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Max & Me Mysteries #3
The Secret of Ghost Island (Max & Me Mysteries, Book 3)
Max and Jessie get involved in a new adventure involving a trio of recently-orphaned children, who set up camp on nearby Ghost Island trying to escape deportation back to Mexico. In the meantime, a series of burglaries in town has police concerned that a gang of professional thieves is involved. When the girls get involved to help the orphans, they stumble upon the thieves' camp and are trapped.
- GenresChildrens
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
About the author
Patricia H. Rushford
64 books144 followersPatricia H. Rushford, an award winning author and speaker, has extensive experience in writing and has authored over sixty books, both fiction and non-fiction. In addition to having a nursing degree and masters in counseling, she is also an artist and quilter.
The Jennie McGrady Mysteries for young adults have sold well over 500,000 copies. Silent Witness won the Silver Angel Award for Excellence in Media and was nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award by Mystery Writers of America. She also wrote the Max & Me Mysteries for middle grade.
The various mystery series for adults continue to receive great reviews. Her series include, The Helen Bradley Mysteries, The Angel Delaney Mysteries, The McAllister Files and her latest, the Artisan Mysteries.
Her newest releases are: Watercolor Dreams, Deadly Deception and The Quiltmaker's Daughter, both are romantic suspense novels featuring artists.
She has been awarded the Golden Quill Award by RWA- Desert Rose Chapter and earned honorable mention in the Silver Angel Awards.
Patricia is a member of ACFW and a number of other writing organizations. She has participated in such mystery events such as Bouchercon--the World Mystery Convention, Left Coast Crime, and other conventions for lovers of mystery and suspense. She manages a website and blog and has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads and Linked-in and also generates a newsletter. Called Mysterious Musings.
Additional info at www.patriciarushfordbooks.com
The Jennie McGrady Mysteries for young adults have sold well over 500,000 copies. Silent Witness won the Silver Angel Award for Excellence in Media and was nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award by Mystery Writers of America. She also wrote the Max & Me Mysteries for middle grade.
The various mystery series for adults continue to receive great reviews. Her series include, The Helen Bradley Mysteries, The Angel Delaney Mysteries, The McAllister Files and her latest, the Artisan Mysteries.
Her newest releases are: Watercolor Dreams, Deadly Deception and The Quiltmaker's Daughter, both are romantic suspense novels featuring artists.
She has been awarded the Golden Quill Award by RWA- Desert Rose Chapter and earned honorable mention in the Silver Angel Awards.
Patricia is a member of ACFW and a number of other writing organizations. She has participated in such mystery events such as Bouchercon--the World Mystery Convention, Left Coast Crime, and other conventions for lovers of mystery and suspense. She manages a website and blog and has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads and Linked-in and also generates a newsletter. Called Mysterious Musings.
Additional info at www.patriciarushfordbooks.com
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 11, 2026
Mostly good!
Lots of good illegal immigrant representation!
Page 34:
“The immigration authorities are only interested in finding the children so they can deport them."
"I don't understand. Isn't there an Amber alert?"
"Yes, and I am sure the police are trying to find them, but we are Hispanic."
"Prejudice. Max pursed her lips.
"That is partly true," Leah said. "There are many bad feelings about immigrants. Some people are more than happy to be rid of those who are not like them. Not everyone feels that way. The newspaper reporter who came to interview me about the children seemed sympathetic. He said he would make sure the information got out to the television stations in Seattle and in Oregon."
"We had a debate about the immigration issues at school.”
Page 35:
Cooper leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "About half the kids think there shouldn't be any sanctions and that illegals should just be sent back where they came from."
"I remember." Sunny was one of them. She thought the police should round up all the illegal immigrants in the country and deport them. I wasn't about to tell Leah that. "I'm not sure how I feel about it," I added. "I want people like Enrique and his sisters to become citizens and not be deported. Some of the laws don't seem fair, but.."
"We have laws to protect our country." Leah nodded. "I's a very complicated issue, and unfortunately, we are not going to solve the problem today."
Page 36:
"I have one more question" I said. "If the authorities depen Enrique and his sisters, where will they go?"
"Their mother's parents live in Mexico City. The grandparents love them very much, but they are old and poor and barely ableto take care of themselves. It would not be a good situation. Carlos was hoping to become a citizen, but he was killed before he could make it happen." She shrugged. "Enrique said he would not go back." Tears filled her eyes. "He said he would die first, and I'm afraid that could happen."
Page 58:
"You're probably right," Cooper said, then mumbled something about Enrique having a motorboat.
"That doesn't make sense unless he stole it," I said, then right away wished I hadn't.
"Maybe he had to, okay?" Cooper snarled at me. He looked down and shook his head. "I’m sorry, Jess. I didn't mean to yell."
"It's okay. If Enrique stole anything, it would be to protect his sisters." I brushed away the tears gathering in my eyes.
Page 67:
The newscasters mentioned that the Sanchez children were still missing and then went right into a report about the string of robberies. "Police are not making the connection between the missing children and the robberies as yet, but will be carefully examining the evidence." I leaned forward. "Did they just say what I thought they said?
They think Enrique is involved in the robberies?"
