Name: The House on the Gulf
ISBN: 9781416914068

Margaret Peterson Haddix

NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS. When Britt's older brother, Bran, lands a summer job house-sitting in Florida, it seems like a great opportunity. Britt's family has just recently moved to Florida, and could use the extra money while her mom finishes college. There's only one problem: Britt starts to suspect her family isn't supposed to be there. Britt starts poking around, and makes a startling discovery -- the owners of the house aren't who Bran says they are. So whose house are they living in, and why has Bran brought them there?

The House on the Gulf

Lynn Braden

Britt, her mother, and her older brother, Bran, house sit for a family called the Marquises who spend their winters in New York. Bran, who arranged for them to house sit, has always been the responsible one ever since their father left them, but now he seems secretive and suspicious. When Britt meets Mr. Marquis for the first time, Bran seems anxious and doesn't want to tell him that Britt is his sister. Britt becomes more suspicious after they move into the Marquis house and Bran insists that they keep the air conditioner set at over 80 degrees and that they pack up all of the Marquises' things until they leave at the end of the summer. What Britt finds when she starts investigating, completely changes everything she thinks she knows about her brother and her life.
This is a very good mystery that seems very predictable at the beginning of the story, but as Britt's investigation reveals more and more about what is really going on, it becomes clear that this is a much more complicated story than it seems on the surface. Overall, this is a good mystery that leads to a story about life changing events.