Summer of Suspense

Baker Family Adventures #1

by C.R. Hedgcock

When Phil, Abby, Andy, and Tom Baker hear that their cousin Millie will visit their farm for the summer, little do they imagine what a dreary time they will have with the snobbish girl. But when Millie disappears, life quickly becomes anything but dreary. What starts out as a summer of chores and horse-riding on the farm turns into a cross-country adventure, as the Bakers find themselves matching wits with a notorious jewelry thief who pulls them into her web. Aided by a seasoned detective, the Bakers confront numerous dangers in their search for Millie, all while attempting to foil the plot of a major crime ring -- making it a summer they will never forget. Filled with mystery and intrigue, Summer of Suspense contains important lessons of Christian courage, humility, submission to authority, and repentance before God and man. This is Book One in the Baker Family Adventures Series.

Genres: Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Christian Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Middle Grade

206 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2012

Reviews

[Michael Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

A clean fun Christian book for young readers, best at age 8-10. Older readers will find the story too trite and the children too perfect for real children.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! C.R. Hedgcock did a great job with this book. It was full of intrigue, mystery, and adventure and it kept me on the edge of my seat.

I loved all the main characters. I really loved how the older brother, Phil, always sought to keep his siblings safe and was a good role model for them to follow.

I really liked how the Bakers would quote Scripture when they were afraid and needed to remind themselves that God was in control of all things and that everything was going to turn out for their good.

One thing that was really refreshing was to see how close the Baker siblings were. There wasn't much bickering and it was so sweet to see, or rather read, of their close relationship. Too often these days we read of siblings who are always fighting and bickering and it was nice to see that this book was so refreshingly different. Of course, none of them are perfect, but they work through their faults.

I do believe that Ms. Hedgcock is now one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this series.

Recommended for ages 10+

[PBartist · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

This book did not impress. Not great writing or storytelling. Took sooo long to end.
Younger kids may like it but they should spend their time reading better children’s books (like Chuck Black, Green Ember, or Wingfeather saga)

[Autumn Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving a very generous 3 stars because if I were a young child I would probably like this book. It was just so cheesy. My personal review would be 1.5 stars.

[Haley Annabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I certainly wouldn't title this the Summer of Suspense. It was hardly suspenseful. The sentences hardly flowed (similar to my review). I think it could have had potential with some heavy editing. If you're simply looking for a clean book with children who are good examples, then feel free to pick this up.
But I would highly suggest some Chuck Black, or Tolkien, or Andrew Peterson, or Christine Cohen.

[Phoebs 🫶🏻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book and pretty easy to get through 😊

[Lauren Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books because they have characters working together as a family and trusting in God!

My younger brothers wanted more and more! I'm so grateful that CR Hedgcock has taken the time and effort to write books that are exciting and acknowledge God unashamedly.The best part is that the whole family works together to solve the mystery, rather than it being just the children going off on adventures by themselves.

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comfort reread for me! I lost count if this is the third or fourth time I’ve read this book. ;)

The stories are targeted at families, being fun and entertaining for all ages.

The later books in the series (#6-8) are my favourites as they show how much the author grew in her writing style and craft, however, I still enjoy the early books, although I feel they are weaker.

And the strong Christian themes are really well done and appreciated!

[Sydney Campanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this series for Christmas and I don't know who couldn't love them! Full of suspense, tension and unexpected happenings this series contains wholesome, Christian family stories. What an awesome series!

[Ellen Senechal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
RTC! <3

[Lydia Willcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a nice book, somewhere between one of the Mandie series and a book by Enid Blyton. I really liked the members of the Baker family and the other characters who helped them, especially J! The characters were believable and likeable (most of them :D), and their attitudes towards each other were well-done and realistic.
I only wish I'd read this book when I was younger, but I enjoyed it all the same. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Recommended for (approximately) ages 10-13.

[beckfilm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summer of Suspense?? HA. More like “Summer of Screaming at the Absolute Lack of Any Suspense.” This ain’t it. Go get yourself or your kid another better book by someone who knows how to write (yeah shots fired).
My family finished reading this together last night and we all clapped and screams for joy when we heard “the end” (FINALLY).
Ok first, we as a society should band together to stop authors who aren’t authors but just think they can write from publishing their works. Kind of joking, kind of not. But Hedgcock uses EVERY SINGLE CRINGE TROPE! And honestly I don’t know what this book was even about - was it about this jewel thieves or horses or like??? Hedgcock doesn’t know what a story structure is - she definitely doesn’t know what a resolution/denouement is, the last few chapters after the conflict is long over and resolved drag on longer than the Crusades. We don’t care, tell us they lived happily ever after, the story is already over. And these kids are much too perfect, like where can I get some of them?? Actually nvm, I don’t want these kids because ugh the dialogue - again, tropes and stereotypes and stuff like “wow! I’m so glad we just escaped that really bad situation! 😃”
I know my family has slightly better things to say, although I don’t think any of us liked it, but I can’t give this book anything but a proper beating. Yes I know it isn’t for my age range at all, it’s not an adult fiction, it’s meant for 8 year olds. But i wouldn’t have been interested in this at all at 8 or 10 or 5 or 13.
So, kid, go pick up Wingfeather Saga or 100 Cupboards or Fablehaven or better yet, The Hobbit.
2/10

[Niyah 'Nahaiya' Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable plot, but the writing quality is a little amateur. I plan to read the rest, and hope for better quality in the future books.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age Appropriate For: 12 and up
Best for Ages: 13-18

I have been interested in this series since it came out, but it wasn’t until they were put on Kindle that I decided to read them. This is the first book in the Baker Family Adventures, a series that is written by a homeschooler, geared for homeschoolers, about homeschoolers.

