I love the idea of a faith-based Christian mystery/adventure. It is also a great idea to show kids of missionaries having adventures all over the world, because kids of missionaries do get to travel, learn other languages, and immerse themselves in other cultures. The story is intriguing, and there is plenty of adventure, including dealing with molten lava, jungle creatures, and terrorists. I enjoyed the closeness of the family and the love of God that shines throughout this book. And as a Christian I loved that the kids prayed when they needed help. There is also a strong message of forgiveness.

Some slight criticism: Eight years have passed since the first book. Caleb is now 20, David is 18 and Lizzy is 16. I enjoyed the first book in this series and easily classified that one as middle-grade. Since the kids’ ages have been increased so much in this book, I would normally classify it as a young adult book. However, it still reads like a middle-grade series, and I don’t think many of the conversations in the book are reflective of the way 16 to 20-year-olds would speak. That being said, this is a wonderful Christian adventure that kids will enjoy.