TOOT TOOT! It's been about six months since I read and reviewed The Highland Falcon Thief, the first release in the new Adventures on Train series by M.G Leonard and Sam Sedgman and brought to life by Elisa Paganelli. This has honestly been one of my favourite books of 2020 and so I jumped at the chance to view the second instalment via Netgalley.

All aboard the Californian Comet - ready and waiting to take you on an exciting trip across the USA. Hal can't wait to join his Uncle on a second rail adventure but his uneasy feeling that something isn't right proves true when his new friend and daughter of business billionaire, August Reza, is kidnapped. Armed with his sketchbook and some magical assistants, Hal tries to piece together some increasingly confusing clues but time is running out. Can he stop the kidnappers in their tracks or will his detective work be derailed?

This sequel is every bit as exhilarating and as charming as the first but on a grander scale and with higher stakes. M.G Leonard and Sam Sedgman's detailed knowledge of trains and specific research of the American coast to coast rail journey brings the story to vividly life - from the dramatic scenery to the sights, sounds and smells of life aboard a moving locomotive. The characters are wide-ranging, fun and larger than life and the mystery has enough twists and turns to make the unravelling journey satisfying, even if you manage to solve some clues along the way.

Hal, once again, makes a likeable, determined but frustrated protagonist. This time we know the answer to the kidnap lies somewhere in his sketchbook, but this element of the storyline makes it both fascinating and unique in its USP. 'Sherlock da Vinci' is on a mission and he is going to use his skills to the best of his ability.

I loved the character of Lenny in the Highland Falcon Thief but I think I liked Hadley and Mason more, with their American exuberance, impersonations and magic tricks. The theme of magic subtlety runs through the novel and becomes pivotal to the plot. The plot in itself is pacey and perfectly executed and, just as in the last book, there is a lovely mix of adult and child characters. Uncle Hal is his casual and supportive self but brings gentle back-up to the table when needed whilst Zola, Vanessa, Adie, Hadley and Marianne are super sharp and sassy female characters - although maybe not all good!

The writing style feels effortless and, for me, is as enjoyable as the story itself. It's tone and language flows as easily as the Missouri river, making the story accessible and easy to read. Before you know it, you've rattled from chapter to chapter as quickly as Hal races from carriage to carriage and are faced with another dramatic, nerve-shredding end alongside surprising revelations. The illustrations bring warmth and familiarity and Elisa Paganelli captures the characters brilliantly.

You don't have to like trains to enjoy this series but be prepared to have your mind changed. I may not be an expert on railways but I instantly wanted to go on this train journey. In fact, it's now on my bucket list, even I won't be doing it aboard the Silver Scout. What I'm trying to say is that this book has something for everyone; trains, scenery, sketches, mystery, magic and adventure. I'm thrilled that there's more on the way...

Murder on the Safari Star publishes in February 2021.

A big thankyou to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for allowing me to review this book.

I had really enjoyed The Highland Falcon Thief and this was just as good. Harrison beck is a smart and very likeable hero and Uncle Nat works well with him. All the other characters were well developed and were convincing as both suspects and allies. I loved all the facts about American trains and they were skilfully woven into the story so the plot never faltered. I felt the mystery in this one was smarter than in the first and how Harrison solves through his observational sketches was great. Loved it.

I was so excited to read this but it had a lot to live up to given how good The Highland Falcon Thief was. I needn't have worried; it is another glorious whodunnit from the amazing pairing of MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman.
This time, Hal's gone international, journeying on an iconic American railway route. Hal has a strange feeling that not all is quite right while waiting to board the train but he can't quite place his finger on what it is. Soon, he encounters a hoard of suspicious characters aboard, leaving the reader constantly questionning each one. When a billionaire's daughter is kidnapped, Hal has to rely on his detective skills, drawings and the help of some new friends to solve the case. I really enjoyed the new characters introduced and Hal's new friends, brother and sister duo Hadley and Mason, proved worthy sidekicks. As usual, the amazing illustrations by Elisa Paganelli also added another dimension to the story and will enable readers to picture the characters and scenary clearly.
I loved the new train setting, which could be so limiting given the characters are confined to such a small space, but it really isn't. Such painstaking detail goes into bringing this train adventure alive, even down to the timings of the route, which also adds to the plot's momentum.
This was a masterful mystery and one that will keep children guessing until the end. Once again, when everything is revealed, all the clues and threads which have been woven throughout the story come together so cleverly. I can't wait to share this with the children when we are back at school - I know they will love it.

