A violent death throws a horse-riding community into conflict, stirring up fear, uncertainty, mental illness, and a mysterious stranger … Summer vacation has finally started, and Bird is looking forward to an extended stay with her Aunt Hannah at Saddle Creek Farm. But before she can settle into the routine of riding Sundancer and preparing for shows, the community is thrown into chaos when a local woman is brutally attacked and left for dead. The police aren’t acting fast enough to satisfy the community’s calls for justice, so a vigilante group emerges to take matters into their own hands. Bird finds herself embroiled in the mystery. Who had reason to attack the woman? Does the strange man Bird and Sunny meet in the woods have anything to do with the crime? And how does the reappearance of her grandfather fit into the picture? As Bird struggles to get to the bottom of the mystery, she learns more than she bargained for about her community, her past, and human nature. Although Mystery at Saddle Creek is written especially for young adults ages 12-15, the masterfully crafted story of intrigue, deception, and crime will appeal to mystery connoisseurs of all ages and backgrounds. ― Midwest Book Review Shelley Peterson is the bestselling author of several novels for young readers, including Sundancer , Christmas at Saddle Creek , and Jockey Girl . She raises horses at Fox Ridge, her family’s stable in Caledon. CHAPTER 1: BACK AT SADDLE CREEK Tan ran as fast as he could through the dense underbrush, back toward the safety of his makeshift camp. Somebody had seen him! He stumbled on a root and fell to his knees, panting hard. He had to get away, get back to safety. There’d been so much blood! He scrambled to his feet and ran on. So much blood! He had to get the sight of it out of his mind. Ten whole days! Alberta Simms wiggled her toes and shivered with pleasure. She and her sister were staying at Saddle Creek Farm with their Aunt Hannah for ten whole days while their mother and Stuart were on their honeymoon. The girls had returned to the farm on Saturday night, after the wedding, and Alberta was already loving every minute of it. Everybody called her Bird. Her long, dark hair was lightly brushed and needed a trim. She had tawny skin and sparkling, somewhat mischievous, deep brown eyes. Her graceful, slight limbs gave her a younger appearance than other fourteen-year-old girls, as did her ripped denim shorts and old white T-shirt. But Bird didn’t care. It was the perfect outfit for a day on the farm. Ten. Whole. Days. Bird could think of nothing better in the world as she sat on the top step of the kitchen stoop, taking in every detail. Sunday’s persistent drizzle had greened up the fields. On this perfect Monday, late in June, the sky was pure blue and songbirds chirped madly. Bird took a deep lungful of sweet air and stretched like a cat. As she waited for her Aunt Hannah ― they had to get groceries, then pick up Julia from a friend’s house in Inglewood ― her eyes absorbed the peaceful scene across the driveway. Two horses grazed in the front field, sleek and shiny in their summer coats. Charlemagne, Charlie for short, was jet black with a white blaze and four white socks. Sundancer was a tall, coppery chestnut. The chestnut’s head shot up. What’re you looking at? You, you handsome son of a gun. Can’t blame you for that. Sunny, you never change. Bird smiled broadly at the horse’s enormous ego. Last summer, against all odds, she and Sundancer had won the trophy at the Haverford Fair. It had been a total upset. Sunny’s clean, careful jumping skills and quick turns had rendered the competition speechless. And out of luck. Sundancer was a champion jumper; there was no question about that. More importantly, though, he was her best friend. Bird absently picked at a scab on her calf as she waited; a mosquito bite gone bad. Aunt Hannah could take her time. She’d happily sit here all day long. Life hadn’t always been this good. Her mother, Eva, had gone from job to job and man to man, and Bird had never known her father. He was a rodeo star whom Eva had met at the Calgary Stampede, and he’d left town long before Bird was born. She had been named Alberta after the province. Bird knew she’d been a difficult child. At first everything had seemed fine, but that all changed when Bird was six. That’s when she’d stopped talking. The doctors called it selective mutism, but for Bird it just meant that she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth. Soon enough, she’d stopped trying ― at least with humans. Animals, on the other hand, were no problem. Bird had always had an exceptional ability to communicate with them. Eva probably would’ve had trouble coping with a perfectly “normal” child, but there was no way she could handle a girl who refused to talk. In desperation, she’d sent Bird off to Saddle Creek Farm to live with Aunt Hannah. It was a good decision for the entire family. Bird fou