Rialto

by Kate Milford

A standalone mystery from a New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author set in a contemporary world tinged with magic, in which two sisters spend summer vacation in a small town in the shadows of abandoned amusement park that is not what it seems.

Ivy and Dahlia Vicar know this summer’s trip to visit friends in Rialto, Missouri, is going to be different from their usual family vacations.

Twelve-year-old Dahlia, an artist who lives with anxiety, is looking forward to something new. Rialto, after all, has its own abandoned theme park! But mystery-loving, fourteen-year-old Ivy is struggling with how to be the right kind of big sister to Dahlia, and longs for the way things—especially vacations—were when they were younger.

In Rialto, it quickly becomes clear that this vacation will also be different in totally unexpected ways. For one thing, the town stands in the middle of an improbable forest that, according to local legend, swallowed it overnight decades before. Then there are Dahlia’s even more improbable sightings of impossible creatures—a giraffe with antlers and a leopard with wings. And there’s their new friend Remy, whose family inherited the house they’re all staying in from an aunt who left bequests for local friends that Remy must personally distribute.

When he enlists Ivy and Dahlia to help deliver these gifts, they find themselves drawn into a mystery going back to the time when Rialto Park was still open. And it begins to seem that, if they are going to help Remy solve it, they will have to find a way to believe in magic.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Fantasy, Summer, Fiction, Childrens

Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 14, 2026

About the author

Kate is the author of THE THIEF KNOT, GREENGLASS HOUSE, GHOSTS OF GREENGLASS HOUSE, BLUECROWNE, THE LEFT-HANDED FATE, THE BONESHAKER, THE BROKEN LANDS, THE KAIROS MECHANISM, and the forthcoming THE RACONTEUR'S COMMONPLACE BOOK (February 2021).

Originally from Annapolis, MD, Kate now lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Nathan and son Griffin and their dogs, Ed and Sprocket. She has written for stage and screen and is a frequent travel columnist for the Nagspeake Board of Tourism and Culture (www.nagspeake.com).

Reviews

[mars_like_the_planet]

i need this

update: KATE PLEASE I NEED THIS

update, again: KATE I’M BEGGING YOU

update, somehow, again: my sanity is unraveling

update, once more: it’s been years since i’ve had a new roaming world book and i’m losing my mind

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Milford is a master of her craft. Readers new to Milford’s work will find a wholly original world that works as a stand-alone novel, but those travelers already familiar with the Roaming World will find nods and references to earlier works that will make them feel right at home. I would have adored Rialto as a kid, and as an adult fan of Milford’s work found no shortage of things to love.

Milford seamlessly blends a magical mystery with the story of tween sisters navigating their changing relationship. Rialto is filled with heart and warmth and Milford’s signature magic. I could not have loved this book more.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Milford does not disappoint. She has created an entire world, much as she did in the Greenglass House series, that enchants the reader and draws them in. This is a book I didn’t want to end because it is so beautifully written. But I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next! In addition to the beautiful imagery of art and music and fiber crafts and writing, I also gathered helpful information about anxiety and social anxiety.
Many many thanks to Harper Collins for the ARC.

[Jack Silvernagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Received as an ARC*
So it appears a story from my favorite Storyteller has once again moved me. This story was so wondrous, so thoughtful, it was a hand-carved stamp that changed every time I put it to paper. I'll always look for magic, but sometimes it's nice to have a reminder. So glad I got to have this now, exactly when I needed it. I can't wait to hold the final copy!

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Sometimes you find magic and the unexpected when you’re not looking. I felt like the book had a slow start but picked up. I enjoyed trying to figure out these characters and what part they played in the story. I like how the kids work together to figure out what’s going on and keep at it. The places the kids had to visit in Rialto made me chuckle. It was interesting to try to figure out what some of the businesses were based on the names. A whimsical, fun read!