Pageturner Cliffhanger Book blog

View Original

Murder on the Safari Star by MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman

Pencil-twirling railway detective Harrision Beck faces his trickiest mystery yet in Murder on the Safari Star - the third in the Adventures on Trains series by writing duo MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman.

Murder on the Safari Star is a classic locked-room mystery with red herrings and false accusations galore. There are elephants on the tracks, a mongoose on the loose, and unusual dishes in the dining car. The landscape of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia make a dramatic backdrop and the wildlife adds thrills.

“I’d love to solve a murder one day,” Hal said eagerly. “It’s the ultimate crime for a detective.”

The train itself - a South African Class 25NC - is the chief delight: providing a clever closed-world for the child-detective, exciting action locales, and a few secrets of its own.

“But crimes are exciting to solve,” said Hal, watching a beetle the size of a chestnut flying clumsily ahead of them, “and I’m good at it.” The beetle crashed into a tree trunk and tumbled to the ground.

But before twelve-year-old Hal can unravel the knotty clues, he has lessons to learn about humility, jumping to conclusions, and controlling his emotions.

Great fun!

WHAT TO READ NEXT

The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg

Kidnap on the California Comet by MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman