About the Book

A wholesome family mystery series for tweens and teens, 10-15 years

“Heidi, are you serious? You want us to visit a hidden mansion—a deserted one, deep in the forest, shrouded by trees—at midnight!”

It is freezing in Arizona’s high country, but something seriously weird is happening. . . something that draws the Jackson twins into a bitter cold night. “Wait! Are those lights?” Intruders! Who are they? What do they want? Why are they there?

And most intriguing. . . what happened to the former residents? They walked away decades earlier and left everything behind. It’s a time capsule, lost for decades. And then there’s the garage.

The mystery searchers deploy high-tech solutions in a search for answers, but they’re running up against the clock. Danger alert! What happens if the midnight intruders realize they aren’t alone. . . that someone is spying on them?

Amazon ~~ Bakken Books

Interview with the author

Q - What makes The Mystery Searchers Series so special?

It’s a mix of things, really. When I started the series, I wanted to integrate the things that I liked as a 10-15 year-old—from the 4th or 5th grade, all the way into junior high school. I loved mystery books which lead, often, to mystery solving, crime and detective stories, and action and adventure. So I would devour books like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five series. I quickly realized that clean, wholesome books were important too, and I’ve integrated that concept in every Mystery Searchers installment.

Q - What order should I read the books in?

I’ve written the series so that you can read them in any order. By the time you finish any one of the books, all the threads will come together.

Q – Are there more installments coming in the series?

Yes! Currently I’m releasing three books every year.

Excerpt

It was a frigid winter night in the high country of Prescott, Arizona. A dusting of snow, whipped by howling winds, swirled around the Chevy. The reading on the dashboard thermometer continued to drop. Poor driving conditions became worse as the car—buffeted all the way down Route 69—made slow progress. Its windshield wipers beat a rhythmic tune in a vain struggle at visibility.

Heidi Hoover sat in the backseat, peering into the churning darkness, searching for a hidden turnoff. “There!” she cried out, pointing through the window on the driver’s side. “We almost missed it. There it is.”

Tom Jackson—quiet, thoughtful, and steady as a rock—gripped the steering wheel with both hands and cranked a sudden left. The Chevy bumped and bounced over frozen ruts onto a rough dirt road.

“You’re sure?” Tom’s twin sister, Suzanne, asked. She tightened her front passenger seat belt, staring hard at the bleak scene before her.

Heidi laughed. “Don’t worry, Suzie. I drove out here before. Half a mile of this, and then we’ll go for a nice walk.” The way she said it didn’t sound nice at all.

About the Author

Your mystery writer is a former award-winning industrial film and video writer/producer, and newspaper editorialist. He is the author of a dozen clean, wholesome mystery books for kids, 10-15 years of age. Four high-school students use technology to solve mysteries and fight crime in the mountain city of Prescott, Arizona. The first volume of a second family book series will be released June, 2023.

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