The Gold Nugget is a well-written, well-devised story set in small-town Nevada. Rebecca Simmons’s father and brother disappear after purchasing property and discovering a large gold nugget, with the possibility of unearthing even more gold. Worried for their safety, Rebecca leaves her home in Los Angeles, determined to find out what happened to her family members. Author Patricia Redican has created a cast of interesting characters. The addition of Virginia City’s town ghost story adds another layer to the mystery. Redican has also thrown in a few nuggets of information about creating self-sufficient homes, making her novel also a little bit educational. She clearly has plenty of personal knowledge of the subject.