"Hattie sat down on the ground in the clearing and leaned back against a stump, raising her face to the warm autumn sun. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She knew if anyone could help BT now, it would be Red Wolfe."

This thrilling second book in the Badlands Mystery Series finds three friends and amateur investigators, Hattie Gerald, Buffalo Thunder "BT"], and Alan Wilson, once again embroiled in murder and mayhem on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota.

Illegal fossil hunters are systematically stripping the sacred Lakota Stronghold of its treasures, and people begin mysteriously dying. Hattie, BT, and Alan are determined to stop the death and destruction, especially after BT's one true love becomes one of the victims. In a tale filled with the mystical influence of the Lakota culture, both past and present, the trio braves the deadly determination of those who would decimate the riches locked beneath the Stronghold in the heart of the Badlands.

But it is the assistance of the spirits of the Badlands that is crucial to the friends' success. Overcoming traditional notions of rational thought proves difficult, but the three push on toward the inevitable clash between good and evil. Only the Spirits know which side will prevail .

Full of charming animals and devious villains, this brand new middle grade will enchant middle grade readers! PRAISE FOR THE ELEPHANT THIEF: 'A classic-in-the-making.' THE TIMES 'This is storytelling at its best' BOOKS FOR KEEPS Danny works at Belle Vue Zoo, where - alongside training the famous elephant Maharajah - he helps out with the day-to-day caring for the animals. But when animals start escaping, Danny is the prime suspect: after all, he was a former street urchin and pickpocket. When a man turns up claiming to be his father, the plot thickens. Can Danny untangle the mystery of the animal escapade - and find out where he really belongs - in order to clear his name? The second novel from Jane Kerr, author of critically acclaimed The Elephant Thief Charming animals and deveious villains will enchant readers Perfect for ages 9 and up