• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Fifteen-year-old Christine is visiting her eccentric great-aunt in historic Witcombe, where a pickpocket has been victimizing tourists.

Aunt Maude owns an antique store and also runs the town’s ghost walk, which allows Christine to meet all the visitors, including a mysterious young man who seems to know far too much about the rash of recent thefts in the area. When the pickpocket targets the customers in Aunt Maude’s store, Christine is determined to find out who is behind the thefts. Her search takes her through the nooks and crannies of the quaint town full of stories, and she unearths more than one surprise.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

After nearly 30 years as a published author, Kristin has written more biographies of herself than she cares to remember. And she has run out of new ways to describe the same old life. Besides, she doesn't think of herself in terms of her birthplace, education, and work history. What she'd really like people to know about her is that she loves to dance. She loves to laugh. She loves to learn. Crossword puzzles relax her. Waiting frustrates her. She likes spending time by herself. And, like the heroine in her new book Closer to Far Away, she has a family that gives her strength. Her books include Cheat, Girls Like Me, The Druid and the Dragon, and Alibi. Kristin lives in Campbell River, British Columbia.

Kristin Butcher's profile page

"The plot is fast-paced, the characters are extremely likeable, and the clues about the burglaries provide the reader with enough information to solve the mystery before the conclusion. Readers who enjoy a good 'whodunit' will appreciate this story."

Library Media Connection

"A breezy pseudo-Scooby-Doo vibe whisks readers forward as Christine does clumsy surveillance and suspects are considered, until a humorously unlikely culprit is unearthed. Butcher has just scratched the surface of her likeable and entertaining cast, whose future adventures would be welcome."

Publishers Weekly

"A very well-written mystery young readers will enjoy as it is filled with suspense and adventure...Butcher uses dialogue to move the plot forward. The language’s straight forwardness and simplicity allow reluctant readers or readers learning English to easily comprehend and immerse themselves in the story. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Once again, Kristin Butcher has created a protagonist teen readers will readily identify with. Christine is curious, attentive, and logical, but still sometimes can misinterpret her world...Christine doesn’t learn an important “life lesson,” but she grows in self-awareness and understanding of the world around her, both necessary qualities on the road to adulthood."

Resource Links