Surfside Girls, Graphic Novel No. 2 - The Mystery at the Old Rancho

It's been a while since I read the first Surfside Girls graphic novel by Kim Dwinell, but I can still recall the main characters (Samantha Taylor and Jade Lee) and the danger and adventure they experienced in solving The Secret of Danger Point.  Dwinell did an amazing job of introducing the characters, the locale, and the mysterious goings-on around Danger Point.  And, oh yeah - did I mention the ghosts?  It seems Danger Point has their fair share, and after making contact with ghosts in the first book, it's only to be expected that Sam and Jade will find themselves helping out yet another ghost in this second book.

The Mystery at the Old Rancho is set during the Annual Surfside Surf Competition.  Sam is one of the junior lifeguards.  Jade, meanwhile, is preparing for a 5k run.  But when the two meet up or a picnic with their ghost-friends, Sam catches sight of the young ghost boy to whom she has taken quite a liking chatting up a fellow ghost - who happens to be female!  Sam and Jade soon discover that Maria has a mystery of her own - she dies over 100 years ago, yet she is certain that she saw her father, who disappeared and was believed to have died when she was just a little girl.  But if Maria died more than a century ago, how could her father be here now?

Dwinell sets up a pretty good mystery for Sam and Jade to solve, all the while dealing with the new developments in their personal lives.  Maria's family used to own the the rancho house out on the hill just beyond town.  Sam and Jade visited the house on a field trip back in the fourth grade, so they are familiar with it, since it is now a museum.  The girls convince Maria to go with them to the house and help them investigate - and sure enough, they discover a hidden desk drawer, a secret journal, a room behind a wall, and so much more!  There's also a trip to Mission San Simon, where the girls get help from the most unexpected source.  The clues continue to be uncovered, until ultimately the girls not only solve the mystery of what happened to Maria's father all those years ago, but they make a fantastic connection to the present that turns out to benefit more than just Maria!

And while all of this adventure and mystery is going on, Sam must deal with her feelings for the ghost, Robert, who she is afraid is more interested in Maria than her!  And Jade is surprised to meet a young man competing in the surf competition who takes a quick liking to her as well.  

Dwinell knows how to write a very down-to-earth mystery (albeit with ghosts) that does not depend on technology to solve the case, while making her characters very real and very relatable.  At the same time, the story and art are not so simple as to appeal to both older and young readers alike.  And Dwinell has a superb way to utilizing wordless panels to perfectly portray the excitement and determination of the two young sleuths in her story (check out pages 119, 135, and 183 to see exactly what I mean).

Sadly, though, while I see that there is "A Surfside Girls' Guide to Surfing" that was published in December 2021, I don't see any indication that there will be a third Surfside Girls mystery coming our way.  Which is a real shame, as I could easily see this being a successful series for young readers that combines the comics with the prose to create a unique reading experience for the reader.  Maybe with a little luck, Dwinell will be inspired with some more mysteries, and the future will see Sam and Jade return to solve a third, fourth, and maybe even a fifth mystery!

RATING:  9 lucky singlets out of 10 for not taking the easy way out and keeping the technology and ghost-aid to a minimum in solving the mystery!