Oh my! Well, I devoured The Highland Falcon Thief and I thought that nothing could top that. However, I was absolutely wrong.

Hal and Uncle Nat are on the California Comet, which is based on a real train experience from Chicago to San Francisco. On board are a number of different people and Hal immediately befriends Mason and Hadley who are a simply wonderful double act. Hal also meeting up with Marianne, daughter of a billionaire / tech giant. It is the mysterious kidnap of Marianne that sets our sleuth off again, this time with Mason and Hadley in tow.

As with their previous book, Leonard and Sedgman created a wonderful, fast paced story that was simply unputdownable. I also adore the relationship Hal has with his uncle. The dynamic is wonderful and I adore the scenes with just the 2 of them. There were many little twists and turns that made me think and I adore the premise of the Adventures on Trains. I simply cannot wait to see what Hal and Uncle Nat get up to next.

Another brilliant installment in the Adventures on Trains series. Not only is the mystery brilliantly plotted, peppered with red herrings in true Agatha Christie style, but you can really tell that the authors love their trains and train travel! I like the fact that the reader is learning from Uncle Nat as he talks to Hal about their journey.. The cast of characters is described brilliantly and the illustrations really bring it all to life. I especially like the fact that they are 'Hal's sketches.. I think that if I was nine years old, I would definitely be reading this under the covers after lights out!

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After loving the first installment in this series (The Highland Falcon Thief) I had high hopes for this sequel and I was not disappointed. All the things I loved about book 1 are back: the wonderful relationship between Nat and Hal; the exciting descriptions of new places and new trains and of course, another mystery to solve.

This time we travel aboard the California Comet from Chicago to San Francisco. Not being from America, I wasn't as familiar with these places as I was with those described in the first book, but that didn't matter. The writing set the scene beautifully and definitely made me want to hop on a train and journey across America! The story takes place over a shorter timescale in this book (just 3 days) and a lot of action is packed into that time - I flew through this book as I was desperate to find out what happened next.

In this story, Nat, in his job as a journalist, is covering an event being hosted by a billionaire entrepreneur who is also a passenger on the California Comet. Hal tags along for the ride. All is going well until the daughter of the entrepreneur is kidnapped and once again, Hal needs to use his sleuthing skills to unravel the mystery. Right from the first chapter, we meet a range of interesting characters all of whom are realistic and detailed but there's always something suspicious or mysterious about them that keeps you wondering right to the end who the culprit might be.

This was a fantastic reading experience! The intricacies of the plot and the fact that once you reach the end you can see all the clues that were left for you, which you might have overlooked at the time are brilliant. Uncle Nat continues to be one of my favourite characters of all time. He's such a wonderful example of adults in children's fiction done well and his advice about why doing the right thing is hard is just beautiful.

I would recommend this book to anyone aged 9+ who enjoys adventures, mysteries and fun, action-packed books.

Whilst it does contain a kidnapping, there is no unsuitable violence and no-one is actually harmed. However, the kidnapped character is missing and you are left not knowing what has happened to them for a large chunk of the book so this may be a consideration.

I read this immediately after finishing The Highland Falcon Thief, and it was such a treat to read both books back-to-back as this is a series I’m absolutely loving, and can’t wait to read more of.

This time Hal is travelling aboard the California Comet with his Uncle Nat, a travel journalist, who has been invited to attend a press conference by technological entrepreneur, August Reza. Hal has barely arrived before he meets siblings Mason and Hadley, who are outgoing and friendly, and have talents which will prove useful for the mystery Hal soon finds himself intent on solving …

He also meets the rather unhappy and lonely daughter of the billionaire, August Reza. Marianne befriends Hal and warns him that she is in danger so, when he witnesses her kidnapping and finds a ransom note, he is determined to use his detective skills to save her.

Who has kidnapped August, and is the motive as obvious as it appears? This story is packed full of suspects, clever clues, tantalising puzzles and intrigue, and sets up a delicious trail to follow, a trail which leads to startling revelations and danger.

