first meeting, Uncle Gabe insists that his fall down the stairs was not an accident, and that he was tripped. As Julie begins investigating his theory, there are two deaths and some missing jewelry. Communicating with her mystery-reading friend via e-mail, the teen starts adding up the clues, but the killer is also on her trail in hopes of silencing her before she discovers the truth. With its twists and turns, this page-turner is a must for mystery fans and engaging enough for reluctant readers.
Kim Carlson, Monticello High School, IA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

“The novel certainly will be in demand from her regular readers.”—VOYA, Starred

“Suspenseful and well-crafted.”—Booklist


From the Trade Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (September 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385327625
• ISBN-13: 978-0385327626
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,600,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good mystery by Joan, June 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Trap (Paperback)

Wonderful book. This is not a let down to Joan Lowery Nixon fans. Of course this one does not have any romance in it. Julia helps her grandma and her uncle, and while she's there some of the senior citizens jewelry is stolen, and two people turned up dead. Julia takes it upon her self to investagate the murders. It will keep you guessing. Not as good as spirit seeker or a canadaite for murder but still well written.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Good Mystery from Joan, June 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Trap (Paperback)

Wonderful mystery. Anybody who has read any of joan's books will not be let down. Unlike her other books, there is no romance in this book. Julia goes to help her uncle and her grandma and ends up investagating the disapperance of some of the senoir citizens jewlery and two murders that had happened. A good read! My favorite Joan lowery nixon book is A Canidate for murder!

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Fall into The Trap - The Trap Review, July 1, 2011

By 

Cassowary Co - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trap (Hardcover)

Note: Letter grades are given at the end of my reviews ranging from A (highest) to F (lowest).

First of all, I'm not even sure why this book is called The Trap. I can't recall any specific trap per se, unless you mean claptrap.

The Trap (Joan Lowery Nixon, 165 pages) starts off relatively promising, introducing a serviceable heroine and a solid story. However, it quickly dissolves into a linear, predictable whodunit with characters who are unmemorable at best and annoying at worst. Nixon spins the murder mystery around a hormone-pumping girl named Julie, and he goes to great lengths to make her identifiable to the reader (you can feel in the writing tht maybe Nixon knows this is going to be a bad book). His method for doing so, however, involves turning Julie into a whiny girl who complains a fair bit of the time, which becomes grating quickly.

The plot is thin, but mystery books that have weak plots can recuperate with sharp dialogue and unforgettable characters (this is what got Sherlock Holmes off the ground). I've already established how miserable the characters are - the dialogue is even worse. ("You have not realized that I have been faithfully at your side" croaks Julie's hunky crush Louis at the end of the novel).

The actual mystery is actually halfway decent, but feels like an afterthought, shunted backstage to make room for Julie's teenage angst and predictable fears ("Will I make friends?" "Will boys like me?" Give us a break!) So at a measly length and a painful execution, The Trap doesn't quite ensnare you. D+