Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek

Accidental Detectives #3

by Sigmund Brouwer

While visiting a ranch in Montana, Ricky finds God's presence comforting when his investigation of disappearing livestock puts his life in danger. Original.

Genres: Mystery, Christian, Fiction, Action, Contemporary, Middle Grade, Childrens

Paperback

First published June 1, 1990

About the author

Sigmund loves going to schools to get kids excited about reading, reaching roughly 80,000 students a year through his Rock&Roll Literacy Show.

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ricky Kidd is on a month long vacation with his friends Mike and Ralphy at Mike’s uncle and aunt’s ranch in Montana. When he arrives, he hears the legend of a bank robbery that happened decades ago and the phantom of the outlaw that still haunts the nearby canyon. Or is it a legend? Mike and his visiting cousin, Sarah, insist on investigating, and Ricky sees evidence with his own eyes that the legend might be true. Can Ricky uncover the truth of what is going on?

This is another wonderful book in a favorite middle grade mystery series. The characters are sharp and provide some wonderful laughs. Sometimes their antics slow down the mystery in the first half of the book, but parts of the plot are being worked in to the fun, and the second half pays off the questions wonderfully. The suspense at the end is great, and the way Ricky works everything out is perfect. These books were written for the Christian market, and they work Ricky’s faith in organically without ever once preaching. The books are a bit dated now since they were originally released in the 1990’s, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. It might take a bit to track down this mystery, but it is worth it.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Christian mystery for kids. This time the Accidental Detectives are set on the cold trail of money and important papers stolen from the town bank decades back. When they discover how the robbery is connected to the local myth of seeing the Phantom Outlaw riding among the rocky cliffs at night, curiosity is born.

I like how the kids instantly know to turn to prayer to God when they need Him. This series is great for young Christian readers.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get a solid third entry to The Accidental Detectives with Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek, complete with a fun setting, a strong new character, and lots of great plot twists and funny situations. Sigmund Brouwer still hasn’t hit his stride completely in this book, but it’s a stout piece of writing and highly entertaining to boot (haha).

Up next on Ricky Kidd’s summer agenda is a month spent with his best friends Mike Andrews and Ralphy Zee (along with Ricky’s younger brother Joel and Mike’s unsociable cousin Sarah) on Mike’s uncle’s ranch in the mountains of Montana. However, the gang quickly discovers that not all is well in the nearby town of Wolf Creek, as cattle have been vanishing mysteriously from local farms following a fierce storm. To complicate matters, Ricky and his friends learn of a decades-old legend of the phantom outlaw — a woman named Delilah Abercombe who robbed a bank in 1950 and vanished into the canyon without a trace — and a mysterious hermit named Quigley Spears who is suspected as the cattle rustler. Ricky and his friends have their hands full as they try to sort out the clues and survive the everyday hazards of ranch life.

Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek has a lot of high points, especially in terms of improvements from the previous book, The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle. Brouwer provides us with a little better look at the close friendship between Ricky, Mike, and Ralphy which has previously been relegated to mere vignettes yet honestly still won’t reach its full potential until the next book, The Disappearing Jewel of Madagascar. Ricky and Joel’s relationship is more of a side element, replaced by Ricky’s complex relationship with Sarah Andrews. This marks the last book in The Accidental Detectives in which we are deprived of Lisa Higgins, as Brouwer uses her almost exclusively as the female associate in Ricky’s friend group hereafter. Sarah, however, stands out as a character who is excellent as Ricky’s foil: she’s smart, tough, and rough-around-the-edges, embarrassing him and irritating him while fighting demons of her own. The revelation of Sarah’s tragic backstory makes for one of the most emotional moments in the entire series, and the evolving dynamic between her and Ricky turns out to be a highlight of the book.

Interestingly enough, the mystery in Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek actually isn’t center stage for probably half of the book. The majority of the page count is spent on the gang’s friendships, the funny things that happen to them as they adjust to life on the ranch, and lengthy descriptions of scenery that do not appear in any of the other Accidental Detectives novels. The mystery is a good one, however, involving a female bank robber and her lost stolen money, made a little spicier by the legend of a ghostly rider whom Ricky and the gang spot late at night in the canyon. Once we get into the conclusion with the banker and the deeds to land, Brouwer risks losing his target audience (12-year-olds who have no interest in financial matters), but he keeps things exciting with a cave rescue and a phenomenal plot twist. Of course, the twist is easier to spot as an adult rereading this series, but I remember being gobsmacked that Delilah had been masquerading as Quigley for forty years — and with a dog named Samson, too! Brouwer does an excellent job of providing foreshadowing and clues along the way, more than enough for an eagle-eyed reader to piece things together.