I enjoyed every moment aboard The California Comet and thoroughly enjoyed both the mystery and the description of the places the journey takes them, especially the Rocky Mountains. It really makes me yearn to travel this route aboard the real-life California Zephyr and, hopefully, one day I’ll be able to do just that.

I loved the rich assortment of characters, and how they could all be perceived as shady from the bearded-dragon owner Adie Cabbage to the brief-case carrying Seymour Hart to the wrestling lover, Gene Jackson. I also loved Hadley’s magic tricks and how these were used to help in the investigation of the crime but, most of all, I LOVE the way Hal uses his sketchbook to gather and analyse evidence, and how his drawings are perfectly captured by illustrator Elisa Paganelli.

Hal is a wonderful character who is quick to develop friendships with others. He is naturally curious, extremely observant and full of determination, all of which are perfect attributes for a budding detective. Even when adults are not prepared to listen to him or take him seriously, he perseveres and follows the evidence.

This is a brilliantly clever, exciting and engrossing mystery which will undoubtedly take its readers on a wonderful adventure, puzzling and searching for clues, as they try to solve this classic whodunnit.

Hal (Harrison) and his Uncle Nat are off on another adventure on a train, but this time across America. There is another mystery for Hal to solve before the train journey ends, just like in ‘The Highland Falcon Thief’ and it is just as fast-paced and addictive as the first one!

Uncle Nat is working as a journalist whilst on the journey – he has been sent to cover a press conference being given by August Reza, a famous technology entrepreneur. This gives Hal plenty of time to explore the train on his own and meet the other passengers. He makes friends with Hadley and Mason, American siblings about his own age who have a talent for magic tricks. Together, they use a combination of Hal’s talent for sketching and clues they find on the train to attempt to solve a mysterious kidnapping that takes place when the train stops for a short while.

I loved the variety of characters used for the passengers on the train – from grumpy people who don’t want to talk to anyone to a chatty woman with a pet lizard and a journalist colleague from Uncle Nat’s past. Absolutely everyone is a suspect for orchestrating the kidnapping at some point!

Just like ‘The Highland Falcon Thief’, there is a sense of urgency for the mystery to be solved before the train journey comes to an end, which makes it all the more compelling. Funny, clever, and very readable, a must-read for children aged 9 and up.

It is like an Agatha Christy but for children.
Once on board the California Comet the pace of the story picks up just like that of a train journey & what a ride this adventure is. I absolutely love the way that the authors take the reader down one line of thought before quickly pulling the 'points' and then you are off on another track. I also loved the way that little hints were slowly revealed almost in the way that you'd take the wrapper off one of the Cassis Réglisse Noire (blackcurrant liquorice sweets) that are mentioned. Simply devine & exceptionally clever.
Readers of 8 plus will definitely enjoy travelling the California Comet.
I personally love books where you learn something about the world we live in & Kidnap on the California Comet doesn't disappoint: readers of this fabulous story may want to divert on another branch line & learn a little bit more about Stephenson's Rocket, the Silver Solarium or the California Zephyr (the real railway journey across America that the Comet is based on.)
This is a brilliant sequel to The Highland Falcon Thief with wonderful illustrations once again created by the exceptionally talented Elisa Paganelli. There's a fantastically drawn map of the route (there is something uniquely special about maps and this one doesn't disappoint). I cannot wait for the next exciting instalment in the Adventures on Trains series.
What are you waiting for? Purchase your ticket (book) for depature on 3rd September 2020.
Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another amazing describe train adventure - it’s like Sherlock Holmes and Murder on the Orient Express (without the murder!) all rolled into one. Loved trying to piece the clues together to solve the mystery as the story raced along. Hoping there’s another train to board with Harrison and Uncle Nat soon!

Kidnap on the California Comet is the second instalment of the Adventures on Trains series written by the wonderful M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. The first book, The Highland Falcon Thief was a delightful mystery involving a jewel thief and introduced us to Hal, our main train sleuth and his transport-loving-journalist uncle Nat. I absolutely loved The Highland Falcon Thief and as with all series was apprehensive that this wouldn't be as great but the duo have created a story that pulls you in just as much (if not more?) than the first and holds its own within the series.

