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Tara Ellis
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The Heiress of Covington Ranch (Samantha Wolf Mysteries Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Tara Ellis (Author), Melchelle Designs (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 282 ratings
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"An endearing series perfect for fans of Nancy Drew!"
*Can be read as a stand-alone

Nestled in the woods that surround the small town of Ocean Side, is Covington Ranch. An abandoned estate once used to raise famous horses, a family tragedy has left it forgotten and neglected. But someone has come back.

Middle school presents a new kind of challenge for best-friends Sam and Ally, but also a chance to make a unique friend named Cassy. When Sam discovers their new teacher is in trouble, the three of them come together to help her.

What do their teacher, a rich stockbroker, and a stolen ruby called The Eye of Orion all have in common? The girls vow to find out, and in doing so, start a chain reaction. It could either have dire consequences for those involved or bring a broken family back together again.


Read the whole Samantha Wolf Mysteries series, now an Amazon bestseller!

Book 1 The Mystery of Hollow Inn
Book 2 The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines
Book 3 The Beach House Mystery
Book 4 The Heiress of Covington Ranch
Book 5 The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School
Book 6 A Mysterious Christmas on Orcas Island
Book 7 The Case of the Curious Canine
Book 8 The Legend of Shadow Mountain
Book 9 The Mystery of Old Gully Trail
Book 10 Return to Hollow Inn
Book 11 The Secret of Sanctuary
Book 12 The Mystery at Ocean Side
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    9 - 12 years
  2. Book 4 of 12
    Samantha Wolf Mysteries
  3. Print length
    220 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Publication date
    December 21, 2015
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. See all details
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Total Price: $14.95
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From the Publisher

Nancy Drew, Hollow Inn, Mystery, Cozy, Middle grade, girl detective, detective, kids, girls,

It's the series everyone is comparing to Nancy Drew!

Join best friends Sam and Ally as they embark on mysteries that are fun for the whole family!

Editorial Reviews

Review

*****Five star Reader's Favorite review:Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

The Heiress of Covington Ranch, Book 4 is a children's adventure from the Samantha Wolf Mysteries by Tara Ellis. Samantha "Sam" Wolf becomes curious when she notices an article that her teacher, Lisa Covington, has about The Eye of Orion. Her research reveals that a ruby owned by the teacher's family has disappeared. Locating it will solve a problem Lisa has with her intimidating Uncle Peter. Sam and her friend, Ally, assist with chores around the abandoned Covington Ranch while looking for clues to find the gem. The girls also try to help their penurious classmate, Cassy, with her ailing grandmother and stumble upon clues, which only makes the mystery more puzzling. Lurking in the shadow is Peter Covington, who is willing to do anything to keep The Eye of Orion for himself.

Twelve-year-old Samantha Wolf is a modern day Nancy Drew who finds a mystery to solve anywhere she goes. The Heiress of Covington Ranch, Book 4 is a lovely adventure from the Samantha Wolf Mysteries that preteen girls will enjoy. It is the second book from the series I have read and I like Tara Ellis' writing style. She develops her characters very well in the interesting, nature loving themes she creates. Sam does not look for trouble, but it somehow seems to appear wherever she goes. She is fearless, outspoken, and has a suspicious mind. Sam and Ally are inseparable friends, although they have different family lifestyles. Tara Ellis places emphasis on strong family values, making the story even more meaningful and entertaining.

From the Author

Have you read the Amazon best selling book #1, The Mystery of Hollow Inn? Find out how it all starts! With a 5 star rating from Reader's Favorite, it's a story you're sure to enjoy!!**Read ALL of the books in the Samantha Wolf Mysteries:Book #1 - The Mystery of Hollow InnBook #2 - The Secret of Camp Whispering PinesBook #3 - The Beach House MysteryBook #4 - The Heiress of Covington RanchBook #5 - The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle SchoolBook #6 - A Mysterious Christmas on Orcas IslandBook #7 - The Case of the Curious CanineBook #8 - The Legend of Shadow MountainBook #9 - The Mystery of Old Gully TrailBook#10 - Return to Hollow InnBook#11 - The Secret of Sanctuary**Also in audiobook format:

The Mystery of Hollow InnThe Secret of Camp Whispering Pine

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B017V5LTU6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tara Ellis Publications; 1st edition (December 21, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 21, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2073 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 282 ratings

About the author

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Tara Ellis

Tara Ellis

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WELCOME!

Thank you for visiting my page. If you’re looking for a highly-rated edge-of-your-seat survival story, click on the image to the right and get started on an epic saga!

