The White Gates

Adult mystery writer Ramthun makes a smooth transition to YA with this action-packed tale set in a Colorado resort town. Twelve-year-old Torin (Tor) and his mother get a chilly reception when they move to Snow Park, where his mother has been hired as the town physician. They soon find out that residents’ less than welcoming attitude has to do with an aged Ute woman’s half-century-old curse against doctors and healers. Believing more in foul play than old curses, Tor wants to get to the bottom of things, especially after his mother’s first patient unexpectedly dies. With the help of fellow outcast Drake and Raine, a descendant of that Ute woman, he discovers a web of deceit and greed. Solutions to puzzles come as swiftly and dramatically as an avalanche that nearly takes Tor’s life, but the distinctive location and thrilling snowboard scenes overcome improbabilities in the denouement. Ages 10–14. (Nov.)