Something Suspicious in Saskatchewan

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Abbotsford, B.C.

Gaetz’s fourth novel featuring cousins Katie and Rusty finds them
visiting Aunt Margaret—their mother’s widowed sister—on her farm
in Saskatchewan. Katie dreads spending time with her older cousin,
Megan, who treated her like a child on a previous encounter.

As soon as the travellers arrive at the farm near Humboldt, they sense
trouble. Megan is now a surly, anorexic, black-clad teenager. Aunt
Margaret lies stuck beneath a sabotaged windrower out in the field and
needs rescuing. Katie and Rusty learn that a series of “accidents,”
including equipment breakdowns and a fire that destroyed the feed shed,
has plagued the farm recently. Cliff, the hired hand, blames Scott,
Megan’s boyfriend, who was helping out on the farm before he was fired
for stealing. Aunt Margaret receives disturbing phone calls threatening
to accuse her of unauthorized use of genetically modified seed.

Although Cliff openly admits that he wants to buy the farm, Katie
suspects him of manipulating circumstances to devalue the farm so he can
buy it at a bargain price. She and Rusty gather evidence, solve the
mystery, and save Aunt Margaret’s farm.

An appealing duo, supporting secondary characters, plenty of action,
well-paced prose, a glimpse of modern farm life, and a mystery combine
in a novel sure to entertain young readers. Unfortunately, Gaetz
telegraphs the villain early on. Recommended.