Baker Family Adventures Series by C. R. Hedgcock

“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 horse-back 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’ favourite secret agent is being pursued in a relentless Highland manhunt? And can Phil and the twins reach him before it’s too late?

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.

365 pages