Escape from Fire Lake (Last Chance Detectives) Paperback – October 5, 2021

My 8 and 10 year old daughters love this series! I love that it's an exciting mystery with a biblical worldview.

When Mike Fowler stumbles across bank robbers making a getaway, he becomes an accidental hostage. Unwilling to let him point the finger at them, the thieves leave him for dead in the middle of the desert. Can Mike make it to civilization before succumbing to the sun in Fire Lake?Wow! For a short book meant for kids, this was quite an intense ride! Unlike the first book in the series, this one was completely new to me, and it really sucked me in. Mike's trek through the desert, trying not to give in to the sun or his own worries, was really suspenseful and kept me hooked all throughout. At the same time, the other Last Chance Detectives are looking for him, and that part is interesting too. Whereas children's books can sometimes venture away from reality, in that the kids in the story do things that kids wouldn't really be able to do in real life, I felt like all of it was quite plausible in this case.Though there wasn't any kind of mystery in this story, at least not to the reader, it was still full of adventure and great lessons about relying on God and letting Him give you peace in scary situations. Again the danger is very real, but it doesn't get to be what I'd consider too scary for kids, and I highly recommend this book for those around 10-14.

Another great Last Chance Detectives story! This is the second book that my 10 year old son and I have read together from this series. We thoroughly enjoyed it and like the previous book we read, it was hard to put down. Full of action, friendship, harrowing experiences, and faith, this book is a fantastic read for middle grade kids, especially boys.In this book, Mike stumbles on to a group of bank robbers who have not only robbed several banks but taken a priceless statue. He and his dog Jake sneak into the back of the robbers’ truck to investigate, but become trapped inside and end up traveling with the robbers until they’re discovered in the back of the truck. The robbers decide to abandon them in the desert rather than kill them, but Mike has taken the statue and left clues if only his friends can find them. With only his smarts and his faith to guide him, Mike has to find a way out of the desert before time runs out. While he’s fighting for his life, the rest of the Last Chance Detectives help Pop and Smitty try to find out what happened to him and his dog.This book had some fabulous messages. While Mike was struggling through severe hardships in the desert, he kept picturing his father and remembering the faith and lessons that he had instilled in him. I especially liked the message that God is with us in our struggles. I also liked that Mike’s friends were not willing to give up on finding him and that they knew him so well, they were able to recognize the clues he left for them.All in all this is another great story that middle grade kids and their parents will love. It has great messages of faith and friendship with an action packed storyline that my son really enjoyed. Highly recommend this series and look forward to reading more of these books. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.