Dad pushed the mute button when a commercial came on.
"The robberies started shortly before Enrique and his sisters dis-appeared. The police have to look at every angle."
"That's just not right. Enrique wouldn't do anything like that." Dad rubbed my shoulder. "I can appreciate your wanting to stand up for him, Jessie, but he had to be desperate to run away."
Enrique kidnapped the main character’s 5 year old brother and swore him to secrecy.
Page 85:
"What did he do?"
"He just told me to be quiet so the police wouldn't hurt us. He picked me up and carried me to the boat, and then we rowed away Sam must have sensed my anger because he said, "It’s okay, Jessie. He din'thurt me. He just had to get us away from there. He dropped me off at home and said he was sorry if he scared me.
Enrique said not to tell anybody he was there. If the police find him or his sisters, they would make them go far away to Mexico.
Maela is my friend. I don't want the police to take her." Sam brushed tears from his cheeks with his arm.
"Why didn't you let us know you were home?" My anger diminished as I tried to see the situation from Enrique's viewpoint.
"Nobody was home, so I went to bed. I didn't want to talk to Mom and Dad cause they mighta made me tell."
I gave him a squeeze. I could understand why Enrique took Sam. He must have felt trapped, but asking a little kid to keep secrets like that isn't fair.
"You aren't going to tell anybody, are you?" Sam asked.
"No," Cooper said. "We're trying to find Enrique so we can help them. Did Enrique tell you where they were staying?"
Lots of good illegal immigrant representation!
Page 34:
“The immigration authorities are only interested in finding the children so they can deport them."
"I don't understand. Isn't there an Amber alert?"
"Yes, and I am sure the police are trying to find them, but we are Hispanic."
"Prejudice. Max pursed her lips.
"That is partly true," Leah said. "There are many bad feelings about immigrants. Some people are more than happy to be rid of those who are not like them. Not everyone feels that way. The newspaper reporter who came to interview me about the children seemed sympathetic. He said he would make sure the information got out to the television stations in Seattle and in Oregon."
"We had a debate about the immigration issues at school.”
Page 35:
Cooper leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "About half the kids think there shouldn't be any sanctions and that illegals should just be sent back where they came from."
"I remember." Sunny was one of them. She thought the police should round up all the illegal immigrants in the country and deport them. I wasn't about to tell Leah that. "I'm not sure how I feel about it," I added. "I want people like Enrique and his sisters to become citizens and not be deported. Some of the laws don't seem fair, but.."
"We have laws to protect our country." Leah nodded. "I's a very complicated issue, and unfortunately, we are not going to solve the problem today."
Page 36:
"I have one more question" I said. "If the authorities depen Enrique and his sisters, where will they go?"
"Their mother's parents live in Mexico City. The grandparents love them very much, but they are old and poor and barely ableto take care of themselves. It would not be a good situation. Carlos was hoping to become a citizen, but he was killed before he could make it happen." She shrugged. "Enrique said he would not go back." Tears filled her eyes. "He said he would die first, and I'm afraid that could happen."
Page 58:
"You're probably right," Cooper said, then mumbled something about Enrique having a motorboat.
"That doesn't make sense unless he stole it," I said, then right away wished I hadn't.
"Maybe he had to, okay?" Cooper snarled at me. He looked down and shook his head. "I’m sorry, Jess. I didn't mean to yell."
"It's okay. If Enrique stole anything, it would be to protect his sisters." I brushed away the tears gathering in my eyes.
Page 67:
The newscasters mentioned that the Sanchez children were still missing and then went right into a report about the string of robberies. "Police are not making the connection between the missing children and the robberies as yet, but will be carefully examining the evidence." I leaned forward. "Did they just say what I thought they said?
They think Enrique is involved in the robberies?"
Dad pushed the mute button when a commercial came on.
"The robberies started shortly before Enrique and his sisters dis-appeared. The police have to look at every angle."
"That's just not right. Enrique wouldn't do anything like that." Dad rubbed my shoulder. "I can appreciate your wanting to stand up for him, Jessie, but he had to be desperate to run away."
Enrique kidnapped the main character’s 5 year old brother and swore him to secrecy.
Page 85:
"What did he do?"
"He just told me to be quiet so the police wouldn't hurt us. He picked me up and carried me to the boat, and then we rowed away Sam must have sensed my anger because he said, "It’s okay, Jessie. He din'thurt me. He just had to get us away from there. He dropped me off at home and said he was sorry if he scared me.
Enrique said not to tell anybody he was there. If the police find him or his sisters, they would make them go far away to Mexico.
Maela is my friend. I don't want the police to take her." Sam brushed tears from his cheeks with his arm.
"Why didn't you let us know you were home?" My anger diminished as I tried to see the situation from Enrique's viewpoint.
"Nobody was home, so I went to bed. I didn't want to talk to Mom and Dad cause they mighta made me tell."
I gave him a squeeze. I could understand why Enrique took Sam. He must have felt trapped, but asking a little kid to keep secrets like that isn't fair.
"You aren't going to tell anybody, are you?" Sam asked.
"No," Cooper said. "We're trying to find Enrique so we can help them. Did Enrique tell you where they were staying?"
Displaying 1 of 1 review