The Challenge – Steel Danielle (2022)

In this novel by Danielle Steel, a small community is tested when four children go missing while exploring a dangerous local peak, forcing their families and neighbours to unite during a crisis. Fishtail, Montana, is home to Anne and Pitt Pollock, local royalty, high school sweethearts and owners of the successful Pollock ranch. The foothills of the Beartooth Mountains surround the town, overlooking the Pollocks’ property and the nearby ranch belonging to Bill and Pattie Brown, who have known the couple since childhood. Their sons Peter Pollock and Matt Brown are best friends. When they and two other local children meet Juliet Marshall, who has recently moved to town after her parents’ bitter divorce, the five become inseparable, spending the summer swimming, horseback riding, hiking and fishing. But one August afternoon, an adventure takes a dangerous turn when they become trapped on Granite Peak, beginning a battle for survival. As fear spreads through the town, their parents join a massive search-and-rescue operation, while a media frenzy heightens tensions and tests fragile relationships. In the aftermath, devastating secrets are revealed, new love appears and families reconsider what they once held dear. The Challenge is a story of courage and the bonds of love and family.