North Woods Manhunt (a Sugar Creek Gang Story)

The Sugar Creek Gang stumbles onto something far bigger than a fishing trip. Camping in the North Woods of Minnesota, the boys discover ransom money hidden inside stuffed fish, and suddenly they're face to face with Old Hook-nose John Till, a dangerous man with a violent past. When Circus makes a split-second decision to trap Till inside an icehouse, the gang must act fast: steal a boat under cover of darkness, race against time to get help, and deliver a desperate letter from Little Tom Till's mother before it's too late. The adventure crackles with real tension, these aren't pretend dangers, and the boys grapple with what it means to be brave when courage means making impossible choices. Paul Hutchens writes with the kind of knock-your-socks-off energy that made this series a beloved staple for generations of young readers. There's a reason the Sugar Creek Gang has endured: these stories understand that faith isn't a safety blanket, but a flashlight you carry into the dark.