The Gold Standard — Lisa J. Lickel

JUST HOW HIGH A PRICE DOES EARTHLY TREASURE COMMAND?

 

School teacher Judy Winters sets out to solve the mystery surrounding her only living relative's murder back on the farm where Aunt Louise grew up. She encounters Hart Wingate, a young man renting the adjoining farm who had helped Aunt Louise with farm chores. When Judy learns that her boyfriend, Graham, has been secretly visiting Louise, Judy takes the opportunity to move away from him for the summer and think over the situation.

 

Judy loves her teaching job, but is intrigued by her heritage in the farmstead and particularly the old house. She stays on the farm and renovates the house, but whether to sell or stay, she has yet to decide.

 

Midnight visitors, a job offer, and new friends, along with one special old one -- Carranza, the opinionated cat -- all figure into Judy's dilemma.

 

Meanwhile, Judy learns that a former friend of Louise's father, Bryce, lost a treasure of gold somewhere on the farm. As Judy and Hart look for clues to the cause of Louise's death and Bryce's missing treasure they develop a close friendship. Judy decides to break off her relationship with Graham, who doesn't take the news very well.

 

As Judy explores the house, she finds and follows clues in Louise's mother's diary to unearth the buried treasure. But was it the treasure that might have been behind Louise's murder?