We first meet a group of vacationing trail riders in the Grand Tetons, who are heading back to the ranch when they are joined by a straying injured mare. The saddled pinto needs treatment but more importantly, she provides the knowledge that a rider is lost. MCKENNA’S PATH has taken a dangerous turn. Now we need to know why.

Suzie McKenna is a teen girl with a mustang mare, Gypsy, in a town in Idaho. Her parents divorced so she’s with her mom Sherry, and a recent arrival, Ernest, a part-time mechanic. The conviction that Ernest just sees her hardworking mom as a gravy train, and his unpleasant attitude towards herself, causes Suzie to spend after-school time in the library or on horseback. She complains to her mom but is not believed. So she does what any self-respecting ranch daughter might consider, and decides to ride to her dad’s home and ask if she can stay there instead. However, she has to reach Dubois, Wyoming. Rather than staying on the road, Suzie recklessly decides she will try to cross the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

First searchers are Roger and Bethany Meadows, competent, well-equipped people with saddle horses and a packhorse. We can judge by the difficulty they have in broken countryside, how hard Bethany might have it, poorly equipped by comparison and alone. Eventually the girl’s divorced parents, Mike and Sherry McKenna, are teamed up and searching for their daughter from a different direction. Challenge and ingenuity are major parts of the tale, but experience and teamwork are shown to triumph over going solo.

I love the horsemanship and landscape descriptions. The mountain park is a real character in the story, with changeable weather altering the difficulty for riders by the hour, and irascible wildlife. I thought some of the human characters needed a little more work – Sherry (who I at first disliked) seemed to undergo a complete and swift change, while she and her ex-husband got on so well together it was hard to believe they gave up on their marriage. Sherry also hadn’t ridden in two years, but never once mentioned aching muscles or saddle sores during her endurance trek. Also, nobody mentions a Search And Rescue team. Is there one, and if not, the lack should be mentioned. These are just points that author Kasey Riley might add to her next book, but MCKENNA’S PATH will be good for Young Adult readers, or anyone keen on trail riding and tension-filled outdoor adventure stories.