Baker Family Adventures #7 - Hunting in the Highlands

Andy braced his hands against the wooden fence, his legs flew, and his boots slapped the muddy ground on the other side. Its sogginess sucked away his momentum as he started running again.
"Halt there!" a voice commanded.
Andy jolted to a standstill, panting, his heart pounding hard. The poacher had stopped on the opposite side of the burn, uphill amongst the tree trunks. His bow was drawn and an arrow glinted angrily on the string.

After the perils of Iceland, the Bakers plan to enjoy a relaxing vacation with their relatives, the Drakes, in Scotland. Andy goes deer stalking with Uncle Clive, Abby goes horseback riding and sightseeing with Phil and their cousin Millie. Tom travels with his parents to the Isle of Bute.

Three incidents throw the trip into a spiral of confusion, and, scattered across Scotland, the Bakers have clues that don't seem to belong to the same puzzle. A government weapon has fallen into the hands of a top-secret academy, and the only way to stop the spread of dangerous lies is to find the weapon and discover the significance of the name 'Haelix.'

Who was the desperate poacher? Can Millie help Detective Mortimer solve the mystery while the Bakers' favorite secret agent is being pursued in a relentless Highland manhunt? And can Phil and the twins reach him before it's too late? Find out in Hunting in the Highlands.

A race across the moors, a clue beneath the waves of Loch Ness, and an ever-shifting game of strategy-everyone is hunting for a long-hidden message that could affect the future of the free world.

The Baker Family Adventures series follows the exciting lives of Mr. and Mrs. Baker and their four children: responsible Phil, sensible Abby, daring Andy, and inquisitive Tom. The Bakers are a Christian homeschooling family who, in their desire to help others, frequently find themselves in dangerous situations where they must grow in courage and learn important lessons of godliness.

Hunting in the Highlands is Book Seven in the Baker Family Adventures series.

The Series includes these eight books:
Book 1: SUMMER OF SUSPENSE
Book 2: PERIL ON PROVIDENCE ISLAND
Book 3: RIDDLE OF THE RUBY RING
Book 4: THE TREACHEROUS TRAIL
Book 5: PRISONER OF THE PYRENEES
Book 6: ICELAND INTRIGUE
Book 7: HUNTING IN THE HIGHLANDS
Book 8: RESCUE IN THE ROCKIES

From Author R.C. Hedgecock:

Most of my childhood reads were about individuals or groups of children going off on thrilling adventures by themselves. There were no parents around, and hardly any adults (except the villains, of course). Sound familiar?
A few years ago, I began wondering why this was so. Why do adventures have to take place when children are alone? Why are things suddenly more boring when parents are around? Yes, it's true in real life that sensible adults tend to make sure children stay out of dangerous situations, but is the story view that "adventure only happens when we're not around authorities" the right attitude to have? And is there a way to write something different?
This is the point I spent a long time pondering. What if whole families could go on thrilling exploits together? What if parents weren't an impediment to adventure, but rather the reason children get into it in the first place? Wouldn't this be a far more exciting (and Biblical) premise than the one currently offered by stacks of literature out there?
I began to think so, and the Baker Family Adventures Series was born.

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