Texas Gothic

June 6, 2011
After a near-tragic ghost-hunting accident in her childhood, Amy Goodnight has kept her distance from the work of her supernaturally talented family ("My relationship with magic was like a president's kid's relationship with politics: I didn't participate, but I couldn't quite escape it"). Taking care of Aunt Hyacinth's Texas ranch while she's away should be easy, but then Ben McCulloch, the sexy neighbor cowboy, catches Amy in her underwear chasing one of his cows, and there's the matter of a legendary ghost hanging around McCulloch land, apparently knocking down fences and hitting people on the head. When Amy inadvertently makes a binding vow to take care of the ghost, she ends up being haunted and must embrace her heritage and abilities. Clement-Moore (The Splendor Falls) will keep readers pleasantly amused and interested with her mix of science and the supernatural, but the story doesn't take off until the romantic sparks start to fly. The characters are likable but thinly drawn, and the mystery feels predictable. So while Amy and crew draw their own comparisons to Nancy Drew, the story recalls a more grown-up Scooby-Doo as well. Ages 14âup. (July)

May 15, 2011

A pragmatic heroine must confront her magical side to save the day, find the ghost, win the boy and corral the goats.

You can't get much more Nancy Drew than intrepid Texan heroines uncovering a mystery involving ranchers, Spanish ghosts, vandalized archaeological digs and lumps of gold. The summer after high school, Amy Goodnight is taking care of Aunt Hyacinth's herb farm. Unlike the rest of the Goodnights—witches or psychics all—Amy intends to succeed in the mundane world. She protects her family of eccentrics, making sure that outsiders see Amy's sister Phin as a whiz with physics and chemistry, rather than a genius with the potions and spells of preternatural science. Meanwhile, Amy spars with cranky young rancher Ben, whose land entirely surrounds Aunt Hyacinth's tiny farm. Amy first meets Ben while she's chasing escaped goats and wearing nothing but cherry-spotted undies and rubber boots: an introduction worthy of the best contemporary adult romance. Before their heated arguments can turn to something more, Amy and Ben had better solve the mystery of The Mad Monk of McCulloch Ranch, who's been conking people over the head. As if that weren't complicated enough, Amy does see a ghost; is he the Mad Monk?

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Starred review from August 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-It's hard to picture a successful merging of Texas ranching culture with psychic ghost-hunting and witchcraft, but that's what Clement-Moore has achieved in this novel laced with great characters, a healthy dose of humor, and a nod to popular culture. When 18-year-old Amy Goodnight agrees to house-sit while her aunt takes a much-needed vacation, she has no idea that her first encounter with neighbor Ben McCulloch will be while she's engaged in chasing down a herd of goats and dressed in nothing but her underwear. This inauspicious beginning sets the stage for a budding romance between the most rational member of a witching family and the cranky young scion of a large cattle spread. But it's difficult to build a positive relationship when peculiar relatives, a mysterious ghost, and a construction zone filled with old bones are added to the mix. Teens looking for a rollicking adventure filled with paranormal events, dastardly evildoers, and laugh-out-loud moments as Amy and Ben argue and snipe their way to love will adore this book.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

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