Nightmare

Seventeen-year-old Nick Corelli enters a world of exciting drama when a man falls from an overpass and crashes onto his car. Although the incident is ruled suicide, Nick is haunted by the terrified expression on the victim's face, and is convinced that the man had no intention of taking his own life. In order to escape the ordeal which has brought him recurring nightmares, Nick plans a trip to visit his older brother in Texas. After crossing the Arizona border, Nick discovers that a neighbor, 15-year-old Daisy, has stowed away in the back of his parents' motor home. It is Daisy who first notices that they are being followed by the same blue Thunderbird that was spotted near the scene of Nick's accident. Action rises to a climax when Nick and Daisy fail to give their pursuers the slip and are cornered in Galveston. Readers may piece together the clues of this mystery more quickly than the protagonist. Although characters and plot appear somewhat formulaic and action is unevenly paced, this novel offers enough suspense to gratify most action/adventure fans. Ages 10-14. (Sept.)