A Riddle in Ruby by Kent Davis

Ruby lives on her father's ship.  She has her own hidey holes, has a special relationship with the cook who is more than a cook, and she's learning lock picking and few magical skills along the way.  She certainly never expected to become a valuable commodity more than one group wants...

Greenwillow Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 22nd.

You hit the ground running in this story and you don't stop.  It's a good thing Ruby has some rules about life from her cook friend.  He's walked on the other side of law more than once and his rules make sense.  She has no less than three separate groups that want her.  She thinks she has an ally in the young man she met in the carriage but she's not sure.  It's even more apparent that things aren't what they seem when the young man turns out to be a young woman.  Of course, Ruby has dressed as a boy, too, she can't be too upset.

There's lots of danger, many fights, a mechanical monster, and Ruby is trying to save her father and the crew.  She has no idea why they want her.  When an old professor tells her what they want, she's still has no idea why.

At the end of this story, she trades herself to the deadly man who is after her to get her father and friends out free.  There will be another book in this series and I bet that is where we find out just how she is important.  We'll also find out if her father can keep his promise of:  "We'll back after you."  No matter what, the next book will be exciting too.