For those interested in who I am and what makes me tick…read on!

I currently live in a small, rural town in Washington State set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I spend my free time out hiking in the wilds and cherish the moments spent with my two grown kids and grandchild. I was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years, before being fortunate enough to call myself a full-time author.

I grew up on sci-fi and have a love for mysteries and intricate plots. You'll discover my devotion to accuracy and correct science while reading my post-apocalyptic series, as well as my young adult trilogy, Forgotten origins. With plenty of action and character-driven plots, my books are full of twists that just might keep you reading late into the night.

My ongoing middle-grade mystery series, The Samantha Wolf Mysteries, has hit the best seller status on Amazon in the children's detective story genre several times and continues to grow in popularity. These engaging, fun stories herald back to the days of Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon, and several readers claim the series is of the same caliber. These are clean reads that are suitable for the whole family to read together (for both young, and young at heart), and ALL of my books are in the Kindle Unlimited program.

*Join Tara's newsletter on her author website: https://taraellisbooks.com/

*Check out her thriller series(The Chris Echo Files) under the pen name of Tara Meyers!

*Find her on facebook at: www.facebook.com/taraellisauthor

*twitter: @taraellisauthor

Check back for upcoming dates for public appearances and book signings!

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
282 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Mary Weimer
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s another new series and author!
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was an awesome story!

Ally and Sam are best friends starting high school together.

They solve mysteries working together.

This one centers around their friend Cassy who is a new friend at high school this year.

The three girls are also helping a new teacher with lawn work on her family’s old ranch to clean it up so she can sell it.

They end up in a mystery that helps everyone involved.

The book is a good story and will keep your interest until the end. Well written and worth the time to read it!
One person found this helpful
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Catherine Fritts
4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a 'Young Reader' mystery
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2023
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Nice mystery, as mysteries go. The wording is not so junival as to be off-putting, however the storyline is definitely meant for younger readers. Clever action scenes. Thank you.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing mystery and heart-warming
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
There are eleven Samantha Wolf mysteries. I like them all, but this one is my favorite. This mystery has a lot going on, more than one storyline. When first read it, I wondered how all those loose ends would get tied together (this is my second time reading it). Well, they do come together very well (quite an accomplishment by the author). Have you ever known someone in need and then seen other people come along and befriend that person and actually help them out. It’s heart-warming to see. That happens more than once in this story. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended. (And appropriate for the whole family.)
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Brenda Telford
5.0 out of 5 stars Another fun episode!
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2019
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Another exciting adventure for our intrepid young sleuths, school friends Sam and Ally. Their first day in middle school saw Sam with only one class the same as Ally but gradually they settled in. They liked their physical education teacher, Miss Covington and it wasn’t long before Sam linked her teacher with the dilapidated ranch near her home. Did she sense a mystery at hand?

With their new friend Cassy, Sam and Ally decided to check out Covington Ranch and headed there on their bikes after school. The sound of angry words from a tall man and directed at Miss Covington set Sam and Ally’s alarm bells ringing. And so it was on. Sam was determined to find the answers and solve a mystery that had been ongoing – after all, with her caring nature, Sam wanted to see her friends happy.

The Heiress of Covington Ranch is the 4th in the Samantha Wolf series by Tara Ellis and once again it was a lot of fun with twelve year old Sam and Ally attracting danger whatever they did. I’m enjoying this series a lot – it reminds me of the books I read when I was young – Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, The Secret Seven and Famous Five! (Not showing my age much 😉) Recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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Big Game James
5.0 out of 5 stars A most excellent story that covers multiple themes
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
Ok, this is now the fourth book in the Samantha Wolf series that I’ve read, one after the other. It’s starting to irritate me because it’s interfering with all my regular adult-level books that are waiting to be read. Tara Ellis is a gifted writer and the Heiress of Covington Ranch is a superb story.

It covers lots of themes, including bullying, poverty, adoption, friendship, bad-relatives, integrity, and true grit. It also introduces a new character named Cassy, and a fantastic setting, the Covington Ranch. The story moves fast, from the puzzling setup to the stunning conclusion. And even though I have tons of books from other authors to get to, I’m already looking forward to the next Samantha Wolf book.
2 people found this helpful
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LeaCarterWrites
4.0 out of 5 stars Good clean fun
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2022
Verified Purchase
Sam is a smart, respectful young woman who has a knack for seeing the mystery in life--and solving it.

A new teacher living at an old, dilapidated ranch. A magnificent Arabian horse. An even more valuable (but missing!) family heirloom.

