Mystery of the Haunted Cave: A Troop 13 Mystery

This young-adult book has now won two prestigous mystery awards (the Agatha and the Anthony) and all we can say is ... it's about time! "We" is me and my almost-9-year-old daughter (who is, by-the-way, a Brownie). We read this book together and loved it! Author Penny Warner is an expert at writing well-crafted, entertaining mysteries, and she geared this one just right for readers of ages 8 to 12-ish. The protagonists--a group of appealing girls in "Troop 13"--are participating in the Gold Rush Jamboree in the California foothills (think Sutter's Mill and the '49ers of old). Each girl has a special strength/talent--sports, cyber-skills, solving puzzles (anagrams, crosswords, and such), nature know-how, and so on. The girls work as a team, putting their talents to the task of competing in the jamboree, digging up clues regarding possible buried treasure in Camp Miwok's "Haunted Caves," and coping with the not-so-friendly oh-so-cool kids of Troop 7. I and my daughter are eagerly awaiting the next Troop 13 adventure (...and the one after that, and the one after that, etc.).