Once more the book centres around Hal and Uncle Nat off on a locomotive adventure - this time to America on the California Comet taking it's famous journey between Chicago and San Francisco. Between competing with jet lag, making new American friends and battling homesickness Hal finds himself again embroiled in the middle of a mystery when wealthy train carriage owner, August Reza's daughter, Marianne, is kidnapped.

Just like in the first Adventures on Trains, Hal immediately jumps into detective mode and once again his musings are recorded via his sketchbook. Elisa Paganelli provides the illustrations in the book again and I love how Hal is described drawing a scene only for you to turn the page and the scene be brought to life right in front of you. Her illustrations really do help to bring the story alive through Hal's eyes.

Hal is again joined by companions. This time he befriends two American children also travelling, Mason and Hadley - the former a talented impressionist who loves mimicking Hal's accent and the latter an impressive magician who teaches Hal a trick or two along the way. Together they make a formidable detective team and I enjoyed the friendship between them which came across as genuine and representative of children's friendships on holiday.

Marianne Reza's disappearance is yet another complicated mystery for Hal to solve and one with many twists and turns that you never expect. I love picking up the clues at the same time as Hal and despite all the evidence being there I still never manage to solve the case before he ultimately cracks it!

Kidnap on the California Comet is fast-paced and action-packed and I was hooked from the start, reading the whole thing in one sitting (something that doesn't happen that often). It's the perfect second book and I'm eagerly anticipating the return of Hal's adventures in Murder on the Safari Star.

This is another cracking read in the Highland Falcon Thief series, featuring Hal and his Uncle Nat. Hal is crossing America by train when he begins to notice strange goings-on. He meets Marianne, the daughter of a billionaire with great plans, the mysterious Seymour Hart, and the glamourous journalist Zola. Can he solve the mystery, with the help of new friends Mason and Hadley, before it is too late?

A gripping adventure story for fans aged 8 upwards who love intrigue and mystery.

How do you even start to review books by MG Leonard (and Sam, of course). Just like its prequel, 'Kidnap on the California Comet' was a supremely entertaining and twisty adventure across the US, that brought together all my favourite things: travel, trains, and a whodunnit-esque mystery. I am still flabbergasted as to how Maya and Sam come up with these Agatha-Christie-esque mysteries and have it all piece together so smoothly that you really cannot work it out until the very end, but then feel like you should have known who did it all along. Their writing really is second to none and got me out of my reading slump, and let's not forget the gorgeous interior illustrations which really bring the story to life. Another excellent read from this pair!

Harrison Beck is back with Uncle Nat after their adventure on the Highland Falcon Thief and Kidnap on the California Comet is a perfect sequel! This time, the pair are travelling across America. Hal - now dubbed 'Sherlock Da Vinci' - meets a number of new friends, including the magical Moretti siblings, who join him in trying to solve his next mystery. The dialogue is fun and the illustrations complement the story well. Overall, it's an engaging, quick read that I'd highly recommend to children in Years 4-6 at my school, just as with the first book in this middle-grade series.

In the second book in what is fast becoming my favourite crime fiction series for kids, authors M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman expand their scope, setting Hal Beck and his uncle Nat on an adventure across America.

Hal soon makes new friends, and just like in the first book every character has their own passions and interests. That's one of the aspects of the Adventures on Trains series that I really love, each character has their own skills and interests that come into play in fun ways to help Hal solve the crime. From impressions to drawing, magic to investigative journalism, everyone has hobbies that deepen their character.

Like with the first book, there are enough clues and hints to allow you to guess aspects of the case, offering a sense of satisfaction when you're proven right, but also enough blind allies and unexpected turns to keep you surprised.

Overall, an excellent adventure across America with dastardly plots, intriguing villains and magnificent locomotives.

Having loved the first Adventures on Trains book, I was delighted to be approved by Netgalley to read an eARC of Kidnap on the California Comet. Once again a rollicking adventure unfolds as Hal and his Uncle Nat rattle and clatter their way across an iconic train route.

Travel journalist, Nathaniel Bradshaw, has been personally invited to cover a press conference at which billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur, August Reza, will unveil his latest innovation. Mr Reza shares Nat’s love of trains and has his own luxuriously refurbished 1940s observation car, Silver Scout, hitched to the California Comet. The press conference is due to be staged at the Durham Museum, once one of the country’s busiest train hubs but now a train museum, in Omaha.