And a girl who fights for her friends.

I absolutely recommend this book.
One person found this helpful
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Amanda
3.0 out of 5 stars Characters have matured, good story, but still needs an editor
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
I read the first book in this series, and had several concerns. I picked up this sequel to see if things had improved since book 1. My concern about the kids disobeying and getting a pat reprimand (but no real punishment) when they could have been killed because of their disobedience is not in this book. Here the girls actually are obeying their parents and abiding by their wishes. This is shown to be a good thing with a positive outcome. I really appreciated that change and that our heroines are maturing.

Yes, there still is the unrealistic solving of the mystery by kids (and, honestly, I wish kids solving these mysteries were older. It made much more sense with 17, 18, 19 year old like the Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew & Company), but the themes and lessons of this book were very appreciated. Including the picture painted of a good family life. That's all too often not shown in books these days.

A huge drawback for me, though, that Tara has GOT to fix is her writing. The tenses and shifts in person just don't work and are very distracting/irritating. It completely messes up the flow of the narrative. I'm not saying I could do better, and honestly, I haven't analyzed exactly what she's doing to throw things off, but those same issues present in book 1 are in book 4. A good editor could smooth things out for her. Given the maturing of our girls, this is a series I would be willing to go back and read more of to see the maturing and lessons continue to improve with each installment ... IF the writing was good. Its just really hard to get passed, and it definitely is not something I want my children to read and pick up bad writing habits from.

3.5 stars
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Richard Crawford
5.0 out of 5 stars This one really tugs at the heartstrings.
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2023
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I was so engulfed in this mystery that I had to spend the whole day getting to the end. For those of us who are sentimental and soft hearted there are several places that cause tears to cloud our vision. A beautiful look into the heart and soul of some lovely people.
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Top reviews from other countries

Annamarie
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review (May Contain Spoilers)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2016
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Another great story in the Samantha Wolf series, this Story is defiantly the best in the series.

In this story Sam and Ally are starting middle school and that's where the story starts off, the pair are on the school bus on the way to their new school after a summer filled with adventures. Both of the girls are nervous about their first day especially Sam who thinks she wont make any friends.

Before the first day is over Sam gets into trouble with Miss Covington her PE teacher and has two run ins with her locker buddy Cassy, she also ends up missing her bus home so while she is waiting for her mum to come and pick her up she takes a walk around the school and ends up in the teachers parking lot where she see's Miss Covington crying. On the way home she tells her mum what she saw and her mum makes her promise to keep it to herself.

Throughout the book Sam ad Ally attend classes ad tr to keep out of trouble and they both make friends with Cassy who seems to be having more trouble adjusting to middle school than Sam so Sam and Ally help her out.

Sam also decides she wants to help out Miss Covington so during one of their lessons Sam finishes her worksheet and takes it to her teacher who is looking at something on her computer which a waiting Sam can't help but to look at, she sees that Miss Covington is reading about a heist but Sam gets caught before she can get a proper look and her teacher isn't happy at Sam but Sam goes ahead and asks if she can be her student aid.

Later in the story Sam and Ally research about the heist that Miss Covington was looking at and discover that The Eye or Orion was stolen and is worth a lot of money but it's a cold case. While researching the girls find out that there teacher is related to a business man and that they own the Ranch not far from their homes.

Instead of asking Sam's mum about their teacher the girls decide to go and check out the Ranch and while they are their they see Miss Covington's car and they discuss the possibility of their teacher being in on the heist. The next day at school Miss Covington asks Sam and Ally if they were at her place and Sam just tells her that it was because they wanted to hike on the property, Miss Covington gives them permission and asks them if they wanted to help out with some yard work which they agree to do.

At a sleepover Cassy tells Sam and Ally that her Gram's used to tell her stories of the Covington's and she shares what she found out about their teacher.

One day while helping at the ranch the girls witness a run in with their teacher and a mystery man who turns out to be Miss Covington's uncle and she decides to tell the girls her story, she explains that she was adopted and this affected her getting her inheritance and that her boyfriend at the time had stolen a family heirloom The Eye of Orion and her uncle also blamed her believing she was in on his plan

When the girls hear this it starts off the mystery and adventure, Sam tells her friends that they need to help their teacher solve the case of the missing family heirloom and this as usual gets the girls into trouble but they do manage to solve the case as well as another mystery.

These short stories are brilliant and they do not essentially need to be read as a series as they don't follow on from each other even though they do make mentions of previous adventures. There a great read and you should definitely read them.
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