In Topher, seven-year-old Stacie and her 13-year-old brother, Chris, go on holiday with their father at Christopher Lake, in northern Saskatchewan, a spot their father hasn’t visited since his brother drowned there 30 years ago. The father somehow still feels responsible for his brother Topher’s mysterious death and wants to sell the cabin. The kids intend to prevent the sale and rid their father of his demons by uncovering the truth about the long-ago tragedy. They become more determined once Stacie starts having dreams in which she hears Topher’s voice. As the dreams threaten to burst through Stacie’s skull, brother and sister are propelled into a dangerous investigation that’s no ordinary family vacation.

The author’s style has continued to develop from her last well-received mystery, Breath of a Ghost. Horrocks’s newest book is a neat, pleasing work that gives mystery fans ages 10 to 12 exactly what they want. Chapters begin with grabbing lines such as “Chris’s legs gave way.” Similarly dramatic closers heave the reader into the next chapter. The story, with its kidnappings and escaped convicts, could be adapted as a movie script. The tone of the work supports the building intensity by drawing on family friction that flashes across the generations. Furthermore, the author keeps up the tempo by adding a new character or piece of information every dozen or so pages, without overburdening the young reader. In sum, Topher can stimulate a young reader’s curiosity (and pulse rate) from start to finish.