From Publishers Weekly Launching the History Mysteries series， this swiftly paced， light novel takes readers to Louisiana during the War of 1812. After Elisabet Holder's widower father， the wealthy London-born captain of a merchant ship， is captured by the British， the 11-year-old travels from their home in Boston to New Orleans to live with her aunt and uncle. Once there， Elisabet learns that the family has fallen on hard times and she is expected to work in the couple's bakery. Accustomed to servants， the girl initially scoffs at the idea of working but soon adapts to her new life and forms a friendship with her co-worker and roommate. When a shady character stops into the bakery and conveniently mentions a hidden treasure map， Elisabet sees a way to procure her father's ransom. As a mystery， this is lean on suspense and intrigue， yet Buckey conveys a credible sense of time and place. Taking a cue from the American Girls Collection books， the volume concludes with a section， "Looking Back: 1814，" that describes the American political scene as well as the cultural and social climate of French-influenced New Orleans. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) FYI: Four additional titles， due out the same month， are: Hoofbeats of Danger， set in 1860， by Holly Hughes; The Night Flyers， a WWI novel by Elizabeth McDavid Jones; Secrets on 26th Street (1914)， also by Jones; and Voices at Whisper Bend， a WWII novel by Katherine Ayres. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information， Inc. Card catalog description Sent to live with relatives in New Orleans during the War of 1812， eleven-year-old Elisabet determines to find a smuggler's treasure to ransom her imprisoned father.