Hal is delighted to accompany Uncle Nat on this rail trip of a lifetime, a three-day adventure from Chicago to San Francisco and despite his jet-lag he doesn’t hesitate to start recording his journey in his sketchbook as he waits in the grand surroundings of Union Station, Chicago to board the train. He soon makes friends with a brother and sister, Mason and Hadley, who are roughly his age, not realising that their special talents for magic and impersonation will be of great use in unravelling another mystery.

As the train picks up pace across the broad expanse of the American plains, Hal feels a growing sense of unease, sensing an undercurrent of subterfuge. Why does Ryan, the teenager with elaborate dental brace-work appear so terrified of his gym-coach father that he tries to pass on a coded message? Why is Vanessa Rodriguez in the roomette opposite so brusque? Is glamorous journalist Zola trying to steal his uncle’s story? Are there really spies from Reza’s rival company Zircona on board the train, and would they stoop low enough to kidnap Marianne, his twelve-year-old daughter? Is Seymour Hart, the businessman with a metal suitcase clamped to his side at all times, training in stolen secrets?

Like it’s predecessor, this book is infused with a love of rail travel and trains. The story glides through technical details and descriptions as smoothly as service in a first class carriage, leaving the reader satiated with knowledge. This time there is also a palpable sense of the conflict between nostalgia for old technologies, such as Uncle Nat’s fountain pen and the glamorous 1940s style train carriages, and the desire to embrace new technologies whilst thinking about their impact on the environment.

The illustrations by Elisa Paganelli throughout are an absolutely integral part of the story as they represent Hal’s finely detailed observations. His insightful sketches are the method through which he details the world around him and the basis for his crime-solving conclusions.

This book will be devoured by young readers looking for an engrossing adventure to read for pleasure. However, I can also see many ways in which it could be used as a class reader to sit alongside curriculum project work: the Americas geography unit, DT/STEM work on design of transport and as a basis for discussions on clean energy and environmental concerns. In summary I highly recommend Kidnap on the California Comet to anyone of 8/9+.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for approving my eARC request.

Adults will appreciate this book, but its audience is enthusiastic young readers. My eleven year old grandson tells it like this: ‘This book is the second in the series. It is about Hal, a little boy who goes along with his uncle Nat when he is travelling. Along the way Hal stumbles across mysteries and tries to solve the cases. I thought it was a good book because it did not jump into the story too quickly and you knew what was happening the whole way through. It is a book I would recommend to friend.’ Short, sweet and to the point! That tells you all that a review should; he is looking forward to the next in the series and likes illustrations and the railway setting.

This was a rip roaring read with a fascinating setting. Hal and his uncle are traveling on the California Comet to a press conference with a Steve Jobs/ Elon Musk type figure, when the entrepreneur's daughter is kidnapped. There is a fascinating cast of characters on the train, and Hal literally captures all their quirks in his sketchbook. He makes friends with a brother and sister traveling to Vegas who teach him magic tricks, and then help him with his investigations. A jolly, child friendly "murder on the Orient express" style story that would appeal to fans of detective novels, adventure, illusions or trains! It is a sequel, but I had not read the first novel and this totally stands alone, although I will be going back and reading the first. I will be recommending it to children 8+.

Another amazing adventure by M. G Leonard and Sam Sedgman.

Harrison Beck's detective sense starts tingling before he even steps aboard his second train expedition, from Chicago to San Francisco on the California Comet with his journalist uncle: Hal.

Feeling homesick and lost in America, Harrison finds himself wrapped up in another mystery as the daughter of a tech entrepreneur girl is kidnapped.

Along with his new friends - Mason and Hadley, Hal races against time to solve the mystery before the train reaches the end of the line.

A great read for adventure and mystery seekers.

This is a fantastic sequel to a brilliant new series! You continue to follow Hal in his train adventures with his uncle and meet new characters along the way. The new crime to solve has a brilliant twist at the end and throughout you are constantly trying to solve the crime yourself pouncing on each new clue. I really hope there are many more to come in this series with Hal having adventures on trains around the world.