The Christian themes are hugely reduced in Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek, condensed into a few stray paragraphs about the beauty of God’s creation and the importance of prayer in times of trouble. The opening vignette — probably one of the most memorable in the series — has the best depiction of God’s providence, with Joel’s untimely disappearance and Ricky’s panic leading to a woman’s life miraculously being saved. The ending themes — Sarah getting closure about her father’s love and forgiveness, Delilah’s rescue from loneliness and guilt — are handled deftly and tie the story together well. The villain (a cantankerous, greedy banker named Fred Keyster who stole Delilah’s land and sort of tries to kill Ricky and his friends) is the weak point of the novel, evil-monologuing for quite some time to kids he doesn’t commit to murdering. The conclusion in which Keyster is caught pales in comparison to the action in the rest of the story.

On a few other interesting notes, the opening arrangement for Ricky to take Joel along on the trip is virtually identical to the beginnings of the last two novels, just with different circumstances. Though we still get no role for Ricky’s parents beyond bookend bystanders, we do get our first clue as to where Ricky’s hometown of Jamesville is: based on his directions in the first chapter, somewhere west of South Dakota, so likely Minnesota or Michigan. Sigmund Brouwer’s characteristic witty, dry-humored narration hits all the nostalgic priorities of being a 12-year-old — the desperate need to prove yourself in front of friends, the inherent battles between the sexes, minor inconveniences that feel like the end of the world, etc. Also, Ricky gets a whole slew of heroic moments in this book: stopping the bus in time to save a pregnant woman, staying on his runaway horse, fearlessly confronting an enormous dog to save Joel, saving all his friends from a landslide, fighting off a rattlesnake, angrily attacking Keyster. It’s a little overkill considering Ricky’s generally mild-tempered, snarky-minded personality.

Though Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek isn’t really a favorite of mine in this series, I love a lot of its individual moments and have always been impressed by that twist ending. This is the perfect short novel for a kid who’s interested in westerns, mysteries, and comedies, because Brouwer manages to incorporate all three genres. However, Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek is the last novel in The Accidental Detectives that struggles a little before Brouwer really hits his stride and starts turning out bona fide classics, such as my personal favorite: the next in the series.

[Big Game James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Phantom Outlaw at Wolf Creek is another entertaining middle grade mystery adventure in the Accidental Detective series. I hadn't read this one back in the 1990s like I had some of the others. As usual, Sigmund Brouwer's writing is excellent and the story is captivating. This one involves a blonde haired phantom rider, midnight walks to the cliffs, a slippery and sinister old geezer, caverns, rescues, and the mysterious Delilah Abercombe, who legend says robbed a bank in the 40s and got away without a trace.

As usual, Ricky is joined by his little brother Joel, and Rick's friends Mike, and Ralphy. Missing from this adventure is Lisa Higgins, Rick's attractive, strong female gal pal. But Mike's cousin Sarah fills in nicely. She's every bit as strong and attractive as Lisa and plays an important role in this story. Hopefully, Sigmund brings her back in the later books, because she's an awesome character.

The ending seemed a little rushed and slightly contrived, but I still rate the book five stars.

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

6th grade book report:

I think this book was very good and exciting. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery stories.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kid named Ricky is outwitted by his mom into visiting a Montana ranch, belonging to a friend's uncle. Another kid disappears on the bus and Sarah, cousin of another kid named Mike, can't quit teasing Ricky. When they arrive, they catch all the usual tales about a Phantom Outlaw who robbed a local bank fifty years ago and still haunts the area's cliffs. Cattle begin disappearing for mysterious reasons.

Humorous, with a well though-out plot, judicious use of clues and foreshadowing, and great character development.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the pretty best Young Adult mystery books for there is good laughs almost from page one. The characters are unforgettable and interesting while the trouble they end up getting into is almost unbelievable but fun.

It was simple reading and engaging so any young reader will definitely want to continue reading this book until the end.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, but not as interesting as the other two I've read. I had a harder time concentrating on this one. But I was surprised by something at the end, which I hadn't guessed while reading it (sometimes I'm a little slow :D). Not as much spiritual content and sometimes the fact that Joel disappears and appears so much gets a little tiresome!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian fiction / mystery for kids. Liked the way the kids just stumbled upon a mystery and helped prove an inheritance and how one of the children resolved their guilt over a parent's death.

[Ariadne Cares · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful and vivid climax, one great plot twist, and a delightful setting stand out for this novel in the series.