There are many positive things I can say about this book, but I want to fist talk a little about the elements I didn’t like. First off, it was very violent. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t a lot of gore, but there is a lot of action violence. I felt that, for the age group it is targeted for, it was a bit excessive. My second issue that I had with this book is I thought some parts of this book were a bit disturbing (children being kidnapped and such). Parents will want to read this book before they hand it to younger children.

This book has a lot of good qualities: primarily, the faith element that is woven through the book. The Baker family members are strong believers. Verses are quoted and acting in a godly character is valued. This book did a good job of showing how God fits into everyday life as well as difficult circumstances.

Homeschooling families will also appreciate that homeschooling and large families are shown as sort of a normal thing. Many of us get tired of the book and movie portrayals that always have the homeschool characters being confronted at every turn for their choices. While the characters are challenged in their beliefs at some points, it is mainly in their faith, and they are respectful about it.

There is plenty of action in the book to keep you from being bored, besides plenty of fun settings to keep the imagination working. I can easily see these being books that the family reads aloud and everyone enjoys.

I recommend this for kids who like action, adventure, and contemporary stories.

[Evelyn Boley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok, so this book was like...AMAZING! It also has like the best plot ever. I also love the setting the auther puts you in, a small town farm, Horses, and loving family. Once i read through the first through chaptors I couldn't put it down, whenever i would try I would accidently read a few words ahead which would make me pick it back up and start reading again. Ok so lets get to the character's,
or at least my favorites. Abby. Abby was in my top three favorites mostly because I could relate to her in a lot of ways, my love for horses, being a christion, and the respect and love i have for my family.
Milly. Ok so some of Y'all might be like "Why Milly?" But the reason i liked her was, eventhough she was a brat in the first few chaptors, She has a good heart. And even though she never really showed it she was kind and caring. The way she was with Abby all the way after the kidnapping Made me think that she wasint all bad. Philip. Ok so Phil is definitely on my list. I love the way even though there are no pictures or anything the auther brings him to life with details. And from what ive learned about him through out this book is that he is loving, caring, and will risk anything for his family.
So with all that being said, if any of Y'all are looking for a good pre-teen/teenager book to read that includes, Horses, and suspence i really think this is the book for you.

[Hannah]

Good length for a middle grade mystery novel. The plot involves some young farm kids and their rich cousin as they investigate the disappearance of a horse--and of the two girls, who are kidnapped by the bad guys in the process of trying to uncover the mystery. The mystery was good and the attitudes to Millie weren't too unfair--in fact, I would have liked to see more detail on her supposed snobbery, as it wasn't shown in much detail. I was impressed by how the heroine treated Millie in her own mind, as in general such plots revolve around a jealous, angsty child who is obsessively hostile to another girl just because that other girl happens to be pretty.
The best part of the plot was when the girls used braces--as in, braces for the teeth!--to unlock a door. Now THAT is a plot device that readers of any age--but especially young readers--would find memorable! ;)
I also liked the extensive use of a parking garage for action sequences. Those are very exciting places to children and were perfect for a mystery plot.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in one sitting and greatly enjoyed it! Considering that this is the first book written by the author, it was rather well done. The plot line was engaging, although there was a bit of unnecessary exposition at the beginning. I love how the Bible and Biblical topics are naturally woven in throughout the Baker family's conversations and interactions. Definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

[Julia Elkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

(As a 15-year-old homeschooler) This book was an exciting read, and a book to come back to several times. As a re-read, it was just as engrossing as it was the first time I read it (at 8 years old). Well written, relateable characters with strong faith, and plenty of adventure, make it a fun read aloud, and definitely worth your time.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my honest opinion about this book.

My friend recommended this book to me. The cover is eye-catching and the title is intruiging; however, this book was really too cliche and far fetched for my liking. Here's my review of the book, Summer of Suspense by C.R. Hedgcock.

PLOT (Synopsis from GoodReads, comments in [bold] mine):
When Phil, Abby, Andy, and Tom Baker [seemingly perfect, sheltered children] hear that their cousin Millie [seemingly haughty, worldy teen] will visit their farm for the summer, little do they imagine what a dreary time they will have with the snobbish girl [making it seem like the Bakers are living a perfect life and don't know what lies outside their back door]. But when Millie disappears [gasp, who knew it was coming], life quickly becomes anything but dreary. What starts out as a summer of chores and horse-riding on the farm turns into a cross-country adventure, as the Bakers find themselves matching wits with a notorious jewelry thief [gahh this was the cringy-est part of the book... this book was written 6 years ago, but still, back then, I don't think there were big name jewelry theifs that would steal children...] who pulls them into her web. Aided by a seasoned detective, the Bakers confront numerous dangers [far-fetched ones] in their search for Millie, all while attempting to foil the plot of a major crime ring [yeah, this was the part where the story went wacko] -- making it a summer they will never forget.

If that's not cliche to you, I don't know what is.

MY THOUGHTS There are a thousand predictable plot turns and unrealistic ways of getting out of danger, such as Abby pulling the wire off her braces to make a key to escape (I could never do that) and her and Millie escaping on horses (one stolen, gasp) and jumping a fence and not getting captured again. Then they practically walk right back into the trap.
We don't hear much about Millie's parents except at the beginning; I don't even think her mom said a word in the book. I feel like the author could've added more about her parents.
The author added some Bible verses that were relevant at some points, but then I felt like in some situations they were just added to make the book seem more Christian?

CHARACTERS:
The family as a whole: A Christian, homeschooling family who lives on a farm and own horses. The fact that the kids were super obedient and nice to one another annoyed me. There weren't any big disagreements or fights and that kind of made the story fake and unrealistic.

Phillip: We were never given an age for Phil, but I was guessing he was 17 because he was able to drive and we were told he went to a conference on his own. He was (almost) the perfect older brother and saves the day when all goes wrong.

Andy: This was the character that had the best development. When he had to stay home while Phil was out helping the detective, Andy grew jealous and angry because he had to stay to do all the farm work. The author then has Andy realizing the fault in his thinking and has him repent.

Abby: I don't have much to say about Abby. She was, however, pretty smart with ways of escaping, although I'd think that she'd thought of it wrong to steal a horse to escape. The author did mention, though, how she felt guilty of lying to her kidnappers.

Tom: I felt like he kind of added some intended humor to the story, although I thought that was unnecessary at some parts.

Mildred: Millie is the family's cousin who comes for a visit. She's a typical modern day girl whose hair is dyed, wears makeup, and has an iPhone. You see a bit of character development in her when she apologizes (not fully but slightly) to Abby when the girls are captured and near the end where her attitude is more kind as apposed to prideful.

WRITING
This book was written by a teen and I believe it was her first book to be published. I could see how I could write something like this, however, the story line and plot did have some extravagant twists that I wasn't expecting from my first impression. I was impressed.

CONTENT
Other than some "scary" parts like Abby getting kidnapped, it was clean of langauage and any other "dirty" aspects. After all, it's about a Christian, homeschooled family, so what can you expect?

COVER AND FORMAT
The cover was what got me thinking this would be an awesome book. The font was really small and it made the book look small when it really wasn't.

OVERALL
Overall, I'd give this book a 2.5/5 star rating. It was an easy read - I managed to get it done with in a day and a bit. However, that was caused by the fact that the plot moved on immensely fast and didn't give too much time for character development, other than Andy who pretty much has to stay home while all the action is happening.

Don't get me wrong. This is a good book, but I think I would've enjoyed it more when I was younger as I wouldn't be able to see the faults. The best thing about the book is that it taught some great character lessons throughout the story. So, in conclusion, if you're looking for an easy read (and lots of moments of cringy-ness), then you'll enjoy picking up this book.

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised to find this book to be quite suspenseful, with a life and death race to rescue two girls who were kidnapped. Lessons of ingenuity, acceptance, and forgiveness are weaved into the story of cousins.

[Miriam Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this series from the author herself! This is a great start!

[Brooklynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister and I throughly enjoyed this series and are anxiously awaiting the release of the seventh installment!

[Abigail Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading

[Lucy Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book!

[Pat Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that some great kids want me to read this whole series! I hope that I can but I also hope the writing gets better. It’s a good story of a lovely family who care for each other and love God and have some adventure. However, the character depth is a bit lacking. The rude cousin never really expressed acknowledgment or repentance of her behavior and wasn’t held accountable. Parts of adventure were a bit unbelievable. Ending a bit too perfect with few real life difficulties for characters to face. I hope for more in the next ones but will recommend for a nice family story for young readers.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I read this a couple years ago but I'm shelving it now, because apparently I forgot! lol
This book was very interesting and fun (maybe a little unrealistic at parts) And I really enjoyed it.
The writing is clean and easy to read and was rated as one of my favorite childhood books. Seriously, for kids who love horses, adventure, and family themes with suspense mixed in, this may be one of the best! I strongly recommend!

[Kristy Hetzel]

As an adult, this book was quite painful to read (checking it out for my kids), but I probably would have liked it as a kid. I'm glad to hear the writing improves in the later books and I may check one out just to see. Clean, Christian, homeschooling, family-based, just super-unrealistic in the storyline.

[Aiden Mentink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books I really like the world view!

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, clean reading mystery for children/teens that teach lessons and character.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute!
A super rich family has a visitor, who doesn’t share their good vibes.
Love that it’s rooted in scripture! Well done!